Craftworld Las'vaera
Summary: Craftworld Las’vaera is an especially puritanical Craftworld that appears to be lurking in the Scandivus Subsector. Masters of lightning warfare and biomancy, the eldar have allied with the mon’keigh of the sector to fight against the Necrons. A Las’vaeran is paranoid and obsessive over personal health and hygiene, as well as contact with outsiders.
History: One of the first Craftworlds to seek escape from the hedonistic ways of the Eldar Empire, Las’vaera was far away from the epicentre when She Who Thirsts tore their race asunder with her birth. Void-sailing into what would eventually become the mon’keigh’s Segmentum Obscurus, the Craftworld’s Seers predicted that an old enemy - the dread necrontyr - would one day rise to threaten them on a world in this astral sector, and that they must seek the aid of ‘the grey of three-thousand’ to succeed. Thus did the Craftworld begin its silent vigil, patrolling space to find the Grey and their hated nemesis. It was in M36, shortly after the Horus Heresy, that disaster struck Las’vaera. Fell Daemons of Nurgle assaulted an Exodite world, which the Craftworld sailed in aid of. Though successful in rescuing their planetary kin, they unknowingly brought a virulent gift of the Plaguefather onboard, which ravaged the populace. It was not until Farseer Taernoch and his Warlock council used their bountiful reserved of psychic mastery to drive off the plague that the disaster was ended, though the cost was high. Las’vaera had lost many of its common Guardians to the plague, and would thereafter be forced to rely on her Aspects to survive. Taernoch himself was unsure of where his miracle had come from, speaking only of a divine voice that whispered the words of a cure into his mind. Many suspect that this voice was none other than Isha herself, and Taernoch soon became a venerated figure amongst his kin. The scars of what would later be called the Blight of Impurity would forevermore haunt Las’vaera’s sons and daughters. A fixation on purity, to better ward against any more infection, soon became outright obsession. It was in M40, during the great Gothic War, that Las’vaera would find its prophecy fulfilled. While purging the taint of Nurgle from an assailed world, they inadvertently came to the aid of the Alfa Legion detachment already fighting there. These were the Grey of Three-Thousand that the Seers had spoken of so many aeons ago, and to follow their trail would lead them to the necrontyr, which they could proceed to eliminate for good. Taernoch struck a bargain with the Chapter Master of the augmented mon’keigh: if they aided in the hunt for this slumbering necrontyr empire, Las’vaera would be well inclined to offer aid to the Legion in other matters. Thus did the Craftworld find itself in the same position it occupies in M41: void-sailing around the system, quelling ancient foes when they are found. It is now the Time of Ending, and the necrontyr rise. Tyranids and Chaos infiltrate the worlds of the mon’keigh, while the greenskins loot and brawl wherever they please. Darker kin than Craftworld Eldar dwell in the murky void, a bag of corsair-plunder in one hand and a dagger in the other. Las’vaera lends its aid to the Alfa Legion, for without it, the Craftworld would have no-one to weaken the necrontyr with before they swoop in for the kill. After all, better the lives of a thousand impure mon’keigh lost, than a single sanctified Eldar soul. Tactics: Haunted by the memory of the Blight of Impurity, the Craftworld adopted a lightning warfare strategy. Forces surround and cut off pockets of enemy armies and annihilate them with speed, before withdrawing to repeat the process elsewhere. Warriors no longer feel the impulse or desire to make contact with terra firma, and every warrior cleans their armour after battle to an almost asinine degree. Organisation: Farseer Taernoch – still whispered to be Isha’s prophet – is the nominal leader of the Craftworld, aided by a council of Farseers and Autarchs. At least one Farseer (and their Warlock Council) and one Autarch are usually assigned to a combat operation depending on the size of the force deployed, increasing as the battle escalates. There is no set structure to the Craftworld hierarchy beyond rank, and differing numbers of exarchs and their shrines are deployed whenever needed. Forces: The Craftworld tends to avoid outright combat, preferring to let others do their work for them via manipulation. Of course, should the need arise, they are proficient in short engagements on land and in space (longer engagements decrease the effectiveness of blitzkrieg tactica). Aspects ride to war in transports wherever possible, to best avoid touching the unclean ground. Vehicles and skimmers - such as the Wasp assault walker and Fire Prism skimmer-tank - see extensive use, and certain airborne Aspects - the Swooping Hawks, Crimson Hunters, Shadow Spectres, and Shining Spears – have risen to prominence. The few Guardians called to muster now ride exclusively as Windriders. Most vaunted of all positions, however, are the Seers and Warlocks. Each is an examplar of purity, even amongst their Las’vaeran kin, their white-accented robes and totems of Isha’s beneficence a sign of their devotion to absolute cleanliness, a beacon of hope to those around them. Of course, the darker side of the coin lies in the ranks of the Wraith constructs. An abundance of spirit stones after the Blight has lent Las’vaera great stock of these forces, and they are used as troops when extended ground contact or heavy shock assault is needed. Unable to be corrupted, the Wraiths are seen as a necessary pariah: avoided in the field by all but the Spiritseers and Shadow Spectres, and facing days of near-solitary decontamination upon their return to the Craftworld. Notable Locations: The Craftworld itself is rarely ever seen at all, let alone in one place consecutively. As such, there are no notable locations for Las’vaera. Notable Members:
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