A part of the enjoyable of Warhammer 40,000 is that nobody is absolutely the “good man” within the setting. Take the Imperium of Man, which largely serves because the point-of-view faction in 40K books and video games. The Imperium is made up of a coalition of completely horrible sub-factions, together with murderous nuns who torch their foes, indoctrinated youngster troopers reworked into transhuman fight marines, and flesh-hating tech clergymen who make brain-computers by lobotomizing criminals.
However there’s one group of men within the setting who’re so comically evil, so ridiculously impolite, that I can’t assist however love them above all else. These aliens simply aren’t comfortable until they will match a couple of struggle crimes in between breakfast and lunch. I’m speaking, in fact, in regards to the Drukhari, also referred to as the Darkish Eldar, or essentially the most evil area elves who’ve ever existed.
Picture: Video games Workshop
Who’re the Drukhari? They’re a selected tradition of Aeldari, a species that after had a dominant galaxy-spanning empire. These psychically gifted elves achieved a post-scarcity society and loved easy accessibility to expertise so subtle that it’s principally magic. Appears like a reasonably candy setup, however that is the grimdark far future the place there may be solely struggle, so clearly every part needed to go terribly unsuitable. Within the case of the Aeldari civilization, that meant falling to hedonism and extra.
In 40K, there’s a second, psychic realm that exists parallel to actuality. The Warp, or the Immaterium, is a mirrored image of the universe’s psychic vitality. Darkish forces dwell within the Warp, feasting off excessive emotion, and the Aeldari unwittingly gave these forces a feast. Whereas some factions determined to pack up and depart in favor of a nicer area neighborhood, many Aeldari selected to remain. The Aeldari empire ultimately collapsed into orgies and hideous violence, and all of it culminated within the beginning of the fourth Chaos god, Slaanesh. Slaanesh’s beginning tore open an enormous Warp rift referred to as the Eye of Terror, killed the overwhelming majority of the Aeldari, and shattered their pantheon of gods.
Picture: Video games Workshop
Worse but, Slaanesh hungers for the souls of all Aeldari to today, seizing them upon dying with out acceptable precautions — and no countermeasure is ideal. After dying, Aeldari souls are topic to everlasting torment as they’re consumed by Slaanesh within the Warp. Not nice! The Aeldari name Slaanesh “She Who Thirsts,” and the subfactions have every discovered their very own approach to cope with this existential guillotine blade.
The Drukhari are notable for making the daring resolution of trying on the collapse of their empire and saying, Fuck it — let’s maintain the celebration going. They nonetheless hate and worry Slaanesh, and Slaanesh is frequently supping on their souls and slowly killing them. The Darkish Eldar select to replenish that by continuously chugging the non secular Gatorade of sentient struggling.
I don’t imply to be controversial, however I really feel fairly comfy saying that’s objectively evil stuff. That’s why I really like the Drukhari a lot: They make completely no efforts to fake in any other case. They’re pirates and raiders, venturing out of the city-state of Commorragh that’s safely tucked between the Warp and realspace. If the Drukhari present up, it’s often for lengthy sufficient to seize a bunch of individuals and steal all of their stuff.
Picture: Owlcat Video games
When you simply have a look at the floor of the Drukhari, it’s simple to get the impression that their fiction and lore are nearly gore. However the faction has gotten extra of a highlight later in current Video games Workshop works; a Warhammer Plus collection referred to as Iron Inside has the Drukhari present as much as raid an Imperial world, and the Rogue Dealer RPG options Commorragh as a significant content material hub. However the Drukhari’s complete collapse into evil and refusal to enhance or attempt to be higher makes them a fascinatingly Machiavellian, and I’m desirous to see them have a bigger presence in Warhammer 40K.
The Drukhari are continuously infighting, as their society is a violent meritocracy. They staple skeletons onto every part, showcase all of the cool stuff they’ve stolen, and mercilessly scheme towards each other. When somebody took a run on the Drukhari massive canine Asdrubael Vect, Vect despatched them a beautiful current in response. Contained in the field was a black gap, which consumed everybody within the noble home’s neighborhood. That’s a degree of villainy I completely love; it’s like a actuality present, besides everyone seems to be a Skeletor. Plus, Commorragh is full of fascinating ideas, like mad scientists and flesh-sculptors, or buying and selling ports and gladiator rings for these courageous (or unfortunate) sufficient to work with the Darkish Eldar.
Proper now, a whole lot of consideration has been centered on the Emperor and his massive sons — and it’s no marvel, since followers love Area Marines a lot. However typically I don’t wish to examine bolter battles or tank fight. I wish to examine drama queens opening extra-dimensional rifts within the throne rooms of their political rivals. That’s an itch that the Drukhari are uniquely outfitted to scratch.
