Corsairs of Coldsteel
Summary: The Corsairs of Coldsteel are a large group of Dark Eldar, Eldar, and Human renegades plaguing the Ixaniad and Calixis Sectors. Savvy to their lack of direct firepower, the Corsairs function as the movers and muscle for the Ixaniad black market, the primary agents of the slave trade and illegal weapon exchange. A Corsair is starkly individualistic and incredibly proud, to a fault.
History: The Corsairs were once known as the Kabal of the Splintered Hand, a relatively powerful Kabal with the all-too-common hopes of ascending the Commorite social ladder of betrayal and murder and take a place in Upper Commorragh for themselves. Unfortunately, their ambition would be their undoing. In an attempted sabotage of a rival Kabal, agents of the Splintered Hand mistakenly destroyed a large section of Lower Commorragh under the protection of Baron Sathonyx. The impacts of the failure were severe in magnitude and multitude, for other Kabals were quick to prey upon the Splintered Hand at the moment of its crucial mistake. Following a heavy assault of Hellions sent by the Lord Hellion himself, the Splintered Hand found its assets in Upper Commorragh being seized by rival Kabals, without a means to stop them, and with no place in Lower Commorragh safe to flee to, Archon Malkavek chose the only path left available to them. In a last-ditch effort, the remaining forces of the Splintered Hand seized as many spacecraft as it could, whether they were reclaiming their own or taking from rivals, and shot off into the most dangerous paths of the Webway. Fortunately for the Corsairs, Malkaveks flagship, The Aether Cleaver, possesses the technology to sunder temporary paths through the Webway, allowing the ex-Kabal to escape its pursuers. From then on, they abandoned their old title, and adopted the Coldsteel name, though the origination of the name is unknown to even the most masterful of lore-seers. Tactics: Staying true to their Dark Eldar nature, the Corsairs avoid direct combat as much as possible, preferring to skirt away from engagements and utilize ambushes and treachery to achieve victory. Content to simply frustrate and exacerbate a superior foe through escape and evasion, it is rare to see the Corsairs get involved in a battle, though they have been known to carry out short raids against supply convoys and transports to bolster their weapon stores with any manner of wargear. Instead of relying entirely on raiding and pillaging to obtain their slaves and loot, the Corsairs instead act as the primary means of slave trafficking, weapon smuggling, and drug trading in the Ixaniad Sector, with contacts, suppliers, and buyers reaching out as far as the Calixis Sector. Many a cult has gotten their hands on exotic weapons from a sinister deal with a Corsair gun dealer, or a penal planetary governor obtained a much-needed hyper-stimulant in exchange for some off-the-book prisoners. Organisation: The Corsairs of Coldsteel are led by their ex-Archon, the Overlord Admiral Malkavek, whom controls the entire Armada from their Grand Cruiser, The Aether Cleaver, and is advised by their former Heirarch, the Grand Vizier Kalkutter. Under the Overlord Admiral are their six former Dracons, whom each hold the title of Overcaptain and control a Torture-class Cruiser. Beneath each Overcaptain is twelve Captains, whom control Corsair-class Escorts. Under the Captains are the varied tiers of rank and file Corsairs, whom crew and pilot wildly varying counts of light attack craft and raiding vehicles. Forces: The Corsairs forces largely focus on naval actions, though they can be quite adept at ground-level attacks. A Corsair raiding party is composed largely of Raider and Venom combat skimmers, supported by Ravagers and Reavers. They field no Hellions due to their relations with Baron Sathonyx, nor do they have the sway in Commorragh to utilize Scourges or Incubi; thus, their main fighting force is largely composed of Warriors, Sybarites, and elite Trueborn, along with human Corsairs filling a modular battlefield role depending on their capabilities. Mandrakes care not for whom is or isn't popular in Commorragh, thus the Corsairs are known to utilize them to terrifying effect. Due to their inability to maintain connections with a Flesh Coven, the Corsairs have no Haemonculi to call upon, but Malkavek has secured the services of many Wracks whom found themselves without place in the Flesh Covens. Wyches are a rare sight among the Corsairs, but not unheard of, as Malkavek has always been a patron of the bloody arts, and this is no different in exile. Malkavek welcomes Human and Eldar renegades into his ranks, so long as they show the skill and talent to survive among the treacherous Dark Eldar that make up the majority of his forces, most of whom have been with him since their fall from grace as the Splintered Hand, while some are simply exiles from Commorragh with their own stories. Notable Locations: The Corsairs maintain a single fixed base of operations in the Scandivus Subsector. Though impossible to perceive from the outside due to a myriad of countermeasures, the massive Dark Harbor of Stonia serves as the primary headquarters of the Corsairs of Coldsteel. Nestled into a massive crater, the Dark Harbor is very similar in appearance to Lower Commorragh, although it lacks the impossible geometry and labyrinthine non-euclidean pathways of the Dark City. From the outside it appears entirely unremarkable, a mere continuation of the bare Stonian surface, completely unassuming and undetectable by even the most advanced of observation methods. Notable Members:
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