Corsairs, Exodites, Craftworlders and hopefully Kabalites soon

Hi there,

I've just recently been getting back into 40k and what I always used to like doing which is conversions (mainly Eldar).

I'm far from a stellar painter, and my imagination tends to run far in advance of my actual abilities, but I hope some of my ideas look halfway decent

I'll start with my Corsairs, the Red Reapers. I haven't got far with them, but I do have a Prince, a Baroness, a squad of Reavers and nearly a squad of Malevolents with plans for a Void Dreamer (as soon as I can source those kickass blank helmets from Reaver Jetbikes), another Baron, some Ghostwalkers and some Balestrikes.

Here's my Prince and Baroness (both as yet unnamed):



The jetpacks are made from Dark Elf blood cauldron blades which will likely pose a problem when I come to expand my command retinue as they're rather hard to come by. I do think they look more Eldar-y than the Forgeworld version (although Cavalier has got them looking stunning in his army).

Next up are my Reavers. They're half-painted at the moment, but the only pics I have are from the undercoat stage.





The jetpack vanes are the little blades you get loads of in the Raider/Ravager kit, and again I think they look more Eldar-y than the FW equivalents. I haven't managed to find a suitably sized thruster yet though. I tried the Phantasm Grenade Launchers from Hellions but they're too bulky for my liking. For now they'll just have to have built-in anti-grav generators in the vanes

Next is my WIP Malevolents. I thought that as an added bit of fluff for them, as their souls are steadily drained by Slaanesh's predations they would start to look more and more daemonic, ultimately becoming full-fledged Daemonettes at the end of the process. Daemonette heads would also help to distinguish them from the other Corsairs, and would help explain why they're so damn terrifying for other Eldar.







Now onto my Exodites I've built a little codex for them using combined CWE and DE codexes, with various counts-as and fluff additions. First off we've got my War Wyrd which is a counts-as Warlock accompanying Exodite Wardens (counts-as Guardians).




I never really like the whole 'stuck-up feudal dino-riding Eldar hillbillies' fluff that Exodites have been in most of GW's fluff, so I came up with something that's hopefully a bit more grimdark.

Basically, in the millennia following the fall, the Exodites were cut off from the other fractured remains of the Eldar Empire. During this time, their society deviated radically from their Craftworld and Commorite kin. They became experts at fusing wraithbone to living tissue, and it features widely in their society. Also, they let their wraithbone constructs grow naturally resulting more twisted forms than their Craftworld cousins. As an example, the War Wyrd above has their Ghosthelm melded directly with their skull, providing permanent protection from the warp.

Also, another piece of technology they utilise widely is the implanting of psychic control units into the beasts they use, allowing them to control them and the weapons systems fused to them like Craftworlders would a heavy weapons platform.

This technology is also used by their Dragon Riders (counts-as Windrider Jetbikes). Again, I've never really liked Cold Ones as counts-as for Jetbikes. They lack the necessary dynamism that I'd expect from a Jetbike equivalent, so I used Seekers of Slaanesh instead my idea is that as Slaanesh was born from the Eldar collective consciousness, it would stand to reason that aspects of the old Eldar Empire would form the basis for a lot of Slaaneshi creations. Ergo, Seekers are warped versions of the dragons that were commonplace in the old Eldar Empire, and are still commonplace on Maiden Worlds




Next up are my counts-as Fire Dragons, the imaginatively named Fire Drakes :S

Their fluff is that they use their heat lances/fusion guns to drive off the biggest predatory Dragons that are found on Exodite Worlds as those are the only weapons capable of getting through their armoured hides. It's a dangerous calling, and many have lost limbs and had them replaced with wraithbone equivalents.



If an Exodite sustains injuries beyond which even Eldar medicine can heal, they are often handed over to the Wyrds who attempt to repair their shattered bodies with wraithbone. If they survive this painful process, they are reborn as towering giants of twisted wraithbone with inhuman strength and toughness. These are called Sidhe/Sylphs (not sure on what name yet), and count as Grotesques in my Exodite codex.





Taking a leaf out of the Dark Eldar's book, some Exodites ask the Wyrds to fuse wraithbone-limbed wings to their bodies and take to the skies as Terradons (counts-as Scourges).




Finally moving away from the fusing of wraithbone (if you have a good idea, run with it) is the Exodite Hunters (counts as Kabalites). They are the standing military of the Exodites, and respond to threars encroaching on their lands with fast-moving Aetherskiffs (Raiders).



I must admit, I'm not a fan of how these turned out. They look far too 'feudal Eldar' and not technobarbarian enough for my liking. I've got a few WIP alternatives that are a bit more wild using Kabalite and Wych parts with wraithbone horns that they fuse to their heads upon induction to the order. Much better

Next we've got the Hounds of Kurnous (counts-as Striking Scorpions). Inspired by Eryl's Exodite inspired Corsairs I though I'd repurpose some old Wild Rider heads.




The fluff is that they're a secret cult in which function as the law in Exodite society. If an eldar has committed a crime punishable by death, the Hounds of Kurnous congregate and hunt them down. They are skilled assassins (explaining the Infiltrate Striking Scorpions get), and they are constantly surrounded by swarms of psycho-active wraithbone insects (represented by the Wood Elf Spites). These lash out at enemies in combat, causing wounds before the Hounds even close with their quarry (counts-as Mandiblasters).

Thinking about it, the fluff above would suit very well for counts-as Mandrakes as well (probably the first time in history someone's considered making something count-as a Mandrake, rather than the other way around...).

Lastly, there's my Wyrdlord (counts-as Farseer). He's had a leg and an arm replaced with wraithbone, from a Dryad and a Tree Revenant respectively.



I've got plans for a couple more units in the works as well.

My counts-as Succubus (with Armour of Misery) will be a Daughter of Khaine. When Khaine was shattered during the Fall large shards landed in the Craftworlds becoming Avatars. Smaller shards reached the far-flung Exodite worlds and became suits of armour.

In times of war, a female Exodite sacrifices herself by donning this armour becoming a Daughter of Khaine, and is imbued with fearsome fighting skill. However, one worn this armour can never be removed until the eldar wearing it is slain in battle.

Lastly I've got plans for Beastsingers (counts-as Beastmasters, a unit pretty much made for Exodite conversions).

Khymearae will be represented by Dark Elf Cold Ones which are psychically controlled by a Beastsinger riding a Lizardman Terradon.

Anyway, that's the army and ideas so far. Hope you like

I like indeed, that's a huge package of awesome!
Great conversion/kitbash work and a thoroughly thought through background to go with everything.
Good Job!
My favourite are the Terradon wings.

Thanks a lot

If anyone has any other ideas for Exodite counts-as units from either DE or CWE codexes I'd be very appreciative

I've got ideas for a Carnosaur Talos although I'm not certain of the size difference, and perhaps Lizardmen mercenaries (in spaaaace) as Wrack equivalents as I really want to try out Ossefactors. They seem really fun to use

Really though I've got enough Elites, Troops and Fast Attack options (3 of each) to flesh out the army. I've only got the one heavy support choice though. I think I need something decently shooty in that slot as the whole thing is sort of lacking in ranged firepower.

Some sort of psychically controlled dino war walker? But what to use as an appropriately-sized base...

Simply amazing. You have stolen all of my best ideas right out of my head, then had the skill to properly put it togeather. I would give you a standing ovation if I wasnt busy trying to find my tinfoil hat so that you cant steal any more of my ideas

I am currently building my own "fire drakes", and will use your pictures as a template. The Grot idea is simply awesome (and I did not come up with that one, beyond going "wow those tree things are cool").

I have been looking into a "count as" ravager (would work with falcon, etc), is to buy one of their "elf riding dragon" kits and strap on a bunch of dark lances.

Thanks a lot! That's high praise indeed

I'm not sure about properly put together :S my greenstuff went rock solid months ago so there are some slightly dodgy connections lurking out of sight :S still, they look good when photographed at the right angle

That's actually how all of this started back up again I saw the Tree Revenants when they came out and thought 'damn they look cool' and bought them impulsively, then had to try and come up with an idea where they'd actually be useful rather than some random AoS units lurking amongst my Eldar.

I like the idea of a counts-as Ravager being a High Elf Dragon. I always thought that they looked too squishy to count as AV12, but AV10 seems perfect for such a slim-looking beast.

I'd also absolutely love to find a use for the Fyreslayers Magmadroth but I can't think of any rules that I could play it with that would fit with the model. If only Eldar were battle-brothers with Tyranids for their lovely monstrous creatures

That is some sweet looking conversions! My favorite must be the Hounds of Kurnous.
The running pose looks so much more intimidating when the model is holding a sword instead of a knife and pistol.
I'm "borrowing" ideas from this PLOG for sure.
Nice title BTW.

Thanks yeah I'm glad how the Hounds came out as well. I started them off as alternative Hunters (Kabalites) with splinter rifles but the running legs don't really work with them as well. Makes them look too front-heavy. It was only when I cut the splinter rifle off and stuck a sword on that I thought 'yes, this is what I was looking for'

Oh, managed to pick up a Carnosaur sans-mount from eBay for £18 question is, given how massive they are (5" tall and 8" long), would it do better as a Talos with a pair of splinter cannons, or a Wraithknight with a scattershield on top like a sail and a suncannon strapped to the side?

I'm thinking newer Carnosaur Wraithknight, older Carnosaur Talos...

Right, another idea for Exodites that I thought I'd run by people.

I'm trying to flesh out the culture of Exodites a little with 'codex' options while trying to do sometihng different.

What I'm thinking is that there need to be several facets to the culture. For Dark Eldar you've got Kabals, Covens and Wych Cults. For Eldar you have Guardian militia, Aspect Warriors and Wraith constructs.

So, for Exodites at the moment I have the militia/dragon units (Wardens, Dragon Riders, Fire Drakes and Carnosaurs), the Hunters (Hunters and Aetherskiffs) and the God Cults (so far, just the Cult of Kurnous).

Looking at that the dragon units don't need more expanding, but the other two do. The Hunters is easy, just include Ravagers as 'Heavy Aetherskiffs' which also helps with the lack of long-range shooting options.

Then to the Cults.

The Cult of Kurnous has 'Hounds' as units, and 'Huntsmasters' as Exarchs

I was thinking that I'd really like to include Wracks somehow so I can play around with the Ossefactor, so how about the 'Cult of Ynnead'.

To explain the extra toughness and FnP, as part of their pre-battle ritual they inject themselves with copious amounts of the 'Painbringer' drug from the DEldar combat drugs chart. This increases their toughness massively, but also reduces their mobility (explaining the lack of fleet). Hence their name 'Walkers'.

Modelling ideas I'd use Glade Guard legs for a sort of 'clothed in rags' look, with probably Kabalite torsos (or Dire Avenger for more bulk), Wrack arms (not the double-arm ones) and that one Kabalite Warrior head with the crying face on the front:



Paint scheme would be bone and black/grey. What do you think?

I thought there should be at least 3 cults at large within Exodite society to give it enough body.

The other cult I was thinking about was a Cult of Faolchu, based on Swooping Hawks. I could use the left-over feathered wings from my Scourge sets (fluffed as the same process as Terradon wings, but culturally they're feathered) as well as any remaining heads. De-spiked Shardcarbines would suffice for Lasblasters, and the rest of them would be Harlequin legs and front torso with a Guardian rear torso.

It would also give Exodites an option for anti-air, another shooty option, some more anti-tank and a fast-attack option on the Craftworld-side of the codex.

Again, ideas?

Hmmm, for the Cult of Ynnead. Does anyone know of any Eldar/Elven legs that look like they are 'walking implacably forwards'?

I'm thinking Wrack legs might be a better fit (especially as I'm using Glade Guard legs for the Wardens/Guardians).

Finished my first squad of Corsairs



I've also got another three Reavers finished and undercoated, although i've run out of Fusion Guns so the 10 man 4x Fusion squad might have to tone it down a bit.



Lastly i've put together my first 5 Hunters (counts as Kabalites). Much more technobarbarian those are wraithbone horns fused to their heads in the image of Kurnous the Hunter.

Well, on reflection i don't think i like the second iteration of Hunters either...
The first lot look too 'feudal eldar' and this lot look too kabalite.
Any ideas?
I'm going to redo my squad of counts-as guardians with glade guard legs and heads plus dire avenger bodies so i need something different to that...

Just realised I forgot my Craftworlders!

Here's my kitbashed Autarch, although I'm working on another one with a Power Axe, Fusion Gun and a Banshee Mask which will be a lot more useful for my current army list.




Next there's my Farseer with an Uldanorethi Longrifle. I'm really not a fan of the head crest which will be replaced as soon as I've found something more Farseer-like, but other than that I quite like it




Lastly there's probably the only one of my Eldar that I'm actually happy with how it's painted.





I really must put more effort into highlighting...

I really really like that theme and colour scheme. That's what I call a unique army..!

Thanks a lot! I really must get more of the Exodites painted so I can get a proper army shot.

CWE-wise I've probably got enough painted, but I'd like to re-do my Aspect Warriors. They're currently painted in the standard colours for their aspect, but I reckon I could get them looking really cool if I painted them in line with the rest of the army.

Something like a brown undersuit for Guardians and a red undersuit for aspect warriors (probably with a red left hand in honour of Khaine).

Latest batch of kitbashing

First off we've got two more special-weapon Reavers. I'm interested to find out how they do with Shredders as they're cheap, S6 and gel well with Reckless Abandon.



I've also had a go at making some Balestrikes using Harlequin legs (seeing as there's a ton of them on eBay as fans of the Emperors Favourite Psychopaths buy up Deathwatch boxes). Strikes me that they're probably be better for Ghostwalkers now that I've made them :S I was thinking that taller Ghostwalkers would be harder to hide in cover though...




Next we've got my 3rd iteration Hunters. I like these a lot better than the previous two which seemed too close to the other Eldar factions (Guardian helmets and Kabalite armour is a bit too iconic of each faction to look Exoditey).




Because I've changed what I'm doing with with the Hunters, I've got a load of Kabalite bits left over enough to make an DIY Archon and 5 Kabalites





Lastly I've finished my Exodite HQ options!

We've had the Wyrdlord before, but I've added a Daughter of Khaine (counts-as Succubus with Armour of Misery) as well. When Khaine was shattered, large shards of his being rained down on the Craftworlds and formed Avatars. As the Exodites were so far from the epicentre of the fall, only small fragments of Khaine fell on their worlds. These fragments formed suits of fearsome armour which were ensconced in shrines by the Exodites. In times of war a female Exodite dons this armour and is imbued with fearsome martial prowess that is terrifying to behold. This, however, is the ultimate sacrifice. Once worn, the armour of Khaine can never be removed, and slowly burns away the wearers soul in the fires of war.




Lastly, we've got my favourite model so far: my Sons of Asuryan (counts-as Autarch). The rulers of Exodite clans are called the Sons of Asuryan. These great lords of the Exodites often equip themselves with wraithbone-limbed wings like the Terradons, but bedecked with feathers in honour of the great Phoenix Asuryan. They take to flight at the forefront of their forces raining death upon their foes.



I converted the Fusion Gun from a Shuriken Catapult and a Fusion Pistol. Not a fan of the fuel tank though, looks too big. Need to scour some bits and see if there's something more suitable...

All three together



The latest thing that's been bubbling away in my imagination is the concept of 'Croneworld Eldar'. I know it's sort of skub, but I've rather taken to the idea.

The concept is that a very few of the Eldar who survived past the initial birth-scream of Slaanesh revelled in the destruction of their race and gave themselves completely and willingly to her service (either that or they're a few of the most dedicated and depraved pleasure-cultists who even in her first few moments managed to impress the Prince of Pleasure and were resurrected as favoured pets).

These few corrupted Eldar are formidable psykers, exploring the full potential of their power augmented by the ruinous powers, unfettered by the wards that Farseers use to hide from She-Who-Thirsts.

That would let me explore some of the fluff about what pre-fall Eldar might have been like

I've rather run out of money this month so I can't start on them just yet, but I've got some interesting ideas

Besides, I should really paint some of these at some point!

Crap. I am going to have to rebuild my Succi after seeing yours. More good ideas I will be stealing

BTW, do you have any pics of your "fire dragons" as you were building them? I would love to see how you were able to add in the kabalite front to the ark corsair backs. I am trying to add them to wych legs to get some dynamic poses, but the "neck" stub is throwing me off.

Steal away with impunity! I'm flattered that anyone would want to

I don't unfortunately, and I made them long enough ago that I can't remember how I did it either! Looking closely at them I definitely kept the neck stub intact, and probably carved away slightly at the kabalite torso neck socket to allow it to sit in there. I seem to remember them having little semi-circles protruding from the arm bits that needed clipping off too...

I haven't got any spare lying around either. Have you got a picture of where you're up to that might jog my memory?

Right, just spitballing some ideas for Croneworld Eldar and thought I'd get some feedback

To give it a completely different flavour to Craftworlders, Exodites or the True Kin I thought I'd use the Chaos Daemons codex to represent them (with a little added from CSM).

Right, so the first aspect of Croneworld culture is the Cronelord.

Cronelord

Fluff: Cronelords are the lords and masters of their daemonic Crone Worlds. These few corrupted Eldar are formidable psykers, exploring the full potential of their power augmented by the ruinous powers, unfettered by the wards that Farseers use to hide from She-Who-Thirsts.

Counts As: Fateweaver/Lord of Change (immensely powerful psyker)

Modelling ideas: big base for a small, eldar-sized model. Minimal armour, maybe just robes. Floating up in the air, with wings like this:



The second aspect of Croneworld culture is the mortal minions the descendants of the most depraved pleasure cults who are let live as pure amusement for Slaanesh. There are a couple of units I've come up with for these.

Pleasure Cultists

Fluff: The remains of the most dedicated pleasure cultists of the old Eldar Empire. Spared by Slaanesh they live still on a few worlds at the old core of the Eldar empire. Obsessed beyond the point of madness with depraved pleasure and martial splendour they live their immortal lives in constant revelry and slaughter.

Honing their combat skills to perfection they hurl themselves at the ranks of their enemies, rending flesh and armour alike with blades wreathed in fell warp energies.

Counts-As: Daemonettes (T3 and minimal armour, plus WS5 fits the idea of perfectionist CC Eldar)

Modelling ideas: The good staple Wych legs (love the dynamism), with Dark Elf Corsair front torsos and OOP Dark Elf Spearmen heads to make them look Eldar, but distinctly different to Craftworlders, Exodites and True Kin. Dark Elf Doomfire Warlock weapons look crooked and warped enough as well. Throw in some Daemonette arms and heads every now and then and voila!

Aethervessels

Fluff: Considered a gift bestowed by their Crone Lord, some Croneworld Cultists are formed into living conduits for the energies of the warp. These hapless individuals unleash great blasts of eldritch energy, annihilating their foes.

Understandably this has a detrimental effect on their martial skills, constantly battling to hold their beings intact as fell energies pour through them into the material world.

Counts-As: Pink Horrors

Modelling ideas: Maybe High Elf archer legs. Doomfire Warlock masks. If the torso from Doomfire Warlocks works I'll use that. If not any suggestions for a bare elf torso I can easily get 10 of?

Favoured Plaything

Fluff: Through their actions, some Cultists gain the favour of She-Who-Thirsts. They are blessed with formidable skill and power, although Slaanesh is a fickle patron. One single stumble and they can be devoured whole.

Counts-As: Herald of Slaanesh

Modelling ideas: Not sure as yet beyond the OOP fantasy Champion of Slaanesh helmet that I have. Maybe 4 arms?

Croneweaver

Fluff: The Croneweavers are powerful psykers beneath the Crone Lords. Formally a psyker cult dedicated to Morai-Heg in pre-fall Eldar society, as she was devoured by Slaanesh they were cursed by their patron for their part in her demise. Their once-upright stature and lithe bodies were crippled, resulting in the bitter and twisted creatures they are today. For beings so dedicated to beauty and perfection as the Eldar, such a curse would be unbearable. Perhaps that is the reason they persist. A perfect vengeance is sweet in itself.

Counts-As: Herald of Tzeentch

Modelling ideas: I've got this vision of a hunched over, cloaked figure that looks like an old hag or crone. I've ordered an AoS Necromancer that I'll cut up and have a play about with an AoS Banshee would be a second option.

I've even come up with an idea to represent Daemonic Instability

At the Whims of Fickle Gods: Being as they are the transitory playthings of She-Who-Thirsts, the lives of the Croneworld Eldar exist only at her pleasure. As such, they can live and die and live again at the fickle whims of their patron. Even as they charge towards their enemies, a step wrong and a light stumble can be enough to invoke the ire of the Prince of Perfection causing them to drop as a lifeless husk upon the battlefield. Conversely, if their actions somehow please their lord they could find themselves, or her whims simply swing the other way, they could find themselves thrust back onto the mortal coil, rising from their resting place to do the dance of battle oncemore.

Onto the other part of Croneworld Eldar, and the bit that explores their pre-Fall society/technology a little.

During the War in Heaven, the Old Ones created many races to do battle against the dread forces of the C'tan. As the warp was anathema to the C'tan, the Old Ones crafted a race specifically designed to weaponise the considerable power of the warp. That race was the Eldar.

On ancient battlefields long-since forgotten, the early Eldar waged war against the metallic Necrons. Using their formidable psychic might they manifested great warhosts to march alongside their mortal warriors.

In the millenia since the fall, this technology has been lost and forgotten, being suicidal under the gaze of She-Who-Thirsts. The last remaining aspect of this technomancy to remain is the construction of wraithbone, it being energy drawn directly from the warp and solidified. The greatest technomancy of the Eldar, lost. Lost to all but those that remain on the Eldar homeworlds within the Eye of Terror.

These twisted Eldar still raise great hosts of daemonic beings to wage war against their foes, resplendent in the despoiled livery of ages past. These many and varied ancient weapons of the Eldar are known as Aetherconstructs. A few are listed below:

Aetherconstruct 1 (need names for these)

Fluff: These summoned warriors are the basic soldiers of the summoned hosts. Tougher and stronger than any mortal Eldar, and armed with arcane weaponry they are formidable foes.

Counts-As: Noise Marine

Modelling ideas: Sylvaneth Spite Revenants would look really cool painted like daemonic entities. Give them some eldar-ified Noise Marine weaponry and we're away

Aetherconstruct 2 (need names for these)

Fluff: Vicious clawed fiends that can fade in and out of reality at whim, these Aetherconstructs warp into the battlefield and immediately set about rending the enemy limb-from-limb, screaming in eldritch voices.

Counts-As: Warp Talon

Modelling ideas: Just a plain Spite Revenant repainted would be perfect they've already got 'lightning claws'

Aethercolossus

Fluff: The most mighty of the pre-fall Eldar warp constructs, these towering beings of pure destruction cut great swathes through the battlefield.

Counts-As: Soul Grinder or Daemon Prince, whichever you prefer

Modelling ideas: Drycha Hamadreth

What do you reckon?

The idea that led me to these was thinking about Wraithguard in the context of some fluff I'd read about Eldar summoning constructs to do the heavy-lifting in their empire/fight the War in Heaven.

What if these warrior constructs of old were simply wraithbone shells that they summoned a daemon into (back when the warp wasn't the hellscape it is now and they were more compliant). This technology developed into the Wraithguard necromancy when they discovered that Eldar souls could power these constructs as well.

Oh dear, I'm still not happy with the latest iteration of Hunters. I think they look too heavy and static. What I'd really like them to look like is 'stalking through the shadows'. Sort of sneaky-sniper.

I've also just finished up a batch of new-and-improved Exodite Guardians with Wildwood Ranger heads that I might have to chop off and replace with Glade Guard heads. Then I could use the Wildwood Ranger heads interspersed with the Wild Rider/Scourge mashup heads with Kabalite bodies and Glade Guard legs which might look better...

Help!

I might have to do a poll...

Pictures always help!

Otherwise I like the idea of using Daemon rules. T3 and PSYCHIC AS F*** really works here.

Yeah that's what got me thinking Daemonettes are T3 and Tzeentch is very psychic so seems like a good fit! I've got some bits on the way to mock up some Croneworld Cultists which should be cool

I think I've cracked the Hunters though...

How's this?







That's a check for technobarbarian, and a check for dynamic they could easily pass as Corsairs in a pinch as well.

Speaking of Corsairs I finally managed to get hold of some of those kickass Reaver blank-faced heads to finish my Void Dreamer




As they were so hard to find from bits stores I've decided to go for the semi-blank Wych heads for my Guardian heavy-weapons teams, the idea being that they're helmets that link to the psychic implants in their beasts of burden weapons platforms.



And here's the rest of the squad. The models themselves lack a bit of variety, so I might make another 10 with different heads and mix them up a bit.



Lastly, I've finished modelling my Cult of Kurnous/Striking Scorpions...



...including Exarch

Well, the bits have arrived to test a couple of ideas for Croneworld Eldar

First off, a Croneweaver:



I'm really pleased with how its worked out exactly as I'd imagined it.

I've come up with a bit more fluff too, which links in slightly with the Exodite God Cults.

Pre-Fall, the Cult of Morai-Heg played a pivotal role in the Fall of the Eldar. During the War in Heaven Lileath received a vision where Khaine was torn apart by the mortal Eldar. In efforts to prevent this, Khaine attempted to wipe out the Eldar and reaped a bloody toll before he was pacified. By the time the Eldar Empire had reached the height of its power no mortal race could match them in battle. However, the Cult of Morai-Heg, as the knowledge-keepers of the pre-Fall empire, still remembered well how close Khaine had come to annihilating their race.

Heeding Lileath's prophecy that the power to defeat Khaine, the last true threat to the Eldar, lay within their grasp they set about engineering his demise in secret. Sensing the growing power within the warp as a product of the pleasure cults, they began to see that this new power was the key to this prophecy. In their eyes, this new Eldar god would banish Khaine forever, bringing an end to warfare forever and heralding a new age of peace, prosperity and pleasure for the Eldar race.

Fearing her interference, the high priestess' deceived the seer-god Morai-Heg about their actions, blinding her to the impending destruction of her fellow god.

For their part in her demise they were cursed by their patron. Their once-upright stature and lithe bodies were crippled, resulting in the bitter and twisted creatures they are today.  For beings so dedicated to beauty and perfection as the Eldar, such a curse would be unbearable. Perhaps that is the reason She-Who-Thirsts permits them to persist. A perfect vengeance is sweet in itself.

Then we've got my first two pleasure-cultists. Not sure how happy I am with these, but I reckon the running-leg ones will be a bit more what I was hoping for

Well, I've run out of plastic glue for the time being which means I've had to actually paint something!

One Void Dreamer done



I've tried to make the helmet look like a reflection of stars and gas clouds, but I'm not sure how well it's come out.

Ah well, practice makes perfect. Must have a better crack at highlighting things too.

5 Malevolents done you can tell I don't paint faces often! The central one definitely looks a bit quizzical at whatever he's charging towards...



Maybe some more work on the eyebrows will sort that...

Also, I'm nearly done with the Cult of Kurnous. I've got the Huntsmaster painted up fully as proof of concept. I'd actually imagined a more dark metal/green look to them for the 'official' colours, but my Exodites are painted similar to my craftworlders.




Oh, I've also come up with what I think is a cool bit of fluff expanding on Exodites in general:

All Eldar must protect themselves in some way from the predations of She-Who-Thirsts. The Dark Kin torture their prey to replenish what is lost, and Craftworld Eldar undertake perilous missions into the Eye of Terror to retrieve new spirit stones for each generation. Spirit stones are a rarity on Exodite worlds, being so far from the crone worlds at the heart of the old Eldar empire. Instead, great veins of wraithbone run through Exodite planets, channelling their world spirits in a great psychic shield from The Great Enemy. However, once an Exodite leaves their world, they are subject to the inexorable draining of their lifeforce that befalls all unprotected Eldar.

While Craftworlders and Commorites may slip away from their foes like ghosts, the Exodites fight a desperate battle for survival, trapped as they are on their worlds.

What do you think?