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Are there any lore mentions about how many craftworlds there are?

Are there any lore examples of other species (not Tyranids) living on a craftworld? I find it humorous to imagine that there could be humans living on an abandoned one not knowing what it was.

Last, is it likely that an abandoned craftworld would be left abandoned by other craftworlders, or would they try to salvage/destroy it?

Orks have looted one before, for sure.



And I think other Eldar would try to strip anything valuable from an abandoned Craftworld and destroy anything they couldn't rather than let it fall into the hands of lesser races for sure. At most, they would leave a skeletal husk, barren of any working technology. But that's if they get to it before something nasty enough to fight them off does...

1. Away from books at the moment so not sure about how many 'official' ones have been named, but at least a dozen. Most likely a lot more, of course, just not named.

2. Not that comes to mind, though it's feasible I suppose. Temporarily (for a given value of 'temporary') at least, because...

3. May Isha have mercy on you if you try. This is the race that views colonists on a world untouched since it was terraformed over 10,000 years ago as thieves, invaders; worse, desecrators. If you're lucky, they might give you a GTFO warning before the culling. And heaven help you if they find out the Infinity Circuit is still active. Even if not, there's probably stuff on there that they can use to help their craftworld survive (which you can't use thanks to your feeble unevolved psychics). Besides, it's unlikely that they'll let anyone else get a good look at their tech if they can help it.

Unless, that is, being Eldar, Farseer Bal D'Rik has A Cunning Plan...

As you say there is a good story concept there, "What's it doing now?" moments aplenty c/o the Circuit doing its best to 1. Get the invaders off and 2. Get found to be reunited in a 'living' Circuit once it realised what's going on, though I'd be making sure I had a very fast ship available to Our Heros!

 Madoch1 wrote:
Are there any lore examples of other species (not Tyranids) living on a craftworld? I find it humorous to imagine that there could be humans living on an abandoned one not knowing what it was.

It was a while since I read it and I'm not certain about this but I think the path of the warrior Eldar book makes notice of insects in the striking Scorpions shrine. In the forest shrine it mentions some insects during a training session I think. In the sand shrine I think it mentions... Well Scorpions, but not explicitly. As I said my memory is hazy on this so confirmation would be appreciated.

I was under the impression that Eldar kept pets, livestocks and zoos. We know they engage in pasttime activities like racing just for fun so it makes sence IMO. The Exodite Eldar certainly use those cold one looking dragons to ride on.

As far as intelligent life living on a craftworld no. No fluff mention that I'm aware of. In 40k anything is possible though so feel free to make something up.

The Space Marines boarded one and were victorious.
I can't remember the Chapter however, maybe the Invaders or an Iron Hand successor.
But I don't think they kept it to live in^^
Others eldars destroyed their homeworld later, as a retaliation.

In general, a ravaged/abandoned craftworld is seen like a burial ship. Anything of use would be taken, stripping it down to a wriathbone husk, like the corpse of a massive whale floating in the sea.

But for what you want to know? Would anyone else live there, even if they found one that wasn't stripped bare? Not for long. Harlequins patrol the lost Craftworlds, they are places of mourning for them, and they run off any would be inhabitants. I'm not sure how the Harlequins know when a Craftworld has been inhabited, but they would. It's talked about in the black library novella Masque The Vyle, where Harlequins come across a smaller Craftworld gutted and infected by Chaos. Clearing the ship, they then send it into a nearby Sun, and hunt down the person responsible.

I think the standard thing to do with a destroyed Craftworld is recover everything possible and send it into a sun.

There are hundreds of craftwords, but many of them are much smaller than the named ones we know about.

It is possible that there are dead craftworlds with other species living on them, but it is doubtful they would exist in that state very long. Craftworlds need eldar to maintain the technology that keep them running, without eldar they will become a space hulk.