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Just came across this bit of lore within the Drukhari codex. The Cult of the Pain Eternal are a space bound Wych Cult that forgo the fighting pits to defile shrines, temples and monuments of the 'lesser' races. How cool is that? 'Where the Wyches of the arenas fight to bleed away the lifeblood of mortals, the Cult of the Pain Eternal wishes to bleed away the lifeblood of gods.'

I don't really like the Drukhari but love the idea of this raiding force. I'm just imagining to include some Harlequins in the Cult as they could (and the Laughing God) find the hilarity in this endeavour.

Do you know of any other wacky forces that have different agendas to their fellowes?

I can't name any out of the top of my head, but I bet there are haemonculi covens that are completely nuts.

I mean, the average haemonculus is like a mix between Dr Mengele and Dr Frankenstein, who knows how far "eccentric" haemonculi would go?

Nadirists are Haemonculi that believe they can have a dark enlightenment and apotheosis as gods if they become depraved enough so they keep trying for ever deeper depths of depravity. Downside is they require ever increasing amounts of pain just to sustain themselves (just like all Dark Eldar) but their need is so great, some of the Haemonculi need the presence of a Cronos and its radiated energy in order to prevent from crumbling to dust. The Everspiral coven seems to hold to the Nadirist view.

Phoenex are Haemonculi that believe that if they kill off all the Eldar, Ynnead will fully awaken and free the Eldar from Slaanesh's grip.

Kabal of the Last Hatred similarly want to kill all Eldar and seem to also want to enslave Ynnead.

CSM have the Purge, a nurgle Warband deathcult:
Nurgle normaly is in favour of life death cycles, life beeing an integral part of said cycle. Enter the purge, a CSM cult so nihilistic that they want to PURGE, all liveforms. This also brought them in conflict with the Death guard.
They specialize in B and C warfare. And atm can fire into melee

Sons of malice, basically old school malal, sadly we often just get to see the paintscheme and not much lore of them anymore.

There is also a GSC cult that got infected by nurgle, the name avoids me atm, but should be findable in the dex to my knowledge

Shameless plug: I was likewise so fascinated by the Cult of the Pain Eternal that I wrote a short story about them in my anthology (see below).

It's easy to imagine rules for them. For example, rules that target enemy characters and warlords or negate their auras.


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Neither God, Nor Saint, Nor Daemon -- 500 words


Sister Abigail had long lost track of time since her capture. Counting the meals was pointless; they were served at irregular intervals, as if to mess with her mind. Since she could not know when was the time for the morning prayer or evening prayer, she simply spent every waking hour praying. Emperor knew there was little else to do in this dark cell.

No sound of footsteps heralded the visitor’s arrival; the door just opened, making Abigail jump. It was her again. Zureth. The accursed Drukhari woman who had brought Abigail the severed heads of her squad mates, one by one, and spent countless hours trying to break her faith in increasingly cruel ways. Like all of the other Desecrators—they who called themselves the Cult of the Pain Eternal, and whose unholy mission seemed to be the destruction of religion wherever it was found—Zureth was dressed in form-fitting clothes and moved with feline grace. Her lustrous blue-black hair was decorated with the relic bones of Saint Beatriz the Banisher, looted from the cathedral that Abigail’s holy order had failed to defend. From the fiend’s hip hung a barbed whip, whose mere sight was enough by now to make Abigail clench her teeth in anticipated pain.

“Good morning, my young student,” purred the woman with the whip in impeccable Low Gothic. “Have you meditated upon my teachings?”

Abigail glared. If her chains were just a bit longer... “Your teachings. All you have taught me is that your race is truly doomed.”

Zureth clicked her tongue condescendingly. “Your sisters were much wiser than you are. All four of them learned their lesson, in the arena, right before I slew them—the gods are a cruel lie. You know, I can always tell the exact moment when a person’s faith deserts them; the moment they realize neither god, nor saint, nor daemon will save them. Something in their eyes just dies.” Her lips twisted into an ugly smirk. “And then they die too. But not a second before, no. I never to take a prisoner’s life before I take their faith.”

“I don’t believe you,” said Abigail, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “I know my sisters, and I know they kept their faith until their last breath. And it frustrates you to no end. So you lie to me, and you hope my faith is weaker than theirs simply because I’m the youngest. You’ll be disappointed.”

Zureth’s hand flew to the handle of her whip, making Abigail flinch. The Drukhari chuckled and removed her fingers from the weapon. “Oh, I will not damage you today, my student. We will meet in the arena tomorrow, and I want you to give me a good fight—like your sisters did. But in the end? I will see your misplaced faith go out like a candle before all is said and done.” She turned to leave. “You will die without salvation.”

“No,” Abigail called after her. “You will.”

Zureth walked out of the cell and closed the door behind her, her derisive laughter echoing down the hall. Alone again, Sister Abigail returned to her prayers, though now with a fervor that smacked of desperation.

.

I think a little re-write for idiom might help, like 'imbalance her humors' instead of 'mess with her mind.'

@Guardsman, thanks for posting this. ". I never to take a prisoner’s life before I take their faith.” - I love this line, I was wondering how the cult could derive suffering from destruction of faith.

As an aside, I play with my young nephew, thought this would be a good theme to play with but the skimpy models would likely weird him out. Would Craftworld Banshee miniatures suffice? Or could you think of another faction that could embrace the ideals of the cult Eternal? Maybe a harlequin troupe?