Leathanam
Leathanam are the menial caste of the Daughters of Khaine.[1a]
Origins
Some of those aelf-souls liberated from Slaanesh were too weak or damaged to be fully reconstituted into the forms Morathi desired. Instead, the souls were formed into male menials called leathanam - a term meaning "half-soul".[1a]
Membership
Any member of the Khainite cult who is not a warrior is a leathanam.[1b]
Males
The weakest souls taken from the Máthcoir continue to be formed into male leathanam, and any males born to cult members are likewise destined to be members of the menial caste. Their vitality is siphoned away by an ancient curse secretly created by Morathi to afflict all sons born of Daughters of Khaine and feed the stolen strength into the Máthcoir for her own use.[1c]
Societal Role
The leathanam are, at best, ignored by the covenite sisters. At worst, they are tormented and tortured before being sacrificed to Khaine. They perform any and all tasks required of them by their betters and are told that it is Khaine's wish that the weak like them perish unless they can perform worthy tasks to be granted the privilege of continued life.[1c] A common, usually daily, obligation is to be bled for the minor rituals that do not require the blood of a full sacrifice.[2a]
While often treated identically to slaves and prisoners, the leathanam are members of the Khainite cult. Some sects allow them to pray to Khaine on their own, while others such as the Draichi Ganeth only allow them to request that a priestess prays for them, should they be considered worthy of such attention.[3b]
Many covenite sisters have their own leathanam to perform domestic tasks or similar duties, and these individuals often enjoy some measure of protection from other Khainites. Others are tied to a temple, war coven, or other entity in its entirety and can be used or commanded by any warrior associated with it.[3a]
Sources
- 1: Battletome: Daughters of Khaine (2018)
- 2: Soulbound: Core Book
- 2a: Daughters of Khaine, pg. 189
- 3: Covens of Blood