How are Wych Cults organized? (Specifically the Cult of Strife)

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**Lynkon_Lawg**

So I am now new to Dark Eldar and have a lot of pieces for a Wych Cult army, so before you tell me to get Kabalite Warriors, I am committed to making a fluff-ish Wych Cult. I'm going with Wyches in Raiders, Reavers, Hellions, and Razorwings. I may add Beastmasters later. I have a Succubus right now, but what I am interested in is making it the Cult of Strife and picking up Lelith Hesperex. What I can't seem to find out for sure (but I see hinted at in other sites) is how are Wych Cults organized for their hierarchy. How many succubi are there in a cult? Are there other Succubi under Lelith herself, or am I sending the Succubus model I have to the bench if I go this route?

Thanks

Lynkon

**Beaviz81**

They go by the most beautiful and skilled Wych normally. Might makes right is the basis of the DE society moderated by assassination.

**Lynkon_Lawg**

That much I understood, but are there under-succubi? Is it just Lelith and then the Wych troupes or is it Lelith and then a couple of other Succubi and then the Wych troupes lead by the Hekatrixes?

For my Sentinels of Terra, I've got Lysander AND Epistolary Darsway AND "Sergeant" Garadon in my HQ hierarchy. I can't figure out the Wyches hierarchy based on the fluff of the 7th edition Codex.

**Beaviz81**

That is one Wych. They are organized much like the kabals, just with women leaders in general, but you can do a switch there. And think of Succubi as the captains or lieutenants and Hexatrixes as the sergeants. Just less organized. It's too neatly organized in this way.

**Jinx Magiga**

I vaguely remember the old codex stating that each Wych Cult had 3 Succubi

EDIT: new codex still has the entry:

Spoiler:

**Lynkon_Lawg**

Amazing. I've been pouring over the codex looking at the Wych Cult section and the reference to Lelith being the "diamond in the crown" of the Cult of Strife when all the while I read that section and missed the reference I was looking for right in front of me. Thank you!

**TWilkins**

I assume it would follow a hierarchy of-
Lelith
Maybe one or two Succubus that are competing with Lelith
Syrens
Bloodbrides
Hekatrixes
Wyches

You could always use your succubus as a Syren or a Hekatrix if you are worried about the fluff, or maybe even just have the Succubus being from another Wych cult that is accompanying Lelith on a raid? Or visa versa?

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Wait, yeah I seem to remember three Succubus being an important number...

**Iracundus**

The Cult of Strife is organized like most other Wych Cults with a ruling triad of Succubi at the top. The leader of these is Lelith Hesperax, and we canonically know the name of one of the others:

...Indeed, were it not for the apparently limitless talents of Lelith Hesperax, her fellow Succubus, Viliar Ythiss, might well be hailed as the deadliest of all Wyches. Despite winning a place as one of the Cult of Strife's ruling triad of Succubi, Viliar''s reputation has ever been overshadowed by that of the greatest killer of all.

Of the triad of Sucubi that preside over the CUlt of Strife, it is Viliar that most commonly represents their interests on raids into realspace. Though Lelith Hesperax''s presence on such endeavours is highly sought after by ambitious Archons, it is rare that the Queen of Blades deigns to leave the arenas of Commorragh.

p. 20, Raiders of Commorragh: Dark Eldar Painting Guide

Viliar Ythiss is depicted in artwork in the Raiders of Commorragh book in the standard Wych Cult colors of red hair, corpse like pale skin, armed with a blast pistol and agoniser whip.

**ALEXisAWESOME**

There are only ever 3 Succubi at any given time. Usually 1 controls the actual power and political influence of the cult much like an Archon, while the other two are just there because they rose to the top of the Area as they scheme to try overtake each other. Heketarii are the elite, they are the people who if you stick them in the arena, you will likely get a full-house. Probably not to many of these in the Cult, even large cults like the Cult of Strife. Also of note, this is where most Wyches want to get to. Most don't want to be Succubi, the job is to dangerous and you won't spend as much time in the arena, while a Hekatrix will simply be a Head-Lining Wych.

**DaKKaLAnce**

Wych cults are kind of the same as how orks are when it comes to "Who is boss". From reading the Dark Eldar series, It looks as if you must fight for a rank.

**jhe90**

Its like game of thrones, you win or you die, there's no middle ground, and sooner or later you most likely will die.
Unless your vect, but he,s a whole different level of winning.

Any dark eldar to rise has to very deadly and very smart, the higher you go, the deadlier it gets.
There might also be levels of seniority and such at play, just because one is higher does not ran another might have more influence, another may be smarter, the whole level of rank is totally subkpject to change at any time.

**Lynkon_Lawg**

Iracundus wrote:
The Cult of Strife is organized like most other Wych Cults with a ruling triad of Succubi at the top. The leader of these is Lelith Hesperax, and we canonically know the name of one of the others:

...Indeed, were it not for the apparently limitless talents of Lelith Hesperax, her fellow Succubus, Viliar Ythiss, might well be hailed as the deadliest of all Wyches. Despite winning a place as one of the Cult of Strife's ruling triad of Succubi, Viliar''s reputation has ever been overshadowed by that of the greatest killer of all.

Of the triad of Sucubi that preside over the CUlt of Strife, it is Viliar that most commonly represents their interests on raids into realspace. Though Lelith Hesperax''s presence on such endeavours is highly sought after by ambitious Archons, it is rare that the Queen of Blades deigns to leave the arenas of Commorragh.

p. 20, Raiders of Commorragh: Dark Eldar Painting Guide

Viliar Ythiss is depicted in artwork in the Raiders of Commorragh book in the standard Wych Cult colors of red hair, corpse like pale skin, armed with a blast pistol and agoniser whip.

That's good to know. I haven't picked that book up yet. Looks like it's definitely on the must-buy list. Thanks

**NauticalKendall**

The covens supplement mentions more about Viliar Ythiss as well and how they help her or the other way around, something like that. I may have read it in the main codex, not a big fan of Wyches so I can't say I particularly remember

**Iracundus**

That is incorrect. The Covens supplement talks about the internal conflict within Cult of the Red Grief, not the Cult of Strife, from pages 18-23. The only possible relation to the Cult of Strife is an implied conclusion:

She (Kariasche the Marred of the Red Grief) alone amongst the Hekatarii queens had never sought out the Covens in order to procure augmentative salves or beautifying elixirs.

p. 18, Haemonculus Covens

If taken truly literally, this means all other Succubi, even Lelith, have at one time or another used salves or elixirs. So Lelith is a little bit of a hypocrite with the bit in the Codex about her unblemished skin and not using drugs unless the argument is these products don't count, or perhaps she did before and no longer uses them.

**NauticalKendall**

I'm probably getting multiple stories mixed lol

**lcmiracle**

Iracundus wrote:
That is incorrect. The Covens supplement talks about the internal conflict within Cult of the Red Grief, not the Cult of Strife, from pages 18-23. The only possible relation to the Cult of Strife is an implied conclusion:

She (Kariasche the Marred of the Red Grief) alone amongst the Hekatarii queens had never sought out the Covens in order to procure augmentative salves or beautifying elixirs.

p. 18, Haemonculus Covens

If taken truly literally, this means all other Succubi, even Lelith, have at one time or another used salves or elixirs. So Lelith is a little bit of a hypocrite with the bit in the Codex about her unblemished skin and not using drugs unless the argument is these products don't count, or perhaps she did before and no longer uses them.

Technically, that seems to indicate that Kariasche is the only Hekatarii Queen who never went to the Coven with the intention of procuring beauty products. While this is a bit forced, it could be taken to mean that Lelith is so good that she never needs combat drug, yet she still needs to "repair" herself of any scars or wounds she suffered during combat. By that logic, Kariasche has to be either even better that Lelith so as that she's not harmed ever, or that she doesn't care about scars.