Origins
To understand the Kabal of the Enraptured Downfall, one must understand the circumstances of its (re)birth.
Formerly known as the Kabal of the Splintered Petal, the Enraptured Downfall came into being in mid-M40. And even before it was the Splintered Petal, the organization operated under a different name and under different leadership. Over the course of the centuries and millenniums, it has grown, shrunk and splintered. Yet a core of it has always remained. All that has remained of whatever long-forgotten progenitor is the Kabal's almost overriding priority on slave operations.
The Splintered Petal had a long and mostly profitable existence. However, its Archon was a paranoid man. Ildrath Hekmorion had become convinced that his political enemies were plotting to assassinate him the moment he went on his next slaving raid. Worse, he also became convinced that they would attack any of his ships and raiders if they attempted a raid.
In the beginning, the blow to the Kabal's finances were easy to shrug off since they always had a reserve of slaves and currency for desperate times. But once even those had started to dry up, discontent broke out. Hiring out his Warriors to the merchant consortiums brought some slaves and currency but never enough to turn a profit. Alliances between the Splintered Petal and the various associated groups fractured. The Wych Cult of the Deathly Smile ended its partnership with the Kabal. No Haemonculus would agree to work for a bankrupt Kabal. The Scourges' delivery of messages were increasingly "delayed." The Incubi refused to serve an Archon whose payments were cycles in arrears.
Even his legion of supposed "loyal" warriors were getting restless. They could only find so much sport in shooting down Hellion gangs. And none of them were getting any richer from plunder. Quiet talk of discontent turned into open discussions of rebellion. Many of them felt slighted, as if the Archon didn't trust them to fend off any of these fictitious assassins. Even the elite Trueborns were put off by their Archon's lack of trust. While trust is always a rare thing in Commorragh, a certain level of it was needed for the proper functioning of a Kabal. Without even that, a Kabal was certain to fall apart.
Rebirth
As a desperate attempt to prove that he had the wealth to support himself comfortably, Hekmorion hosted a large party, inviting any and all who would attend, excepting those whom he still feared desired his death. He bought slaves to be sacrificed, hired dancing girls, and ordered as many delicacies as his rapidly depleting coffers could support. It was to be a decadent orgy of pain and pleasure.
Hekmorion's warriors, in their dark grey suits, stood guard during the entire event. No Incubi, no other guards of any kind. Some of his guests thought it was a bold statement, that he was so confident in his Warriors that no other guards were necessary. Others saw it as a sign of just how broke Hekmorion was.
Yet none could fault the planning of his festivities. Five hundred slaves dangled from chains in the ceiling of his palace's ballroom. Most of them were Mon-Keigh, but some Tau or other "exotic" alien species were sprinkled into the mix.
Below them, the dancing girls whirled and twirled, exposing their femininity for all. They were a group of three, all slaves and each as beautiful and perfectly formed as the next. Each wore a simple gown of white that did nothing to hide their modesty. And all three were Dark Eldar. As they danced to the rhythm of the music, slaves were slowly slashed and their blood allowed to drip down into the circle where the dancers performed.
After just a few minutes of their performance, the crowds were entranced by the blood-soaked performers who moved perfectly in rhythm with the music and the screams of pain that echoed above them. So enthralled were they by the performance that when one of them broke from the circle, dancing in sweeping motions towards the Archon, no one spoke. Not even the Archon, so focused was he on the approaching dancer and her allure. Heads and eyes turned as they watched the performance's final act.
None who were there could say where the knife came from. Only that she did not have it until she was right in front of the Archon, driving it slowly through his chest as she pressed her body against his. When all realized what was occurring, the music and performances stopped as all watched the passing of the old Archon and the sudden ascent of a new one. It had been a beautiful murder, so artful that none who were there even suspected it until they heard the dying gasps Ildrath Hekmorion pierce the silence as he and his killer gazed into each others' eyes.
The blade itself had not killed him. The poison coated on it had. It provided a lingering death by constricting the lungs and burning up the tissues in esophagus. For the victim, every breath was a trial by itself and each breath managed felt like inhaling pure flames. The pain never receded, only built upon itself until the victim choked to death from lack of oxygen.
And when Ildrath Hekmorion's lifeless corpse lay seated upon his throne, the dancer swept back her hair and stood before the assembly, declaring, "My name is Kaila Deserax, Archon of the Enraptured Downfall! Tomorrow, I will lead my Kabal on a realspace raid for slaves and plunder! Who will join me?"
In an instant, other Archons present immediately committed a portion of their forces. In an instant, the Splintered Petal ceased to exist, supplanted by the Enraptured Downfall.
The next day, a thousand raiders broke into realspace above the Imperial farm world of Deuteronis and took six thousand prisoners in a single night. A third of those were taken by the Enraptured Downfall's Warriors, resplendent in their newly painted purple armor.
Hardly enough to repair the damage caused by Hekmorion, but it was a start, proof that the new Archon could lead a realspace raid despite her origins.
Yet when the Succubus of the Wych Cult of the Ocean's Claw petitioned for a formal slave-supply contract the very next day, everyone realized who the new Archon was. Elder sister to Succubus Moreila Deserax, Kaila Deserax had been a Hekatrix Bloodbride who disappeared after winning her thousandth match. Her resurfacing as an Archon stirred great curiosities amongst the Kabals. But her Warriors were firmly on her side now that future raids were certain.
Present
As the weeks turned into months, months into years, years into decades, decades into centuries, the influence of the Enraptured Downfall rose. They were in the business of slaves and protecting their sale and transport. This lack of political motive and position close to one of the Port of Lost Souls made them an ideal supplier for slaves. Such was their skill and reputation that some clients occasionally commissioned them to make a raid for specific kinds of slaves.
Though prosperous, the Enraptured Downfall is not militarily large enough to rival the leading Kabals. Its Warriors are trained as guards and raiders first, soldiers second. Only its Trueborn squads can be considered soldiers first, serving as both bodyguards and disciplined stand up fighters. Initially, only a few were in the Kabal's employ but after the establishment of Lady Kaila's new training program and philosophy, their numbers have increased.
Lady Kaila espouses the belief that it is necessary for the Dark Eldar Trueborn to produce more offspring. She encourages matchmaking and breed programs between her own Trueborn as well as those from organizations which she has allied herself with. While the rate of birth within her Kabal is still nowhere near the rate of births from the Tubes, it is noticeably higher than several other Kabals. To accommodate these Trueborn, once they reach the age of six, they are inducted into a training cadre where they remain until they are old and skilled enough to be selected into an existing squad or picked to form a new one. Few survive the training, ensuring that only the best are ready to join the prestigious ranks of Lady Kaila's Azure Blades. Upon their induction into a squad, they receive a dagger whose blade metal is the color of silver-blue, shining like an ocean wave breaking upon the shore.
Subject: Kabal of the Enraptured Downfall 
Tue Jul 30 2013, 08:34
