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I started writing a little fluff for an Eldar craftworld about a year ago. I really like the concept of wraith constructs and wanted to base an army around them. But I didn't like the crazy prices for metal wraithguard, both in terms of dollars and points, so I knew that I'd have to wait awhile for this idea to actually manifest itself on the tabletop. The rumors about the new Eldar sound promising, so I thought I'd post what I have so far. I would really appreciate any comments you have, especially if there is something about general Eldar lore that I've got wrong. Thanks! It's far from done, but here's what I have so far:
Craftworld Name: Kaelwé – (Kaela Shelwe) Bloody Song/Song of Blood
Kaelwé
The farseers of other craftworlds look upon Kaelwé with suspicion and distrust. Although the Eldar craftworlds are spread throughout the galaxy, Kaelwé is perhaps the most detached from the rest of Eldar civilization. The other craftworlds would likely prefer to keep it that way, as Kaelwé has acquired a reputation for being barbarous, unstable, and even cult-like. Indeed, a handful of craftworlds stray a bit from the Path of the Eldar, but Kaelwé has all but forsaken it. These Eldar are too different from the norm to be accepted in Eldar society; they are more war-like than the zealots of Biel-Tan and more savage than the Wild Riders of Saim-Hann. But chief among their crimes is their wanton use of wraithbone constructs for war. Craftworld Iyanden raises the souls of the dead out of dire necessity, giving their fallen warriors a body of wraithbone to defend their waning craftworld once more, but they do so with great sorrow. Kaelwé raises its dead not for lack of living warriors but for the strength that wraithbone grants its wielder. The other Eldar cannot fathom why these barbarians would doom their fallen warriors to a life of eternal warfare, just as the Kaelites cannot understand why the others are content with their fragile Eldar bodies.
The Craftworld
Like all Eldar craftworlds, Kaelwé is a massive, living structure composed of millions of tons of solid wraithbone. This psycho-conductive, self-repairing material is both stronger and more flexible than adamantium. It provides the physical structure of the craftworld and houses its infinity circuit, the psychic network that runs throughout the craftworld. Unlike other craftworlds, Kaelwé is covered almost entirely in wraithbone. Where other craftworlds have wide open spaces and gardens, here they are replaced by a sprawling, living cityscape.
As large as any planet-based metropolis of mankind, Kaelwé is a floating city of herculean proportions. Towering wraithbone structures reach out into space from every inch of the craftworld, and massive arched openings receive incoming starships under the rim of the hulking construct. Every level of the craftworld is a city in itself. Aristocrats stride the skywalks and enjoy expansive views of the cosmos from the upper reaches of the flying city-world, while hundreds of meters below, children adventure about the streets of the understory, hidden from the light of passing suns. The energy stored within the wraithbone frame of the world radiates light and warmth into the recesses of the lower-city that cannot receive external light. Throughout the entire craftworld the soft hum of the bonesingers reverberates through the wraithbone as they command it to ever greater heights and shape it into ever more ornate structures.
Above it all stands a massive, blood-red spire. Both imposing and graceful, the tower of shining red wraithbone reaches far above the other structures of Kaelwé. Runic inscriptions spiral upwards over its entire surface, detailing the craftworlds greatest battles and most glorious conquests. Around the rim of the craftworld, hundreds of Kaelwé’s immortal defenders—the Wraithguard—man their posts in foreboding silence.
The Culture
Although wraithbone is a precious substance to all Eldar, it has almost a religious importance to the Kaelites. Kaelwé is home to the greatest bonesingers in the galaxy and has a disproportionate number of them compared to other craftworlds. This is not surprising, as bonesingers are highly-regarded in Kaelite society, receiving respect equal to the craftworld’s farseers. Kaelwé has great need of them, as they rely heavily on wraithbone constructs for both civilian and military purposes. In the eyes of the Kaelites, the beauty of wraithbone structures is unmatched by any product of nature, and a handful of bonesingers have gained renown as artists and architects.
However, Kaelwé is first and foremost a militaristic society. Many craftworlds shun them for their blatant disregard for balance. The Path of the Eldar, in which an Eldar constantly changes Paths in order to control his desires and maintain balance, is barely existent here. In fact, many Kaelites remain warriors for their entire lives. This is cause for alarm among the seers of the traditional Eldar, who remember the lack of temperance that led to The Fall.
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" -KingCracker
