 | |
| Grand alliance | Order Chaos |
| Associated factions | Cities of Sigmar Darkling Covens Daughters of Khaine Eldritch Council Idoneth Deepkin Lion Rangers Lumineth Realm-lords Order Draconis Order Serpentis Phoenix Temple Scourge Privateers Slaves to Darkness Swifthawk Agents Wanderers |
| Origins | World-That-Was |
| Languages | Aelfish Aeldorin Druhirri Eltharri Ulguadha Yura-ghyra |
| Type | Mortal |
| Distinctive trait | Long-lived[6a] |
| Average height | 6ft 5ins (196cm)[6a] |
| Average lifespan | Unknown[6a] |
| Common eye colours | White[6a], gold[6a], jade[6a], sapphire[6a], amethyst[6a], ruby[6a], black[6a] |
| Common hair colours | White[6a], silver[6a], honey blond[6a], chestnut brown[6a], mahogany brown[6a], deep red[6a], black[6a] |
The Aelves are a race that inhabit the Mortal Realms.
Characteristics
Aelves have larger and more tapered ears than humans and are renowned for their sublime physical grace and beauty as well as a natural atonement to the underlying forces of the realms. This natural sensitivity attunement fuels a natural affinity for the arcane arts.
Biology
Many Aelves can live extraordinarily long lives, although this does vary between lineages where a Idoneth might live for only a few centuries, the Khainite Witch Aelves are almost immortal. [6a]
Aelves are capable of reproducing with those of non-aelvan blood, creating half-aelf offspring.[15a]
Personality
Aelves are by nature passionate, obsessive and focused creatures with highly attuned emotions. This makes their souls the favoured food of Slaanesh.[5]
The biggest fears of the aelves are cosmic evils, and are acutely aware the worst ones are those that they are responsible for and come from within.[14]
Names
Aelven forenames are usually given at birth. Their surnames instead are usually based on a deed, a description or an origin. Nomadic aelves often take a deed name, like Drakestalker, while a city Aelf often take a name from their origin, like Tor-Liminis. Sometimes aelves that raise to high status discard their surname, instead using only mononyms.[6a]
Some common names for Aelves are:
- Forenames: Aedarys, Aemothis, Aethrian, Ahnika, Caith, Eldorel, Gallanglaen, Giléan, Glorian, Gwyth, Ilnarion, Ímren, Krylla, Kuva, Lotann, Maesa, Maleneth, Narquellian, Oscus, Radharcith, Raith, Selendti, Shevanya, Thystra, Ubraich, Vhorskaya, Vizrin, Weshalin.[6a]
- Surnames: Azureye, Defthand, Drakestalker, Flaxenmane, Heartseeker, Silentstep, Swifthand, Wayfinder.[6a]
History
The Aelves were at first thought to be lost after the end of the World-that-Was, when Tyrion and Teclis awoke in the Realm of Hysh they began to search for their kindred but could find no sign of them. It was only when they met with Sigmar that they found any trace of aelfkind, and only in Azyr.[1] These determined survivors were descendants of those who escaped the World-that-Was, hiding away in a safe Haven formed by the machinations of their former pantheon. Through enchantments, miracles and sorcerous artifice, these aelves had made their way into the Mortal Realms without being changed or diminished in spirit.[7] Malerion himself awoke in the Realm of Ulgu and exploring the thirteen domains of that realm he found his mother, Morathi but his search for aelves was as fruitless as the others. Like the brothers, he and his mother joined the Pantheon of Sigmar.[1]
As the Age of Myth progressed, the Aelves from Azyr and other races spread across the Mortal Realms, creating kingdoms, empires and cities.[2]
It was Teclis that first heard the cries of aleven souls trapped within the Chaos god Slaanesh and he enlisted the other aelf gods to rescue their former kin from the gods belly. They sought out Morathi who had fled the Pantheon after her true form had been revealed and she eventually told them of her own escape from Slaanesh and a plan was formed to lure the deity and trap it Uhl-Ghysh a sub realm between Hysh and Ulgu.[3]
She successfully lured Slaanesh out of hiding and together with cabals of sorcerers, bound it in that place, where they began to free the tormented aelven souls. Each of the gods took a portion of the souls and they were then reshaped and reborn - those that Malerion recreated in Ulgu were dark majestic and terrible, whilst those that were created in Hysh were angelic luminous entities. Morathi too her own share, who she claimed would be reborn as warriors of Khaine and so they were - in a way. She created the Màthcoir and channelled the soul energy into it to create the Melusai and the Khinerai [3a] collectively known as the Scáthborn but also called the Trueborn, Shadowborn or Morathi's Handmaidens within the Daughters of Khaine.[3b]
Problems quickly arose with the new creations - The Idoneth Deepkin fled from their creator god, Teclis and vanished whilst Malerion did not speak of monsters that also emerged from Druchioth. Some of those that Morathi claimed were weak or damaged and it was those that she termed Leathanam - "Half Soul" and they quickly became a male under class serving the true Daughters of Khaine.[3a]
Souls flowed out of Slaanesh and this heralded a new age for the many and varied Aelf kindreds who grew dramatically in population, especially the Daughters of Khaine who established many temple-colonies all across the realms. However even as aelf power and population grew, the Pantheon was fragmenting and fracturing at the worst time for it wsa now that the powers of Choas began their assault on the Mortal realms.[3a]
Empires burned, Kingdoms fell to ruin and rot, cities to corruption and decadence all across those same realms as the Age of Chaos progressed. Before Sigmar closed the gates of the Realm of Azyr many disparate aelves fled to his lands, proud dragon princes and blood soaked sorceress's, mighty mages and vicious privateers, frightened children and unflinching rangers all found a new home in that realm.[2]
When the gates finally opened again in the Age of Sigmar, many once again ventured out into the mortal realms, looking for forgotten kingdoms and keeps, lost kin and glory.[2]
Races and Cultures
Just like their Human and Duardin counterparts there are many, varied races and cultures among the Aelven peoples:
- City Aelves: The Aelves that reside within the Cities of Sigmar.[9]
- Cythai: or Awakened, were the first Aelves to be formed by Teclis from souls extracted from Slaanesh, and the ancestors of Idoneth Deepkin.
- Idoneth: a mysterious race of Aelves that live in isolation and secrecy within the ocean depths of the Mortal Realms.
- Grey Aelves: A race of Aelves native to the Realm of Ulgu who live in a mountain near Barak Gorn.[13a]
- Emberneth: Aelves whose nations are native to the Realm of Fire, all that remains of them is ruins.[8a]
- Kurnothi Aelves: A mysterious breed of Aelf, with ties to the Sylvaneth.[12a]
- Lumineth: Aelves of Hysh, the most stable and pure souls recovered from the Chaos god Slaanesh by the aelven Gods.
- Mountain Aelves: Aelves who once lived on the Gorkoman mountain in the Realm of Ghur.[11a]
- Scáthborn: Aelves of Ulgu created by Morathi, consisting of Khinerai and Melusai.
- Witch-Aelves
- Wraith-Aelves of Shyish: A mysterious Aelven people that dwelled within the Realm of Shyish.[10a]
- Zephyri Aelves: An Aelven people who seem to be part of the Free Peoples.[11a]
Factions
The following factions have Aelves as their members:
- Darkling Covens: Powerful sorceresses lead their warbands to reclaim their lost shadow empires and stygian keeps.
- Daughters of Khaine: A deadly aelf cult that worships the god of battle and death, Khaine.
- Eldritch Council: Aelf Sorcerers of the highest order.
- Idoneth Deepkin: Mysterious Aelven raiders created by Teclis who worship Mathlann and live deep beneath the oceans.
- Lion Rangers: A monastic order of Aelves who trace the origins of their warrior brotherhood back to the Age of Myth.
- Lumineth Realm-lords: Often mistaken for angelic beings of pure light, the Lumineth are a scholarly and precise people, often regarding themselves as being the most advanced civilisation in the Realms.
- Order Draconis: The Aelf lords and ladies who ride immortal dragons and purebred steeds to war are a mighty force, even in the hallowed Realm of Azyr.
- Order Serpentis: A dark shadow of the Order Draconis with merciless raiders mounted upon dragons and drakespawn.
- Phoenix Temple: The warrior-conclave dedicated to the Ur-Phoenix and her children.
- Scourge Privateers: Aelven raiders and slavers who sail the seas of the Mortal Realms in search of plunder and prey.
- Shadowblades: Aelves who are mysterious adherents of an ancient cult dedicated to purging the enemies of Azyr.
- Swifthawk Agents: The scouts and messengers of the vast armies of Sigmar.
- Wanderers: Once they fought for the Realm of Ghyran, now these warriors of the wilderness fight to return life to the Mortal Realms.
- Slaves to Darkness
Notes
- The Wood Elves, High Elves and Dark Elves compendiums lists most of their models as Aelf.
See also
- List of Aelves: A list of every Aelven character in the Mortal Realms.
- Elf: The previous iteration of this race in the World-That-Was.
Sources
- 1: Warhammer: Age of Sigmar - The Great Alliance, pg. 56-57
- 2: Grand Alliance: Order
- 3: Battletome: Daughters of Khaine (2018)
- 4: White Dwarf April 2018, pg.34
- 5: Warhammer Community - Slaanesh in the Mortal Realms
- 6: Age of Sigmar Roleplay: Soulbound
- 6a: 5) Adding Detail, pg. 28-33
- 7: Battletome: Hedonites of Slaanesh (2019) - To Capture A God, pg. 11
- 8: Soulbound Brightspear City Guide
- 8a: Chapter Two: Guide to Brightspear
- 9: City Aelves on Warhammer Community
- 10: Myths & Revenants
- 10a: Blood Gold
- 11: Hamilcar: Champion of the Gods
- 11a: Chapter Twenty
- 12: Cursed City: Quest Book
- 12a: Agents of Defiance, Pg. 14-17
- 13: Inferno! Volume 2
- 13a: At the Sign of the Brazen Claw: Part Two - The Merchant's Story
- 14: Battletome: Nighthaunt (2022) - Of Fear and Weakness, pg. 10-11
- 15: Covens of Blood
- 15a: A Snake Sheds Its Skin