Harakien Eldar Empire

This page details people, events, and organisations from the /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate Universe.

Harakien Eldar Empire
Status at the end of the Great Crusade	Reduced in realspace influence due to the Harakien Sector War
Role in the Hektor Heresy	Retake their old worlds and millions of human slaves
Area of influence	Webway, holdings in Segmentum Pacificus

The Harakien Eldar Empire is an expansionist militant successor of the fallen Eldar Empire. Led by Ku'Motsk, the Void King, they seek a return to the glory of the past through conquest and battle. Based both in the webway and in realspace, the Harakien Eldar are known for utilizing lightning tactics to overpower their opponents through vicious aerial and ground assaults. At the time of the Great Crusade, their influence extends over a dozen worlds in Segmentum Pacificus. Though holding territories within the webway, the Harakiens maintain a separate and distinct culture. The empire is an eldar supremacist organization, and thus extends a great deal of rights and protections to any and all eldar under it. Lesser species are given no such accommodations.

Summary of the Empire

Beliefs

Harakien eldar consider themselves to be the direct inheritors of the old empire, the chosen few who are destined to lead the eldar race back to greatness. These eldar consider their species to be the superior form of life in the galaxy: all eldar life is highly respected within the empire regardless of affiliation. Though they consider all other life to be inferior, the Harakien eldar do not find extermination to be a sporting solution in dealing with a conquered foe. They have no qualms with utilizing lesser races in any capacity they can, the lean times following the fall teaching them the importance of utilizing all available resources.

Worship of Kaela Mensha Khaine is tolerated within the empire, and actively encouraged on certain planets. Many within the realm consider its sovereign to have been chosen by the shattered god to redeem his people through conquest and war, especially the Khainite Klaivex priesthood of Khainash and their Incubus followers. The Void King's rapid expansion of the empire is thought by many to be a mark of favor, as is his reputation as a skilled warrior. Khainite values are ingrained deeply into the consciousness of the empire. Ritualized combat is an important tradition within its ranks, as war is seen as the ultimate art-form.

The Harakien empire, historically based in the webway, has an excellent reputation with many in the Dark City. The empire disagrees with many of the practices of its debased kin, such as the creation of halfborn eldar and their use as slaves, but shares its enthusiasm for gladiatorial combat and uses mainly Commorite weapons and wargear in its arsenal. The haemonculus covens of the dark recesses of the webway are the only amongst their Eldar brethren who the empire outright refuses to deal with, the covens' callous manipulation of eldar flesh being at odds with Harakien beliefs in Eldar and purity. Former wyches are always greeted with open arms and face little difficulty matriculating into Harakien culture, their talent in close combat making these gladiators valuable in the fleet's brutal ground raids.

Though they keep each other at an arms length, the Harlequins and Harakiens have little trouble understanding each other as both groups are concerned with the rebuilding of their once great empire. Harlequins are welcomed with great enthusiasm on all Harakien worlds and battlefields, their dances greatly valued for their historical significance and beauty, while their martial prowess have saved more than a few Harakiens from certain destruction. The empire has had contact, throughout the millennia, with their disparate cousins of all varieties. Those of the craftworlds have varying relationships with the Harakiens, some viewing them as the best hope for an imperial revival and others seeing them from savages down to a deplorable reminder of a way which ought be forgotten. Most corsair bands know well enough to leave Harakien worlds alone, and are in return provided with a safe haven. Some princes have struck deals with various fleets for mutual assistance, and some have been known to have the ear of the Void King himself. The same could be said of the Exodites, when their worlds are discovered it is the policy of the Harakiens to offer protection in exchange for regular tithes of unique commodities and even soldiers.

Harai Kenn

Harai Kenn means Oath of Blood in the eldar language, and it is from this that the empire draws its name. This oath outlines the major beliefs of the empire in the poetic form of the old eldar and was originally spoken by Ku'Motsk at the time of his conquest of the planet that would later come to be known as Ku Harai. This event formally marked the transition of Ku'Motsk's people from a band of warriors into a sovereign empire. Each member of the Imperial Fleet speaks this oath at the time of their formal admission, and it is known and respected by most within the empire. It outlines the manifest destiny of the eldar race, provides provisions for dealing with other species and factions of eldar, and also exalts the imperial values of cunning, pragmatism, fidelity to one's race, and decisive action. In the ten thousand years since its inception, the oath has changed little but interpretations of its meaning has been codified into manifold guidelines on everything from etiquette to nuanced legal disputes.

Organization

The Harakien Eldar Empire is comprised of three distinct entites under the Office of the Sovereign; these include the Imperial Fleet, the Administrative Nexus, and the Mercantile Association. The Office of the Sovereign, which is essentially Ku'Motsk, has few responsibilities. The main purpose of this office is to resolve issues which arise among the others. The Void King deals with such issues in the simple manner typical of him: both sides speak their case and Ku'Motsk makes a final decision. Though the Sovereign does his best to deal with each issue practically, on particularly opaque or minor issues he tends to give the fleet first priority and the mercantile association last.

Imperial Fleet

The fleet comprises the empire's warriors, officers, and high command. The Harakien eldar make no distinction between their army and navy, a tradition which harks back to their origins as a fleet in the old eldar empire and serves to emphasize their preference for seamless transitions between aerial and ground combat. The fleet is divided into six regular battle groups, the Uris Guard which is rotated every five years, and the Sovereign's Division which is commanded by Ku'Motsk himself. While the core of each force is the same, each grouping has certain tactics or units they favor above others, largely due to the high degree of autonomy given to their captains. In addition to overseeing their fleets, many of these captains are also responsible for the governance of planets within the empire. Rank is determined through challenging one's immediate superior in the Anuk Harai, a strenuous test of combat and strategic skills. The challenger is immediately given his superior's position should he win.

Because each of the captains of the various fleets in the empire are given a large degree of autonomy, there are certain inherent differences between them. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fleets in particular have styles of combat that have evolved to reflect the styles of their commanders, who have held their positions since the early days of the empire's existence. As a whole the fleet prefers to strike fast and hard against already weakened opponents, some sort of tactical advantage being gained before hostilities even commence. The use of combat vehicles is widespread, especially as a means by which to quickly strike at the heart of the enemy.

The fleet excels at space combat, the 4th and 5th divisions being particularly skilled in this area. The Void King is himself noted for a particular genius concerning void warfare, and his Sovereign Fleet is made up of veteran space combatants. The fleet generally prefers to utilize conservative tactics in space, evasively maneuvering and utilizing short webway shifts to avoid foes while leaving devastating darklight implosion mines in their wake.

Divisions

• Sovereign's Division, led by the Master of the Fleet: Ku'Motsk, the Void King.

Specializations: Rapid massed aerial strikes followed by ground combat, aerial combat, boarding actions, space warfare

• 1st Division, led by Captain Kieres, the Heartless.

Specializations: Rapid aerial delivery of close assault troops, favors incubi teams.

• 2nd Division, led by Captain Silys Vath.

Specializations: Aerial combat, favors massed jetbike squadrons.

• 3rd Division, led by Captain Ralis Sinderion.

Specializations: Sabotage, infiltration, psychological warfare, intelligence gathering.

• 4th Division, led by Captain Sysik Alovar.

Specializations: Prolonged aerial bombardments, space warfare

• 5th Division, led by Captain Lhemen'Ti.

Specializations: Aerial combat, boarding actions, space warfare

• 6th Division, led by Captain Ju'Rhin.

Specializations: Rapid massed aerial strikes followed by ground combat.

• Uris Guard, Directly overseen by Duchess Ae'Rhinia Nakhar.

Generalists (note: this is due to the rotating nature of this division)

These eight main fleet Divisions are themselves subdivided into further groupings. The specific nature of these groupings varies from division to division, but they all follow a general scheme. The largest of these groupings is the detachment, which is overseen by a commander. Each detachment comprises several thousand soldiers and are broadly organized to cover various aspects of war, such as ground combat or intelligence, which differ from division to division. The detachments are further split into squadrons, which comprise hundreds of warriors each. These squadrons are headed by a major, and fulfill the various battlefield roles necessary to the broad scope of their detachment. Finally, squadrons are split into a number of units comprising as little as one to as many as fifty individual warriors. Units are frequently reorganized according to need and skill, though most divisions keep their most successful and experienced units together.

Uris Guard

The Uris Guard is an old and important institution of the empire, a special division maintaining the empire's presence in Commoragh. The guard is rotated in its entirety every five years: none are permitted to serve permanently within it due to the Sovereign's fear of the corrupting nature of the dark city. Any warrior can be selected for the Uris Guard at any time, with the only exceptions being the captains of the various divisions and those currently in the guard. At the time of the exchange, each captain brings the men chosen from their fleet to the webway port of Uris and a month-long conference is held. The Uris conference, as it is known, gives the leaders of the empire an opportunity to discuss matters of import to the empire and the typical influx of information gathered from around the webway.

The Uris Guard itself is comprised of a number of diverse units, drawn from many different places and with varying skills. Some soldiers are uncomfortable with life in the Dark City, while a number of others revel in its many delights. Unlike the other divisions of the Imperial Fleet, the guard is not headed by a captain. The Void King's wife, Duchess Ae'Rhinia Nakhar is the ruler, but in name only. So long as her demands are met, she pays the guard no mind. This places the soldiers are put into difficult positions due to operating without the command they are accustomed to and their abilities are thereby honed, especially considering the trials of the dark city.

It is not uncommon for high-ranking members of the Uris Guard to challenge their commanding officers in the Anuk Harai after completing their service in the webway. Many feel that the skills they have gained in the unique trials of the webway are enough to tip the balance, and they are often correct. Time in Commoragh hones one's skills in a somewhat predictable manner and an inverse effect occasionally occurs following a major campaign in realspace, wherein junior officers challenge their commanders who are returning from the webway. The tradition serves the Harakiens well regardless, the strongest are ensured power either way.

The Administrative Nexus

The all-seeing bureaucracy of the Harakien eldar, the nexus is responsible for maintaining the day to day operations of the empire. The Administrative Nexus is responsible for overseeing the servant races, shipping and transportation between planets, administration of the empire's factories and other facilities, as well as the governance of many of its worlds. The Nexus is technically overseen by Ku'Motsk, but only in matters of great import does he take an interest in its activities. The most important duties of the organization is its jurisdiction over matters of law. The great system of courts and legislators overseen by the Nexus touches each of the disparate ends of the empire, enforcing adherance to the Harai Kenn. To snub it is to meet the hands of its police force, the merciless Korminsar, who also act as planetary defenders in times of need.

The Mercantile Association

A guild of traders representing many of the finest minds in the empire, the association is no mere salesman's club. The Mercantile Association connects investors and merchants to researchers, scientists and engineers together in a powerful network. Initially a private organization hoping to sell eldar innovations throughout the galaxy, the association was absorbed by the empire not long after its inception and thus gaining access to its financial networks and enforcing the empire's isolationist policies. Despite this, the association maintains a number of its own stellar vessels and has expanded its gaze far beyond the empire's reach. Rumors abound that high ranking members of the association still trade with non-Harakien worlds.

Holdings

Harkien Sector

The original and main domain of the Harakien Empire, for whom it was named. The sector was lost to the Void Angels in a great campaign. Since the reformation, this region has been regarded to be of paramount importance, considered by nearly all Harakiens as the cradle of their civilization. Most will voyage here some time during their long lives and it remains the most populace region in the empire.

Notable Members

Ku'Motsk, the Void King

The magnanimous sovereign of the Harakien Eldar Empire, Ku'Motsk holds absolute power within his realm due to the fierce loyalty of his skilled warriors, as well as the skill he demonstrates both on and off the battlefield. He is called Ifeth'yan, a term which translates to "Void King" or "King of Space" but can also mean "Empty King" or "Pretender", originally due to his status as a lowborn monarch who plundered in space. When the empire was officially formed, the sovereign and his followers took up the moniker with pride. He has proved more than worthy of the title, keeping his realm secure for millennia and holding an unimpeachable position of status in the webway.

Captains of the Fleet

Knight Commander Daerfin of Vrkova

The first Harakien Dragon Knight, and the commander of their division, Daerfin of Vrkova is a quiet warrior known for letting his actions speak for him. The narrow-eyed, thin-lipped Eldar gives a strong impression of utter joylessness, and his unkempt hair and simple clothing is telling of his harsh Exodite origin. He is never without his mount, the large and powerful cold one he calls Aka'Ris. Though he prefers the company of his own kin, Daerfin is a favored hunting partner of the Void King. Ku'Motsk frequently calls on the commander for his unique perspective, often breaking his hours-long meditation, much to the Vrkovan's chagrin.

Following Ku'Motsk's ascension to sovereign with the first Harai Kenn, and the re-branding of Waken into Ku Harai, the fleet moved toward Vrkova. The Void King met with the priest-king, Wyndir, and they discussed the integration of Vrkova into the new empire. The debate lasted several hours, with the Exodite leader adamant on the condition that Vrkova be granted a certain degree of self-determination and its citizens never eligible for conscription. Ku'Motsk offered his old friend more than limited self-governance, they would administer themselves completely. All in exchange for annual payment in the form of a squadron of elite Dragon Knights, and of course permitting trade with the empire and the occasional diplomatic visit. These knights, he knew, were sacred warriors among the Exodites and Wyndir would not give them lightly, but their power was astounding to behold. After some consideration, Wyndir accepted. Daerfin and his men were the first to join the harakiens.

In the time since his absorption into the harakien fleet, Daerfin has proven himself a skilled warrior and commander. He allows the harakien knights to make the best use of their unique skill sets through his experience in warfare, keeping his men at a level of usefulness as cavalry comparable to Vath's Sky-Reapers. If not for their extremely limited numbers, the Dragon Knights would have spread throughout the fleet quickly. He leads his force at the head, charging forward atop Aka'Ris and launching blasts of darklight from his lance at the opponent.

Kaelon Asmodae, Ur-Hierach of the Khainite Priesthood

The spiritual head of the Harakien Empire, Kaelon Asmodae is a powerful warrior priest who has served the Void King faithfully for millennia. He oversees the great monastery world Khainash and all priests of Khaine, or Incubi, are at his command. He is among Ku'Motsk's strongest political allies, as the Ur-Hierach firmly believes that the Void King is the leader chosen by his god to deliver his people to greatness. His skill as a swordsman is legendary, capable cleaving scores of men in twain without being struck in return. His abilities have only grown over his many years, and his control over the mystic arts of battle employed by his priesthood is without peer.

Denari Kouorern, Chief Executive of the Mercantile Associarion

Denari Kourern is the most powerful woman in the harakien empire, every exchange of goods is subject her scrutiny. Her clout surpasses that of even the Duchess Nakhar, though Ae'Rhinia would be loathe to admit it. She is also much younger than the other major players within the harakien empire and, unlike many of its leaders, was born within its borders. She is highly ambitious, having gained her power through careful politicking and negotiations before even reaching a century in age. She is a frequent visitor to the court of the Void King, their discussions are held under tight security. These intimate visits are closed to all but the chief executive and the sovereign, but their many loud hours together produce far-flung results.

Kouorern believes that the empire represents true freedom for its people and administers the association with that in mind, frequently coming into conflict with the military on matters of trade freedom. The administration's main goal under her has been to expand trade into unknown regions, her fleets work with civilizations beyond the eye of the empire and often make contact many years before the military. The association's charter gives them free reign on these matters and there have been many times the imperial fleet has discovered a seemingly new planet, only to find that Kouorern's hands have already reached it. In matters of military, it is the executive who acts as the greatest barrier to conquest, seeing indigenous peoples as a resource with more inherent value than their use as slave labor.

History of the Harakien Eldar

The Fall of the Old Empire

The Eldar Empire was the largest and most powerful organization in the galaxy, its people lived lives of endless recreation with their every need met by their advanced society. In time this leisurely existence began to wear upon the Eldar, they began seeking more and more extreme thrills. Where the culture of the Empire was once host to high-minded scientific works and sublime art of great beauty, carnal depravity began to take root within its heart. The grandiose webway port of Commoragh was on the cutting edge of the new order, hosting horrors which would shock even the desensitized Eldar of the outer realm.

Many worried for their culture and prepared for its fall. The most austere and zealous Eldar were the first to leave, seeking out new worlds far from the Eldar homeworlds and eventually settling into a harsh and simple existence, they came to be known as Exodites. As the culture drew into steady decline, many gathered into planet-sized ships called Craftworlds and made for the stars. Most Eldar continued their lives as always, though few remained completely divorced from the pleasure cultists relishing the new regimes. Ku'Motsk of Avengar was one of those Eldar who stayed behind, and it was only through a quirk of fate that he survived.

Ku'Motsk was an admiral in the Imperial Fleet, one of those few institutions divorced from the day-to-day of the greater Eldar society. The Fleet attracted individuals with a particular ambition or wanderlust that left them unsatisfied with the larger culture, pushing them to travel through the void of space in a search for more. Soldiers within it's ranks were no strangers to the pleasures of the webway ports they frequently visited, but the nature of their duty prevented excess to a degree. It was from one of these ports that the admiral departed on the fateful day of the fall. As the first portion of the fleet entered a capillary tunnel, the reality-shaking birth screams of the dark god Slaanesh threw them out of space and time. Daemons erupted from the most skilled psykers aboard the ships, and a long and fierce battle commenced. Though its commander lost an eye and several were killed during the incursion, the Imperial Fleet survived adrift in the void.

The Invasion of the Angels

The Harakien Empire makes first contact with the Imperium at Destino, defeating members of the Imperial Army highhandedly. The Harakiens and Imperials skirmish over many years and little progress is made by either side. The Space Marine Legion Winged Victory eventually enters the conflict in force, carving through Harakien Space with devastating results. At the behest of the Ur-Hierach Asmodae and 3rd Captain Ralis Sinderion, a drastically wounded Ku'Motsk orders a complete retreat of all Eldar to the webway. Thanks to the quick thinking of its leaders, the majority of the Empire's people survive, though the Imperial Fleet is dealt a major blow and all Harakien realspace territory is lost. Feeling denied the sacrament of war, much of the Harakien Army marches against their Commorite kin and Uris is expanded to a true dominion.

Writing

http://pastebin.com/u/Aefythlir

Xenos of the /tg/ Heresy
Orks	Da Merc - Kaptain Blackjawzz - Khork WAAAGH! Mongo Mork - WAAAGH! Sarkus
Eldar	Craftworld Eldar - Harakien Empire Webway Lords & Dark Eldar
Compact of Free Galactic Interchange	Ellonoi - Metabasil - Slaugth - Tau - Vespid
Other Dangerous Aliens	Anatik - Cyfecti - Morkai - Strixoros - Yaotl