Exodite Mythology

Below are legends passed down among the Exodites pertaining to their patron deities. They tell of the great love that Isha, the mother of all Eldar, had for her children, and how she and two other gods disobeyed their King in order to aid the young Eldar race.

The Tears of Isha

The Eldar race was born as the mortal children of Isha, the goddess of the harvest, and Kurnous, the god of the hunt. Lileath (the maiden goddess) dreamed that Khaine (god of war) would be torn into a hundred pieces by a great mortal army. When Khaine learned of this he resolved to destroy the Eldar. He pursued them through the universe, trapping and slaying many before Asuryan (Pheonix King of the gods) heard the weeping of Isha and so learned of Lileath's dream and Khaine's plan. To save the few who remained Asuryan placed a great barrier between mortals and gods, dividing them for all eternity and forbidding any further contact between them.

This went very hard with Isha, who now wept all the more because her mortal children had been seperated from her. Isha and Kurnous pleaded with Vaul the smith to help them. Vaul knew that Asuryan would never change his mind, but his heart was softened by Isha's plea and he promised to help all he could. From the tears of Isha Vaul made rune stones, by means of which Isha could see and talk to her children the Eldar. Isha taught the Eldar much, how to farm the land, whilst Kurnous instructed them how to hunt for food.

One day Khaine overheard Isha as she spoke to her children and he immediately told Asuryan. The Pheonix King was very angry that his commands had been disobeyed. He told Khaine that as Isha and Kurnous had betrayed him he no longer considered them worthy of his protection, and Khaine could do with them as he wished. This suited Khaine very well, as he still feared that Lileath's prophecy would be fulfilled. He made the god and goddess his prisoners, and though he could not slay them he ensured that they endured constant torment and confinement.

The Swords of Vaul

Bound with bonds of flame and scorching iron, the god and goddess were cast into a burning pit out of sight of mortals and gods. Of all the gods only Vaul the Smith pleaded for them, and eventually he agreed to make a hundred swords for their release, for Vaul was the greatest swordsmith of all eternity and a single blade was of incalculable value. A date was fixed one year hence for the completion of the bargain.

When the time came for Vaul to deliver the weapons he had still one unfinished blade. To conceal the shortfall Vaul took an ordinary mortal blade and mixed it amongst his own work. At first Khaine was so pleased with the weapons that he failed to spot the deception. Only when Isha, Kurnous and Vaul were far away did he discover the forgery. He roared with anger, calling Vaul a cheat and crying out for vengeance. This was the beginning of the long strugle between Khaine and Vaul which is called the War in Heaven.

The War in Heaven

The War in Heaven lasted for years, and there are many tales of the battles between the gods and the immortal demi-god giants called the Yngir. Gods took sides and changed sides, struck bargains of mutual support and broke them, and the heavens shook with the noise of battle. Asuryan refused to take sides, for he had begun to regret his hasty anger with Isha and despaired of the war god's destruction.

Vaul reforged the final blade, the sword that he had failed to finish for Khaine, and he made it the mightiest sword of all. He called it Anaris, which means dawnlight, and with this weapon in his hand he strode to do battle with Khaine. The fight was long and Vaul did Khaine much hurt, Anaris darted as swift and deadly as lightning, but in the end Khaine overpowered the smith god and toppled him from heaven. It was as a result of this long battle that Vaul is said to have suffered the injuries which left him crippled. Khaine chained Vaul to his own anvil with chains of iron and the War in Heaven was won by the war god.

To prevent further suffering and destruction, Isha did not speak to her children again for many centuries...



Exodites and the Fall

The following legends are taken from the history of the Exodite worlds. They relate the Exodites' disdain of the wanton destruction and total depravity of the Eldar at the time of the Fall. The legends tell how the Exodites, directed by certain of the Eldar gods, left their lost brothers to their devices and retreated en masse to the far corners of the galaxy to escape the terrible fate that awaited the Eldar.


Isha's Revelation

Scant centuries before the birth of Slaanesh and the end of all Eldar society, the Eldar goddess Isha, mother of the Eldar race, revealed herself once more to a select group of her children that had remained pure throughout the dark age of depravity. She told them of the impending doom that their kind was faced with, warning of the malevolent spirit of darkness that grew from the thoughts and deeds of the Eldar race.

With this knowledge, these select Eldar began preaching of the death of their race, urging their fellows to give up their depraved natures and follow them away from the homeworlds to start anew. Though most Eldar rejected these prophets as mere lunatics, a few heard their pleas and saw their worlds with eyes newly opened to the horror that the Eldar race had become.

Working quickly, these enlightened souls built huge shuttles and launched themselves into the stars, far from their darkening brothers. They settled on worlds far from the Eldar homeworlds, severing their ties with the twisted depravity that had consumed their race.


Gifts of the gods

Just before the Exodite fleets began their mass exdodus, Isha again made herself known to her prophets. Pleased with their obedience and faith, she presented each of them with gifts from three of the Eldar gods. Kurnous, god of the hunt, granted each of the Exodite prophets a splinter of his being, which became the Avatars of the Hunter, meant to protect the Exodites in times of great need. Isha gave of herself as well, granting the Exodites crystals which would grow the mighty World Spirits on their new homes to protect their souls from the great enemy that was soon to be born. Vaul, god of the forge, was too weak from his eternal struggles with Khaine to give of his own powers, but he presented each Exodite prophet with one of the mighty Blades of Vaul. These ancient swords are said to be the finest ever created by the god known to the Eldar as the Master Swordmaker.


Death of the gods

When the Fall finally resulted in the birth of Slannesh, the Chaos god consumed the essence of most of the Eldar gods, destroying them utterly. Only Khaine, the god of War and the unnamed Laughing god of the Harlequins truly managed to survive the Fall, and Khaine did not survive unscathed. He was broken into a thousand pieces and scattered to the Craftworlds, while the Laughing god, who hid behind Khaine, reatreated to the safety of the Webway.

However, three of the other Eldar gods did not die out completely. Isha and Kurnous lived on as the World Spirits and Hunter Avatars of the Exodite Worlds, and a small bit of Vaul's spirit managed to manifest itself within the mighty Blades of Vaul given to the Exodite prophets. These three gods are still worshipped by the Exodites, for it is to them that they owe their existence and salvation from the Fall, and Exodite Legends tell that these gods will return in all their might in the final battle that will determine the ultimate fate of all of the Eldar.



The Exodites Today

Settling New Worlds

When the Exodites abandoned their old homeworlds, they left in assorted spacecraft with few provisions and a strong will to survive, choosing exile over degredation and destruction. Many died out in open space. Some reached new worlds only to be slain by Orks or natural predators. Many more survived. For the most part, they headed eastwards, as far from the main concentration of Eldar worlds as they could reach.

Upon the fringes of the galaxy they made their new homes. The worlds they settled were savage and life was often hard for a people unused to physical work and self-denial. When teh final cataclysm errupted most of the Exodite worlds were far from the psychic epicentre and survived. The resultant psychic implosion wiped out the rest of the Eldar race and left a gaping hole in the fabric of space, but out on the fringes of the galaxy the Exodites were safe. Many Craftworlds rode out the psychic shock wave and survived that way, but the Exodites had already reached places of safety - or else they perished with the rest of their race and have been forgotten.


The Exodite Worlds

Since they were first settled, the Exodite worlds have not changed a great deal. The Eldar that live there have learned how to cultivate crops and harvest other natural resources. The psycho-plastics necessary for Eldar technology are rare and precious on these remote planets, and reserved for defensive weapons and other important uses. Due to this, the Exodites use other substances and rely upon simpler ways and physical labour. The Craftworld Eldar regard the Exodites as rustic and rather simple folk, vigorous and wild in a way that is quite unlike their own introverted societies. Craftworlders and Exodites travl within each other's realms, but their different mental outlook and way of life means that they have their own concerns.

The Exodite worlds are untamed and often dangerous planets. Mighty rivers roar unchecked over their natural flood plains. Massive forests stretch over thousands of miles of virgin woodland. The few meager settlements co-exist with wild beasts of all kinds. The Exodites are too few to disturb the balance of nature. Their settlements are small and thinly scattered. Many are occupied only for a few months of the year, because on many worlds the Exodites are nomadic, moving with the seasons and the herds. They time their migrations so that they arrive at their camps in the late summer to collect crops planted in the spring, remaining until it is time to plant the following year's crop and move on.

The wild creatures that inhabit the Exodite worlds are many and varied. Most of the Exodite worlds are now home to large herds of Megadons and other gigantic beasts. It is likely that these creatures are native to the region, but that the early settlers spread them throughout the worlds so that they are now common. The Exodites follow the herds as they graze the endless grasslands of the great plains. By carefully managing the herds the Eldar live upon them, eating their flesh and even drinking their bloodm and utilising their skins to make clothing and leather. Even bones and horn have their uses, and these materials partly subtitute for the psycho-plastic substances used by the Craftworld Eldar. Although this lifestyle is in many respects a primitive one, the Exodites have many advanced technologies and are familiar with all the sophisticated materials used on the Craftworlds. It is by choice that they live as they do, and their way of life has proven every bit as successful as that of the other Eldar.


The Exodite Tribes

The Exodites are a tribal people. Each tribe owes allegience to a local ruling tribe which in turn owes fealty to the planet's king and his royal tribe. As there are relatively few Eldar there are few territorial disputes. The tribes live within substantial areas which easily meet their grazing and cultivation requirements. Open wars between tribes are rare but skirmishes between rival young Dragon Knights are common. Although not openly warlike, the Exodites are a robust, self-confident people and they have the legendary pride of the Eldar race. Knights frequently try to steal away a rival's beasts or may attempt to move their herds over the grazing areas of other tribes. Such matters are seen as part of a Knight's training, and the dangers of death or serious injury are an accepted part of a young warrior's life. These raids and occasional deaths do not embitter the tribes, and it is notable that no matter how hard fought their disputes might be no Eldar would despoil or steal the crops of a rival tribe even though these lie unprotected for months at a time.

War and battle is not uncommon on the worlds of the Exodites. Ork raids are a constant threat and human settlers are no respecters of Eldar territory. Amongst the most persistent foes are the human settlers of the Knight Worlds which lie closely intermingled with the planets of the Exodites. The human Knight Lords are aggressive, warlike people whose determined independence makes it impossible for even the Imperium to control them. Like the Exodites they are descendants of ancient settlers, raised amidst constant danger and proud of their autonomy. Their fierce war machines are a common sight on the Exodite worlds. Battles between giant war machines and valiant Exodite warriors are always hard-fought and destructive. But the Eldar are capable of agression too. They use the Webway to reach the Knight Worlds where their raids are often so devastating that entire planets are subsequently abandoned.


The Wolrd Spirits

The wraithbone core of each Eldar Craftwolrd acts as a repository and conductor of psychic power. It is also the ulitimate refuge for the spirits of its people in death. Every Exodite world has its own equivalent to the infinity circuit which is called to World Spirit. Grown from crystals given to the Exodites by the goddess Isha, the Wolrd Spirit is an immense store of psychic energy where the minds of dead Eldar are preserved forever. Exodites, just like their Craftworld cousins, wear spirit stones and when they die they are taken beheath the earth into one of the great tribal barrows. They are laid to rest there and their spirit stones are broken upon the altars of the World Spirit.

Each World Spirit is a complex psychic energy grid which extends over the entire planet, stretching between the tribal barrows, stone circles and standing stones. These important places are where the spirit world and the material world can interect, where the spirits of the dead can flow together, and where the living can talk to the dead if they have the power.

The stone circles and standing stones are extensions of the pure, crystline wraithbone of the World Spirit. At these points, where the World Spirit pierces the surface of the planet, the Exodites build temples to their gods. These towering stones are gigantic spirit stones which anchor psychic power into the earth. The links between them form part o the Eldar Webway, but the paths from the Webway into the Wolrd Spirits are well hidden and protected. Eldar are able to move between Craftworlds and Exodite Worlds by means of the Webway, and there 1are paths over the Exodite worlds themselves. The most potent link in the entire World Spirit network is the royal circle of the planet's king. This impressive structure consists of a system of concentric circles connected by avenues of megalithic spirit stones. The roual circle is supported by outlying menhirs which carry power throughout the entire planet and focus the energy of the world upon that one spot.

Because their worlds are home to their departed spirits and shelter them from the predations of Chaos, the Exodites will fight ver fiercely to protect their planets. To abandon a world is akin to abondoning the souls of your ancestors to the warp, for without constant replenishment the world spirits diminish slowly and become vulnerable. Just as the wraithbone core of a Craftworld can unwittingly harbour a daemonic intelligence, so the standing stones can provide dgress to daemons from the warp should the psychic paths be left unguarded. For a the daemonic army to pour from the barrows and standing stones if the Exodites would be the realization of their worst nightmare, but such things have happened in the distant past and remain an ever-present danger today.


Outcasts and the Exodites

Many Eldar take the Path of the Outcast during their lives, leaving their Craftworlds and seeking adventure in the wide universe. These Outcasts travel between the stars in their spacecraft. They search fo Maiden Worlds to settle, and visit the Exodite worlds where they may live amongst their distant cousins.

Outcasts are common enough on the Exodite worlds, often seeking the patronage of one of the Eldar tribes. In return they fight alongside the tribe's warriors and, for a while at least, enjoy the freedom of mind which is impossible on the Craftworlds. Sometimes the Outcasts settle permanantly amongst the Exodites, or upon some uninhabited world, and become the first settlers of a new Eldar colony. To the Exodites the Outcasts are strange romantic figures, the masters of a hidden lore and way of life which is arcane and archaic. They bring skills which the Exodite value highly, and so are always made welcome in the courts of the tribal Eldar.



Exodite Troops

Exodite Tribesmen

Exodites are a sturdy people, but they are few in number, just like their craftworld cousins. For this reason, all Exodites are trained to fight and can, at a moment's notice, take up arms to defend their home from invaders. Exodite warriors form the bulk of the Exodite forces, supported by the more specialised Dragon Knights, Warriors, Dragon Hunters and Rangers. They are armed and armoured almost identically to the Guardians of the Craftworlds, though they wear predominantly green and brown uniforms.


Exodite Warriors

Warrior Squads are made up of Exodite Tribesmen equipped and trained for close combat. They are able to make their way quickly accross the battlefield and engage the enemy in a deadly assault. They often follow up on the charge of a unit of Dragon Knights, sweeping in to help the heavy cavalry mop up an survivors, or shift a well dug-in enemy.


Dragon Knights

The worlds settled by the Exodites were bountiful and teeming with varied and abundant life. The Exodites learned to tame these creatures and bend them to their will. The most useful of these creatures, including Megadons, Dragons, Fire Lizards and Raptors, were eventually spread from world to world so that now they are common to all Exodite worlds.

The most common of these creatures are the Dragons. Many Exodites litterally learn to ride these beasts before they even learn to walk. The very best of the riders will ride them into battle. A well matched Rider and Dragon make a very formidable opponent in combat. Equipped with their mighty Laser Lances and tempered in myriad skirmishes, they are quite deadly warriors.


Dragon Hunters

The Exodites live off the land, both as farmers and as hunters. They hunt the various creatures of their worlds with sturdy bows crafted of wraithbone. Their arrows are tipped with razor sharp heads capable of cutting easily through the thick armoured hides of their prey. The arrows also contain a small power source that delivers a shock powerful enough to kill a smaller beast, such as Raptors, with a single shot, though several such arrows are required to bring down larger beasts like the Megadons.

Dragon hunters practice their marksmanship on a daily basis and their greatest marksmen are able to strike and kill a bird in flight. Though it would seem that such weaponry would have no place in battle against enemies such as Orks or Space Marines, the Dragon Hunters' skill and speed with their wraithbone bows more than makes up for the relatively low power of these weapons.

As well as hunting the Dragons for food and for their hides, the Dragon Hunters also assist the Handlers in rounding up strong, young Dragons to be trained as mounts for the Dragon Knights, as well as other, larger creatures for different uses.


Handlers

The most skilled and empathic Dragon Hunters eventually become Handlers. Handlers are trained by their predecessors to use the latent Psychic powers that dwell in the mind of every Eldar in order to communicate with and train the beasts under their charge. They use these skills to tame even the more spirited creatures, such as the Raptors, Dragons and Mighty Dragons, to act as mounts, beasts of burden and even guardian and attack animals.

In the confusion of battle, the Handler's presence is required to maintain control over the myriad creatures used by the Exodites. Without his presence, many would flee from the field or rage rampant, disregarding former loyalties in their blood-lust.


Daughters of Isha

The World Spirits of the Exodites are very similar to the Wraithbone cores of the Craftworld Eldar. They provide both a source of energy for the various tools of the Exodites, and a resting place for their spirits when they die. These crystal structures were grown from the shards of Isha when the Exodites reached their worlds, and her power remains within the great World Spirits.

The World Spirit is not only a practical structure, but also a spiritual focal point of the Exodite culture. At each point where the crystaline structure of the World Spirit breaks through the surface of the planet, the Exodites have constructed temples to Isha, Kurnous and Vaul. Here they worship their gods and bring offerings to them. The keepers of the temples are known as the Daughters of Isha. They are female Exodites chosen by Isha to be the guardians of the World Spirit. They spend their days training in ancient forms of combat, and their nights praying and drawing strength from the World Spirit and Isha herself.

The Daughters of Isha wear an archaic looking battle armour and carry a deadly power weapon in the shape of a long halberd. This powerful combination of reach and striking power blends flawlessly with the Daughters' agile fighting style. Opponents in combat are often awestruck at the grace and beauty of their attack, and the Daughters are ever ready to defend the World Spirit from any who would defile the holy ground of the Exodites!


Sons of Kurnous

The Sons of Kurnous are very peculiar, even for Exodites. They perform the ancient dance ceremonies of the hunt. These are meant to court the favour of Kurnous for a bountiful hunt. In addition to their pre-hunt duties, the Sons of Kurnous also perform a specialised role during the actual hunt. Acting in tandem with the Dragon Knights, they help guide the dragon herds wher the Dragon Hunters need them to go by performing special rythmic dances.

Each Tribe maintains a troupe of Kurnous' Sons, who train constantly in preperation for the complex dances and ceremonies expected of them at the time of the hunts. Their skill with their Dancing Blades and their agile bodies is surpassed only by the mysterious Harlequins that occasionally visit the Exodite worlds.

In battle, the Sons of Kurnous use their skill and agility to outclass their opponents. Some of their strange dances are even used in battle to bewilder the enemy before delivering the killing blow.


Back to Codex: Exodites

Some passages above taken from Codex: Eldar, 2nd Edition, and is not intended to infringe on the rights of Games Workshop. All other work is original fiction by Matthew Forish