The Kabal of Seared Souls NEW Draft!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION KABAL HAS BEEN REVAMPED - see post below

One cannot begin to tell the history of The Kabal of Seared Souls without first telling of Karrneshla.

Karrneshla
Karrneshla is the home of The Kabal of Seared Souls; it is a city-port of incomprehensible proportions located deep within the labyrinth of the Webway and sister city to Commorragh. The two cities histories before the Fall are roughly synonymous. After the Fall, it too came under the oppressive rule of the noble houses that lurked within its heart. These houses formed Kabals like there siblings in Commorragh. But one Kabal, which was not formed from the noble houses, rose above the others in power, The Kabal of Seared Souls, and it has achieved total dominance of Karrneshla.

Below are some important regions of Karrneshla:

Gorgon consists of a Kabalite stronghold bristling with defensive armament and houses hangers of Razorwing Jetfighters and Voidraven Bombers for the purpose of protecting vital Dark Eldar ports such as The Black Maw. The fortress walls hang with the bodies of vanquished foes and captured slaves, all undergoing various stages of dismemberment.

Low Karrneshla - Once the trading districts from the days before The Kabal of Seared Souls' rise to power, when the Noble Houses ruled, Low Karrneshla now lies in ruins and poverty. Overcrowded and full of beasts, cutthroats, scavengers, slaves, and other deranged individuals it is extremely dangerous to an unescorted traveler. Now a massive maze of catacombs shielded from Karrneshla's stolen suns, it is said that only the lost and feral thrive in the lower districts of Karrneshla.

Maideth - Literally fallen into shadow, it is one of the several districts of Karrneshla that exists in more than one dimension at once. In Maideth, shadows thicken and writhe as living things, flowing into one another and attempting to capture those that venture into the district. It is Maideth that Mandrakes make their lairs. Rumor has it that somewhere in Maideth lies a portal to a world where shade-daemons exist who can freeze the soul with but a touch.

Ama-ali is a section of Maideth that is home to the Wych Cults.

The Old City - The oldest parts of Karrneshla, today it consists mainly of subterranean factories that ravenously consume millions of workers and slaves each year. Humans, Tau, enemy Craftworld Eldar, and even fellow Dark Eldar are amongst the uncountable ranks of slaves. The weapons and resources the subterranean world of the Old City allows Karrneshla to wage its ceaseless wars and raids in the Materium.

Middle Shadows - Between High Karrneshla and Low Karrneshla, the skies of the Middle Shadows are plagued by gangs of Hellions who constantly battle one another.

High Karrneshla - Consisting of the highest spires of the Dark City, they are home to the elites of Dark Eldar society: Archons, Draconvars, famed warriors, and other figures of social status. Many of the spires possess thousand-foot idols of Kabalite warlords. A place of great luxury and status for the ruling class, the citizens of High Karrneshla consider themselves blessed. They have a great distaste towards those who live in other regions of the city, such as Low Karrneshla and the Old City. The denizens of High Karrneshla dub these areas Ynnealidh, or the "Necropolis below."

New details about Karrneshla to be posted soon.


The Kabal of Seared Souls:
The Kabal of Seared Souls has many similarities to the other Dark Eldar Kabals, but it does have some defining differences. These differences are also accepted in Karrneshla, altough not always by choice. The Kabal of Seared Souls is the single largest and most powerful Kabal in Karrneshla, and because of this, they are the dominating power in the city. The Kabal's Supreme Archon is Lord Aerazabael Dethezara, one of the youngest Kabal leaders in Dark Eldar society (although, compared to most races, that isn't very young). The fact that the Kabal's founder is so young, along with the fact that the Kabal seemed to come out of nowhere, means that along with being the one of the largest and most powerful Kabals, they are also one of, if not the, youngest active Kabal in Dark Eldar society. The Kabal's actual origins are largely unknown, but rumors within Karrneshla provide several hypotheses. After listening to several tales, the following information is the probable story (HINT HINT): They say that Aerazabael Dethezara was once a powerful Dracon in The Kabal of the Black Heart. At some point he had a disagreement with a more powerful member of the Kabal. This and his ambition lead him to flee the Kabal before anyone could punish him. He and his few supporters fled to Karrneshla, where he decided to form his own Kabal, with his own beliefs and culture at its center. It is likely that he started by rallying together other exiles, Kabal-hopefuls, other rebellious members of the Kabals and even disenchanted Eldar. The stories say that a massive Kabal, The Kabal of Seared Souls, suddenly emerged out of the darkness of Karrneshla's underworld. It would appear that the resources lost by the other Kabals over the previous years had been taken in secret by this new Kabal. It had hidden itself in the areas of Karrneshla that the Kabals care nothing for, waiting until it had grown enough in strength to defend itself from the others. When it emerged, it took its section of High Karrneshla extremely quickly and with overwhelming force. The other Kabals were completely unprepared for such a large attack from the inside. Surprise and the Supreme Archon's strategic genius allowed The Kabal to take its section of the city and then ultimate power in Karrneshla. Afterward, despite the efforts of the other Kabals, The Kabal of Seared Souls could not be rivaled by any Dark Eldar but The Kabal of the Black Heart itself. The other Kabals curse and hate The Kabal of Seared Souls to this day for usurping them and for its association with Eldar (even if they are different). As for its key differences with other Kabals, the most important is its open acceptance of disenchanted Eldar into its ranks, provided they accept The Kabal's ways. Above all other differences, this has earned them the scorn and hatred of other Dark Eldar. Another important difference is its more complex hierarchy. Within The Kabal, the upper ranks/classes are more defined than in other Kabals. Additionally, the overall structure is also more complex; The Kabal is broken into Covens, each lead by a Archon or Farseer, which vary in size and determine the power held by its Archon. Above these Archons/Farseers are the Kabal Lords, they are the leaders of The Kabal under the Supreme Archon, whose leadership they never question. This increased complexity has several benefits: The Kabal is easier to lead and maintain control of, ones standing in the hierarchy is clearly defined, The Kabal is more effective in combat and only the fittest survive. Another important difference is their limited use of Craftworlds as mobile raiding bases and ports. Many of the more powerful Covens of The Kabal have a Craftworld, although these are not as large as those used by their Eldar cousins. Together, these differences have made The Kabal of Seared Souls extremely powerful and unique.

The Hierarchy of The Kabal
Supreme Archon Lord Aerazabael Dethezara
Kabal Lords (High Archons and Lord Seers)
Archon/Farseer
Hierarch
Draconvar
Dracon
Trueborn
Sybarite
Warrior


Details on some organizational differences.

The Covens
The Kabal of Seared Souls in broken up into Covens. Each Coven is led by an Archon, followed by a Hierarch. Although the number changes regularly (this is explained below), there are about 18 Covens in The Kabal of Seared Souls and there is the Supreme Archon's personal Coven, called The Blessed. The Covens can operate with almost complete autonomy, but are dependent on the strength of The united Kabal for survival. Their dependence is maintained by never allowing a single Coven to grow large enough to challenge the Supreme Archon and his Blessed Coven. When a Coven reaches an alarming size, a number of its members are separated from it. They are either moved to another Coven or form the basis of a new Coven; the later of which must have the approval of the Supreme Archon. The Blessed Coven and the Kabal Lords are largely responsible for maintaining this balance.

Trueborn and Dracons
In The Kabal, Dracons are simply the leaders of Trueborn squads, they do not command the immense power of other Kabals' Dracons. As such they do not have the same access to level of equipment as other Kabals' Dracons.

Hierarchs and Draconvars
Hierarch
Hierarch is a title given to a member of a Coven within The Kabal. The Hierarch acts as a sort of councilor to the Archon/Farseer of a Coven. They are the Coven leader's right hand, and are expected to keep ever vigilant against the threat of insurgents, and to enforce their leader's will throughout the ranks in the Coven. The majority of Hierarchs are promoted from Draconvar, being the position in the Coven most likely to come in frequent contact with the Hierarch as a subordinate and thus have the best chance to kill them.

Draconvar
Draconvars rank above Dracons and below the Hierarch. They are the elite above Dracons and Trueborn and act as commanders. They are more similar to other Kabals' Dracons.


Armour
They usually dress very similarly to an Archon (although they are careful not to outdo them), wearing light, pressurized, neuroresponsive armor that has been customized with talismans, trophies, and ornate modifications in order to distinguish themselves and emphasize the importance of their rank to subordinates. In fact, most other races have difficulty telling Archons Hierarchs and Draconvars apart because of this. To make this mistake in the presence of one, however, is to almost guarantee one's own death, and perhaps even the Dark Eldar in question depending on circumstances.

Wargear
By the time a member of a Kabal has achieved the rank of Draconvar, they more than likely have attained access to the full armory of the Kabal, and as such are frequently seen equipped with the same incredibly advanced wargear, or ancient and valuable artifacts. In the event of a full-scale operation, one that would include the Archon in battle, Hierarch and Draconvars obviously must allow their lord first choice on any equipment they might want. Hierarchs and Archons have complete access to the armory.

Archons and Farseers
An Archon or Farseer is the highest ranking member of a Coven within The Kabal of Seared Souls. They are considered the single most powerful, ruthless, and cunning member of their Coven, due to the fact that if there existed anyone who held greater ability in these aspects, they would no doubt kill their Archon/Farseer and claim their title. Indeed, the singular power they hold over the members of their Coven make the title incredibly appealing to subordinates, and assassination attempts are not only common, but frequent. The average Archon/Farseer suffers dozens of assassination attempts before finally succumbing, and some have maintained their position even after well over three hundred attempts on their life. Farseers are less common than Archons but they are extremely powerful. Farseers are usually disenchanted Eldar who have joined The Kabal and earned command of their Coven.




Equipment

Weapons
Archons/Farseers have access to the most powerful weapons, equipment, and artefacts available to their Coven, and as such are frequently seen using amazingly advanced technologies when they deem it necessary to appear on the field of battle. Although some arcane items of Haemonculi or Incubi are restricted even from the archons, as powerful as they are.
In spite of the nature of the archon, everyone carries a splinter pistol. Though some may carry more powerful darklight-weapons such as blast pistol or even blaster. Some archons, preferring close combat, may boost themselves with combat drugs more commonly used by wyches. They also may carry many kind of blades like djin-, husk- or just common powerblade. Whips such as agoniser and Electrocorrosive Whip are also popular.

Armour
Archons/Farseers, like the vast majority of Dark Eldar, feel that speed and dexterity are more than a replacement for defence, and wear only a light pressurised neuro-responsive body armour, allowing them to traverse vacuum when necessary and shrug off most civilian arms fire. Their suits, however, are usually covered in trophies and ornate fixtures that are better representative of their lofty position within the Coven. Nowadays archons may also possess lightweight Ghostplate Armour which also incorporates minor forcefield technology.
More rare protective gear is also being used by Archons/Farseers. Very rare Shadow Field provides best protection of all Dark Eldar technology. There is also strange clone fields used by some archons.

Retinue
Archons/Farseers are almost always seen with a retinue in the field, and this retinue is usually the same group of Warriors or Incubi that work as bodyguards when in Commorragh, protecting the Archon and his estate from would be assassins or rival Dark Eldar.




Kabal Leadership

Supreme Archon
The Kabal's founder and leader is Supreme Archon Lord Aerazabael Dethezara, one of the youngest Kabal leaders in Dark Eldar society (although, compared to most races, that isn't very young). They say that Aerazabael Dethezara was once a powerful Dracon in The Kabal of the Black Heart. At some point he had a disagreement with a more powerful member of the Kabal. This and his ambition lead him to flee the Kabal before anyone could punish him. He and his few supporters fled to Karrneshla, where he decided to form his own Kabal, with his own beliefs and culture at its center. Thus, it is said, The Kabal of Seared Souls was formed. The Supreme Archon's rule over The Kabal and Karrneshla is as undisputed as Vect's rule over Commorragh. There have, of course, been several assassination attempts but all have failed. These attacks have mostly come from outside of The Kabal. In fact, compared to other Kabals, there have been shockingly few assassination attempts from inside The Kabal due to the members' high respect for their founder.



Kabal Lords
Under the Kabal's Supreme Archon, there is a small group of 6 Lords, also known as High Archons and Lord Seers, who form a council. They gain their positions either by direct appointment by the Supreme Archon or (more commonly) by simply being the most powerful Trueborn within the Kabal. Each Kabal Lord is the leader of one of the most powerful Covens in The Kabal of Seared Souls, ensuring that only the best sit on the council.

Examples of High Archon


Examples of Lord Seers


Karrneshla's Craftworlds
Yes some craftworlds do call Karrneshla their home port - although they are few in number. Many Eldar refer to them as Dark Craftworlds because they do not wish to associate with them. These craftworlds mainly exist because the Kabals within Karrneshla see them as extremely useful raiding vessels. Very few Kabals have even a single Craftworld and only some the more powerful Covens of The Kabal of Seared Souls have them. These Dark Craftworlds are generally smaller than there Eldar counterparts simply because building them to that size is unnecessary when they have Karrneshla. However, Dark Craftworlds are still very large for space faring vessels.

Additional Info (to be added soon):
The other traditional groups within Dark Eldar society, such as haemonculti and hellions, are also present in Karrneshla. Their relations with The Kabal will be eventually be added but I have not gotten to the details. When a section on the Incubus is added, I will stated that Morr has come out of his exile and joined our Kabal. Links to pics will come in 7 days.



This is still a work in progress, but I like the overall idea. I need a better name for Craftworlds used by Dark Eldar though. I could also use some help coming up with more names for areas of Karrneshla. Oh and if you hate the blasphemy of ideas in ideology, good because other Kabals are supposed to. Please proved productive feedback.

I see that you have put a lot of effort into this, but I also notice that large chunks are copied from both the current and the previous Codex. Where I find the back story interesting I see that your fluff clashes with some of the established fluff within the current Codex. I would suggest altering the part about it being second in power only to the Black Heart Kabal, as that is the Kabal of the Flayed skull. (5th edition Dark Eldar Codex, page 61)

I do have one question that is burning in the front of my mind: is Karneshla an entirely separate city, or is it a sub-realm attached to Commorragh like all of the others? If it was its own city and did not bow to Vect then I feel that it would have suffered in a similar way to Shaa-dom.

I do like the idea of using Craftworlds as raiding vessels, but I do not feel tha either side would freely associate with the other. As a rule the True Kin don't freely work with Craftworlders unless there is some sort of grand reward as they see Craftworlders as weak and pathetic. Craftworlders don't like to associate with the Dark Eldar because it reminds them of their darkest potential. I think, however, that this could be explained by a Craftworld coming under threat and Harlequins dragging the Seared Soul to save them. After saving the Craftwolrd the Dark Eldar could feel that they are owed something, and that could be using the Craftworld as a station in real space.

Just a personal preference, I would change the Farseers to Autarchs because of the Ynneas Eldarith's aversion to psychic creatures. If there were psykers in their Kabal then that could bring far too much havoc.


I hope that this was the feedback that you were hoping for.

Thanks for the feedback!

actually the stuff thats words from codex i took from lexicanum 40k. as for problem with power status - i guess i figured it would be ok because its a different city, but ill change it if you think i should.

Karrneshla is a different city, it was established shortly after Commorragh itself as a sister city. They are obviously connected by The Webway, but they are separate. Given this, it is likely that it is slightly smaller than Commorragh, but other than that they are very similar. The Kabals of Karrneshla were formed during Vect's rise to power in Commorragh. The houses of Karrneshla saw that it would be wise to reorganize themselves. You can apply the rest of the story from here. Since the rule of The Kabal of Seared Souls, it does not bow to Vect. In fact, the Supreme Archon would probs be viewed as the traitor by The Kabal of the Black Heart. I guess i should add that.

I will try to clarify that the Eldar of The Kabal are Eldar who grew tired of the ways of their kin and were willing to accept the ways The Kabal. They are basically converts. The Kabal is unique in its acceptance of exiles and converts, people who other Kabals would not even associate with. This is the single biggest difference our Kabal has and is one of the central ideas I had when creating it. Also, it is important to note that Craftworlds of Karrneshla were built by Dark Eldar, there are no Eldar Craftworlds in Karrneshla.

I like Farseers, Autarchs are too much like Archons. Besides, couldn't one argue that the most powerful of the Archons have some kind of psychic or psychic-like powers? In fact i remember reading that one of the important Archons is said to have precognitive abilities.

All in all, these varied differences from all other Dark Eldar made it necessary for me to create a new city, hence Karrneshla was born.

I hope this clears some things up for you.


Oh what did you think of the Kabal Lords? i think they are my favorite addition to the hierarchy. Do i need to elaborate on how the Covens are controlled?

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Thanks for the feedback!

You're very welcome!

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Karrneshla is a different city, it was established shortly after Commorragh itself as a sister city.

That's cool, but I think that Vec would have assimilated it when he absorbed all of the other sub-realms, ports and cities.

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Since the rule of The Kabal of Seared Souls, it does not bow to Vect. In fact, the Supreme Archon would probs be viewed as the traitor by The Kabal of the Black Heart. I guess i should add that.

That is all well and good, I just feel that it goes against established fluff slightly. Of course normal Kabalites bow to their own Archon, but each Archon must bow to Vect, even if it is unwilingly, lest they face his wrath in one way or another.

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I like Farseers, Autarchs are too much like Archons. Besides, couldn't one argue that the most powerful of the Archons have some kind of psychic or psychic-like powers? In fact i remember reading that one of the important Archons is said to have precognitive abilities.

Indeed there is, Lady Aurelia Malys, but she had a battle of minds with a mysterious entity and gained an artefact that enables her powers. I think that it is completely against fluff to have an actual Psychic Archon that did not have a death wish. Being a Psyker opens your soul to the Warp, and without any preventative measures The Thirster could easily snatch away the Archon's soul.

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Oh what did you think of the Kabal Lords? i think they are my favorite addition to the hierarchy. Do i need to elaborate on how the Covens are controlled?

I do like this adition to the hierarchy of the Kabal. I use a similar system too, as my Kabal is easier to govern if it has more Archons. I like the addition of the Kabal Lords, it is always nice to see Kabals organised in different ways.
If you feel like it you could include information on the Covens. It would be interesting to read!

Interesting. Will you be adding pictures and artwork?

i will provide links to pics i found online that i like. eventually i might added photos of my own models or art, but i dont even have access to those right. 6 days and the links will be up

Modded. Double-post merged. Gob.

Cavash wrote:

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Thanks for the feedback!

You're very welcome!

Quote :

Karrneshla is a different city, it was established shortly after Commorragh itself as a sister city.

That's cool, but I think that Vec would have assimilated it when he absorbed all of the other sub-realms, ports and cities.

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Since the rule of The Kabal of Seared Souls, it does not bow to Vect. In fact, the Supreme Archon would probs be viewed as the traitor by The Kabal of the Black Heart. I guess i should add that.

That is all well and good, I just feel that it goes against established fluff slightly. Of course normal Kabalites bow to their own Archon, but each Archon must bow to Vect, even if it is unwilingly, lest they face his wrath in one way or another.

Quote :

I like Farseers, Autarchs are too much like Archons. Besides, couldn't one argue that the most powerful of the Archons have some kind of psychic or psychic-like powers? In fact i remember reading that one of the important Archons is said to have precognitive abilities.

Indeed there is, Lady Aurelia Malys, but she had a battle of minds with a mysterious entity and gained an artefact that enables her powers. I think that it is completely against fluff to have an actual Psychic Archon that did not have a death wish. Being a Psyker opens your soul to the Warp, and without any preventative measures The Thirster could easily snatch away the Archon's soul.

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Oh what did you think of the Kabal Lords? i think they are my favorite addition to the hierarchy. Do i need to elaborate on how the Covens are controlled?

I do like this adition to the hierarchy of the Kabal. I use a similar system too, as my Kabal is easier to govern if it has more Archons. I like the addition of the Kabal Lords, it is always nice to see Kabals organised in different ways.
If you feel like it you could include information on the Covens. It would be interesting to read!

Several things here, i'll stick with the separate city thing and we would rather die that bow at the feet of that rat Vect! (last part of that was IC) As for farseer issue - no there was another besides her, a male archon. i understand the warp issue. ill look it up. Also, the farseers would only be former Eldar, so they would have knowledge about how to protect themselves. This also causes their numbers to be extremely low. Only 2 Lord Seers are on the council, showing how rare they are. Kabal Lords and Covens - Oh good and i always did feel like the Kabals need a few more ranks. I have a section on the Covens, but i mean in the last part of that section, do i need to clarify anything.

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Several things here, i'll stick with the separate city thing and we would rather die that bow at the feet of that rat Vect! (last part of that was IC) As for farseer issue - no there was another besides her, a male archon. i understand the warp issue. ill look it up. Also, the farseers would only be former Eldar, so they would have knowledge about how to protect themselves. This also causes their numbers to be extremely low. Only 2 Lord Seers are on the council, showing how rare they are. Kabal Lords and Covens - Oh good and i always did feel like the Kabals need a few more ranks. I have a section on the Covens, but i mean in the last part of that section, do i need to clarify anything.

As an alternate history, it does work well as its own story, but it is not internally consistent with the established fluff. If one said that they would rather die then bow to Vect I believe that they wouldn't just die once, and it would certainly not be a nice death.

Is the Archon you're thinking of Baron Sathonyx? He has the bones of a Farseer that aid him, but he has no real ability himself.

On the Farseer issue, Farseers are lost on the Path of the Seer and probably would not leave their Craftworld. I feel like they would want to stay to protect the souls of the dead and join them once they are part of the Dome of Crystal Seers. Yes, they know ways of protecting themselves from The Thirster, but can you really trust Dark Eldar with your Spiritstone once you are dead?

You could add in more about the Covens if you want. I will enjoy the read.

Cavash wrote:

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Several things here, i'll stick with the separate city thing and we would rather die that bow at the feet of that rat Vect! (last part of that was IC) As for farseer issue - no there was another besides her, a male archon. i understand the warp issue. ill look it up. Also, the farseers would only be former Eldar, so they would have knowledge about how to protect themselves. This also causes their numbers to be extremely low. Only 2 Lord Seers are on the council, showing how rare they are. Kabal Lords and Covens - Oh good and i always did feel like the Kabals need a few more ranks. I have a section on the Covens, but i mean in the last part of that section, do i need to clarify anything.

As an alternate history, it does work well as its own story, but it is not internally consistent with the established fluff. If one said that they would rather die then bow to Vect I believe that they wouldn't just die once, and it would certainly not be a nice death.

Is the Archon you're thinking of Baron Sathonyx? He has the bones of a Farseer that aid him, but he has no real ability himself.

On the Farseer issue, Farseers are lost on the Path of the Seer and probably would not leave their Craftworld. I feel like they would want to stay to protect the souls of the dead and join them once they are part of the Dome of Crystal Seers. Yes, they know ways of protecting themselves from The Thirster, but can you really trust Dark Eldar with your Spiritstone once you are dead?

You could add in more about the Covens if you want. I will enjoy the read.

then we will fight him for eternity. besides given that we are a rival city, the other Kabals in the city would likely want to shift dominance to Karrneshla, so they would temporarily unite with us against Vect. hm. i will think of a way to make this farseer thing work. suggestions welcome. ok maybe at a later date - i have enough work rit now.

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then we will fight him for eternity. besides given that we are a rival city, the other Kabals in the city would likely want to shift dominance to Karrneshla, so they would temporarily unite with us against Vect.

I am fine with alternate history, but this changes the fluff far too much. Karneshla could be a region of Commorragh, but I do not see how there could be another city within the webway. There may have been once but they are now all under the reign of Vect, and nobody can hide from the Tyrant.

There is no way dominance would shift. The Kabal of the Black Heart is lead by a man who's mind is compared to the fortress of Tzeentch. No other mortal creature has a mind that is comparable to his. He has thought about the outcome to everything and is the ultimate Ynneas Eldarith. If any of the Kabals within the Dark City wished to change alleigiance then he would know and he would deal wit it accordingly.

I just feel that it is wrong to change the backstory of an already established race so much. Sure, have an Archon that wishes to overthrow Vect (afterall, every Archon does), but it would not happen. None will openly stand against Vect because of the fear that he uses to control them all with. There are enough examples of him utterly annihilating his opposition to make even the most mighty Kabal whimper away and bitterly bow down his his rulership.

I have to agree with Cavash here. It would be impossible of a rival city so large to go unnoticed, let alone continue to exist uncontested. Dark Eldar don't normally cooperate with each other but if they saw a threat to Commorragh it would be easy to get them to join forces and annihilate said threat. You would be hard pressed to convince a Ynneas Eldarith to join an organisation infected with so many psykers.

Then you come on to the point of psykers, dark eldar have no psychic ability whatsoever, not even latent, and there sense of self preservation is such (being very selfish and self centred individuals) that they would not let psykers persist in their society for any length of time.

Finally, craftworlds are grown with wraithbone and it's one of the main reasons such large structures can be built. Wraithbone uses psychic resonance to be shaped so it would be impossible for the dark eldar (see no psykers) to build a craft that is comparable to a craftworld in size.

To everyone: CAREFULLY READ WHAT I WRITE! i did not say that we would try to shift dominance. read it again. (OOC) I have no fear! (IC).

i understand your points but give me some time and i will make this work. to not do so would be asking me scrap my Kabal's entire concept and i will not do that. I WILL MAKE THIS WORK DAMNIT!

Please do not double post if you can avoid it, edit your previous post if it's not too old and add to it instead. Gob.

Lord Aerazabael Dethezara wrote:

i understand your points but give me some time and i will make this work. to not do so would be asking me scrap my Kabal's entire concept and i will not do that. I WILL MAKE THIS WORK DAMNIT!

Don't worry I completely understand that. Well here is what I would do. I'm going to be brutally honest, a lot of your concept sounds like a copy paste from lexicanum (hardly the most accurate source of fluff) replacing the original protagonist "Vect" with you own, and adding psykers and changing some names. What do I suggest?

1. Drop the sister city idea, it would be too easy for Vect to know about it. Not to mention it's a copy paste of commorragh with a different name, and the black heart under a different name, with Vect with a different name and some psykers thrown in.

2. Keep the craftworld idea.

3. Add fugitives.

4. Add spirit stones.

5. Drop the power notch a bit, your not the best/biggest kabal nor do you need to be. A clever/small kabal will often survive a lot longer then the larger one. Dark Eldar don't use numbers when they fight, why would they rely on similar tactics for power? Numbers only attract attention and increase the chance of someone stabbing you in the back

6. No Dark Eldar Psykers, keep Eldar Psykers.

Example:

The Kabal of Seared Souls was outlawed by vect (insert whatever reason here). After being forced to spend prolonged periods in real space they found their power and bodies started to deteriorate (without the time altering aspects of the web way). Fortunately they stumbled over a small craft world, that was in need of help (save the day). Start using the craftworld as a base of operations, live with the other eldar. Eventually adopt the use of spirit stones to stave off the degeneration from she who thirsts and protect themselves in case of death. They become accustomed to eldar psykers as they depend on them for repairing the craftworld. The regular eldar become remain in charge of soulstones and other tasks as the dark eldar do not trust each other but trust the Eldar, effectively allowing the Eldar to function as an intermediary organisation that keeps the peace, almost like a priesthood that attends to the spiritual well-being of the kabal.

This gives you psykers, a craftworld (that is always on the move so can avoid vect), and eldar/Dark Eldar allies.

Hope that helps,

PS: Cavash is one of the best fluff writers on this forum (currently writing a piece to send off to the Black Library). So you are getting advice from someone who knows almost everything there is to know about both sides of the Eldarith race.

Mushkilla wrote:

Lord Aerazabael Dethezara wrote:

i understand your points but give me some time and i will make this work. to not do so would be asking me scrap my Kabal's entire concept and i will not do that. I WILL MAKE THIS WORK DAMNIT!

Don't worry I completely understand that. Well here is what I would do. I'm going to be brutally honest, a lot of your concept sounds like a copy paste from lexicanum (hardly the most accurate source of fluff) replacing the original protagonist "Vect" with you own, and adding psykers and changing some names. What do I suggest?

1. Drop the sister city idea, it would be too easy for Vect to know about it. Not to mention it's a copy paste of commorragh with a different name, and the black heart under a different name, with Vect with a different name and some psykers thrown in.

2. Keep the craftworld idea.

3. Add fugitives.

4. Add spirit stones.

5. Drop the power notch a bit, your not the best/biggest kabal nor do you need to be. A clever/small kabal will often survive a lot longer then the larger one. Dark Eldar don't use numbers when they fight, why would they rely on similar tactics for power? Numbers only attract attention and increase the chance of someone stabbing you in the back

6. No Dark Eldar Psykers, keep Eldar Psykers.

Example:

The Kabal of Seared Souls was outlawed by vect (insert whatever reason here). After being forced to spend prolonged periods in real space they found their power and bodies started to deteriorate (without the time altering aspects of the web way). Fortunately they stumbled over a small craft world, that was in need of help (save the day). Start using the craftworld as a base of operations, live with the other eldar. Eventually adopt the use of spirit stones to stave off the degeneration from she who thirsts and protect themselves in case of death. They become accustomed to eldar psykers as they depend on them for repairing the craftworld. The regular eldar become remain in charge of soulstones and other tasks as the dark eldar do not trust each other but trust the Eldar, effectively allowing the Eldar to function as an intermediary organisation that keeps the peace, almost like a priesthood that attends to the spiritual well-being of the kabal.

This gives you psykers, a craftworld (that is always on the move so can avoid vect), and eldar/Dark Eldar allies.

Hope that helps,

PS: Cavash is one of the best fluff writers on this forum (currently writing a piece to send off to the Black Library). So you are getting advice from someone who knows almost everything there is to know about both sides of the Eldarith race.

Some of your ideas i like, others i do not. Also, this Kabal is completely different from the Black Heart and the Supreme Archon is not Vect. Vect would probs kill him if he had the chance because he rebelled. Finally a way to keep craftworlds and Eldar converts . Fugitives - we basically are a much of fugitives and exiles. I like the start you gave me and will probs incorporate it. As for the issue with lexicanum - the sections on my Kabal, The Covens, Kabal Lords, and Supreme Archon i wrote myself. They are original ideas and i gave them a lot of thought. As for things that i did take from lexicanum, it is because i saw no reason to trouble myself with changing them or rewriting it. Perhaps i could make Karrneshla a huge craftworld? scrap the 'few coven craftworlds idea.'

o and i forgot to add that i will keep the kabal rather large, but i will fix the power thing when i have time really think about all this.

PS - i do very much appreciate the advise from both of you, i just want ppl to carefully read what i say. way to many ppl in todays world dont read everything carefully.

Quote :

PS: Cavash is one of the best fluff writers on this forum (currently writing a piece to send off to the Black Library). So you are getting advice from someone who knows almost everything there is to know about both sides of the Eldarith race.

How I blush! (Thank you, kind sir).

I think that the advice that Mushkilla has given is great, although I would like to make a suggestion. It won't affect the main story at all, I just like going into deep detail.
Anyhow, this idea sprung into my mind while attempting to sleep last night: Event though the Dark Eldar and Craftworld Eldar are forced to work together through necessity of survival I find it unlikely that some tension would occur between the two sides. One side loves and nurtures the Craftworld as it is the home to the souls of their ancestors and will be sanctuary for the souls of their children while the others hate and look down on everything else in the galaxy, only wishing to serve themselves. Even though these two races are very similar in how they feel emotion they have both travelled down completely different paths.
Now, Archons are always (and I mean always) arrogant and very confident on the positive side but extremely paranoid and destructive on the negative side.
In the first few weeks/months of the Ynneas Eldarith inhabiting the Craftworld I could see him becoming suspicious of the Farseers.

Farseers, and other psyker types that maintain the Craftworld's spirit, will naturally be secretive of their rituals and actions. This could easily lead to the Archon storming in on a ceremony for integrating a great fallen warrior's soul into the Infinity Circuit, finding not a conspiracy, only the accursed ways of his cousins.
The Craftworlders, however, would feel that having these dark sociopaths with no regard for the well being of the dead were causing too much negativity and were possibly damaging the Craftworld, both emotionally and physically.
this would be incentive on the Craftworld side.

This entire situation could end with negotiations between the Farseers and the Archon, both of these leading sides (no matter their differences) are wise and want to survive, the young and reckless, however, may not see things as their leaders do.
This could lead to minor riot/conflict that is quickly quelled yet leaves a lot of mistrust and suspicion between the two sides. The CWE don't trust the DE for their corrupt ways and the DE don't trust the CWE because of their psychic curse/gift. This could cause an interesting, deeper story, for the future.

I know that this isn't my Kabal, and I'm not saying that you have to accept this idea, but once I have something in my head I have to get it out!!!

ok i understand this story you have suggested, except for the end - like the last paragraph. could you explain that part of it again?

also, the revamped draft will be posted soon. the basic idea works around most of mushkilla's suggestion for Karrneshla, with it being a renamed craftworld ravaged by a tyrannid fleet and barely surviving. details of DE and CWE coming together for survival is collection of the ideas suggested by mushkilla and cavash. still a work in progress. i will post pic links as well.

REVAMPED DRAFT


The Kabal of Seared Souls has many similarities to the other Dark Eldar Kabals, but it does have some defining differences.   The Kabal's Supreme Archon is Lord Aerazabael Dethezara, who is one of the youngest Kabal leaders in Dark Eldar society (although, compared to most races, that isn't very young).  The fact that the Kabal's founder is so young, along with the fact that the Kabal seemed to come out of nowhere, means that along with being the one of the largest and most powerful Kabals, they are also one of, if not the, youngest active Kabal in Dark Eldar society.  They say that Aerazabael Dethezara was once a powerful Dracon in The Kabal of the Black Heart.  At some point it was discovered that he had secretly decided to form his own Kabal and try to split form Vect’s direct control, with his own beliefs and culture at the Kabal’s center.  He had started by rallying together his followers and exiles, Kabal-hopefuls, and other rebellious members of the Kabals.  It would appear that the resources lost by the other Kabals over the previous years had been taken in secret by this new Kabal.  It had hidden most of its members in the areas of the Dark City that the Kabals care nothing for, waiting until it had grown enough in strength to defend itself from the others.  He named it The Kabal of Seared Souls and upon its discovery he led a rebellion aimed at taking the port of Commoragh.  Given that The Kabal was discovered earlier than he had planned, Lord Aerazabael Dethezara, now calling himself The Supreme Archon of The Kabal of Seared Souls, aimed his rebellion at capturing ships at the port to use in their escape from Commoragh because he knew that The Kabal was not strong enough to battle Vect indefinitely in Commoragh.  His plan succeeded in capturing enough ships to carry the majority of The Kabal into space.  He left a contingent of the most fanatical followers, fellow exiles lead by former members of The Kabal of the Black Heart, to cover their escape, knowing that they would die before being captured.  The Kabal of Seared Souls was outlawed by Vect for their rebellion.  They traveled constantly, searching for a suitable safe heaven.  And after being forced to spend prolonged periods in real space they found that their depravity from the time altering aspects of the webway caused their power and bodies  to start deteriorating.  Fortunately, they stumbled over a damaged craftworld and upon docking, they found the local Eldar asking for help.  They had been ravaged by a tyrannid splinter fleet and had barely won the battle, but their numbers were reduced to a tiny fraction of their former strength.  Given that both were in a crisis, they decided to join their forces and rename the craftworld Karrneshla.  Despite the fact that these two races are very similar in how they feel emotion and yet they have both travelled down completely different paths, the desperation of their situations caused them to see the practicality of merging.  Consequentially, they created a system where both races could live peacefully together and benefit from their union.  In this system, the DE used their numbers to jumpstart the population and provide defense for the craftworld.  The Eldar would help the DE by introducing them to the infinity circuit and using spiritstones to protect their souls, power, and longevity.  The Eldar essentially become the stewards of the craftworld’s inner workings and caretakers of the spiritstones, while the DE taking up the bulk of society, including the military.  The Kabal of Seared Souls became accustomed to Eldar psykers as they depend on them for repairing the craftworld and protecting their spirits.  The other Kabals curse and hate The Kabal of Seared Souls to this day for their blasphemous merge with Eldar.  Above all other aspects of The Kabal, this has earned them the scorn and hatred of other Dark Eldar.  In recent times, the Kabal has come to direct its spiritual focus towards the awakening Ynnead, the Eldar God of the Dead and have since become members of the Ynnari, seeking to follow the Seventh Path to save their race.  They have come to regard Gyrinx familiars as holy spirits due to their new association with Yvraine.  They also harbor a distrust of Lelith Hesperax, despite her new alliegance.  The Kabal members now take peace in those that fallen whose souls now feed the Infinity Circuit, giving life to Ynnead.

Ynnead, God of the Dead


The Yncarne, Avatar of Ynnead



Yvraine, Emissary of Ynnead


The Visarch, Sword of Ynnead



Ynnari


Avatar of Khaine


Organization
Another important difference is its more complex hierarchy, which was brought about by its size and merge with the CWE.  Within The Kabal, the upper ranks/classes are more defined than in other Kabals and there is the addition of ranks/classes unique to the Eldar members.  Additionally, the overall structure is also more complex; The Kabal is broken into Covens, each lead by an Archon or Farseer, which vary in size and determine the power held by its leader. Above these Archons/Farseers are the Kabal Lords, they are the leaders of The Kabal under the Supreme Archon, whose leadership they never question. This increased complexity has several benefits: The Kabal is easier to lead and maintain control of, ones standing in the hierarchy is clearly defined, The Kabal is more effective in combat and only the fittest survive.  The Kabal’s tough history ( for both Eldar and DE) has made its members adept survivors.  Together, the union of Eldar and Dark Eldar of The Kabal, of Karrneshla, have made them very powerful and unique.

[u]The Hierarchy of The Kabal
Supreme Archon Lord Aerazabael Dethezara
Kabal Lords (High Archons and Lord Seers)
Archon/Farseer
Hierarch
Draconvar
Dracon
Trueborn
Sybarite
Warrior

Details on some organizational differences.

The Covens
The Kabal of Seared Souls in broken up into Covens. Each Coven is led by an Archon/Farseer, followed by a Hierarch. Although the number changes regularly (this is explained below), there are about 18 Covens in The Kabal of Seared Souls and there is the Supreme Archon's personal Coven, called The Blessed. The Covens can operate with almost complete autonomy, but are dependent on the strength of The united Kabal for survival. Their dependence is maintained by never allowing a single Coven to grow large enough to challenge the Supreme Archon and his Blessed Coven. When a Coven reaches an alarming size, a number of its members are separated from it. They are either moved to another Coven or form the basis of a new Coven; the later of which must have the approval of the Supreme Archon. The Blessed Coven and the Kabal Lords are largely responsible for maintaining this balance.





Trueborn and Dracons
Both Eldar and DE are considered Trueborn.  In The Kabal, Dracons are simply the leaders of Trueborn squads, they do not command the immense power of other Kabals' Dracons.  As such they do not have the same access to level of equipment as other Kabals' Dracons.

Dracon


Hierarchs and Draconvars

Hierarch
Hierarch is a title given to a member of a Coven within The Kabal. The Hierarch acts as a sort of councilor to the Archon/Farseer of a Coven. They are the Coven leader's right hand, and are expected to keep ever vigilant against the threat of insurgents, and to enforce their leader's will throughout the ranks in the Coven.  Hierarchs are similar to Craftworld Warlocks. The majority of Hierarchs are promoted from Draconvar, being the position in the Coven most likely to come in frequent contact with the Hierarch as a subordinate and thus have the best chance to kill them.

Hierarchs


Draconvar
Draconvars rank above Dracons and below the Hierarch. They are the elite above Dracons and Trueborn and act as commanders.  They are more similar to other Kabals' Dracons.

Draconvar


Armour
They usually dress very similarly to an Archon (although they are careful not to outdo them), wearing light, pressurized, neuroresponsive armor that has been customized with talismans, trophies, and ornate modifications in order to distinguish themselves and emphasize the importance of their rank to subordinates. In fact, most other races have difficulty telling Archons Hierarchs and Draconvars apart because of this. To make this mistake in the presence of one, however, is to almost guarantee one's own death, and perhaps even the Dark Eldar in question depending on circumstances.

Wargear
By the time a member of a Kabal has achieved the rank of Draconvar, they more than likely have attained access to the full armory of the Kabal, and as such are frequently seen equipped with the same incredibly advanced wargear, or ancient and valuable artifacts. In the event of a full-scale operation, one that would include the Archon in battle, Hierarch and Draconvars obviously must allow their lord first choice on any equipment they might want. Hierarchs and Archons have complete access to the armory.

Archons and Farseers
An Archon or Farseer is the highest ranking member of a Coven within The Kabal of Seared Souls. They are considered the single most powerful, ruthless, and cunning member of their Coven, due to the fact that if there existed anyone who held greater ability in these aspects, they would no doubt kill their Archon/Farseer and claim their title.  Indeed, the singular power they hold over the members of their Coven make the title incredibly appealing to subordinates, and assassination attempts are not only common, but frequent. The average Archon/Farseer suffers dozens of assassination attempts before finally succumbing, and some have maintained their position even after well over three hundred attempts on their life.  Farseers are less common than Archons but they are extremely powerful.  Farseers are from the Eldar that The Kabal merged with.

Examples of Archons:






Examples of Farseers:





Equipment

Weapons
Archons/Farseers have access to the most powerful weapons, equipment, and artefacts available to their Coven, and as such are frequently seen using amazingly advanced technologies when they deem it necessary to appear on the field of battle. Although some arcane items of Haemonculi or Incubi are restricted even from the archons, as powerful as they are.
In spite of the nature of the archon/farseer, everyone carries a splinter pistol. Though some may carry more powerful darklight-weapons such as blast pistol or even blaster. Some preferring close combat, may boost themselves with combat drugs more commonly used by wyches. They also may carry many kind of blades like djin-, husk- or just common powerblade. Whips such as agoniser and Electrocorrosive Whip are also popular.

Armour
Archons/Farseers, like the vast majority of Dark Eldar, feel that speed and dexterity are more than a replacement for defence, and wear only a light pressurised neuro-responsive body armour, allowing them to traverse vacuum when necessary and shrug off most civilian arms fire. Their suits, however, are usually covered in trophies and ornate fixtures that are better representative of their lofty position within the Coven. Nowadays archons may also possess lightweight Ghostplate Armour which also incorporates minor forcefield technology.
More rare protective gear is also being used by Archons/Farseers. Very rare Shadow Field provides best protection of all Dark Eldar technology. There is also strange clone fields used by some archons.

Retinue
Archons/Farseers are almost always seen with a retinue in the field, and this retinue is usually the same group of Warriors or Incubi that work as bodyguards when in Karrneshla, protecting them and their estate from would be assassins or rival Dark Eldar.

Kabal Leadership

Supreme Archon
The Kabal's founder and leader is Supreme Archon Lord Aerazabael Dethezara, one of the youngest Kabal leaders in Dark Eldar society (although, compared to most races, that isn't very young).  They say that Aerazabael Dethezara was once a powerful Dracon in The Kabal of the Black Heart.  He led a rebellion against Vect when his treason was discovered and thus, The Kabal of Seared Souls was officially formed.  The Supreme Archon's rule over The Kabal and Karrneshla is as undisputed as Vect's rule over Commorragh.  There have, of course, been several assassination attempts but all have failed.  These attacks have mostly come from outside of The Kabal.  In fact, compared to other Kabals, there have been shockingly few assassination attempts from inside The Kabal due to the members' high respect for their founder.



Kabal Lords
Under the Kabal's Supreme Archon, there is a small group of 6 Lords, also known as High Archons and Lord Seers, who form a council.  They gain their positions either by direct appointment by the Supreme Archon or (more commonly) by simply being the most powerful Trueborn within the Kabal.  Each Kabal Lord is the leader of one of the most powerful Covens in The Kabal of Seared Souls, ensuring that only the best sit on the council.

Examples of High Archon




Examples of Lord Seers




Uncategorized Images (info to come later)

Mandrake Archon?


Incubi




Additional Content (to be added soon):
The other traditional groups within Dark Eldar society, such as haemonculti and hellions, are also present in The Kabal. Their relations with The Kabal will be eventually be added but I have not gotten to the details. When a section on the Incubus is added, I will stated that Morr has come out of his exile and joined our Kabal. Links to pics are up.  More will come when i have time for models of my own or i find some art on the internet.

This is still a work in progress, but I like the overall idea the new change.  Special thanks to Cavash, Mushkilla and all sources.[/u]

FEEDBACK PLEASE

First of all, apologies for not getting back to you sooner. Life has been exceedingly busy.

I really very much like your Kabal now with the slight tweaking. You have made sense out of the two societies working together on the Craftworld, which was my biggest issue before. Very well done!

The only thing that I would change slightly it this:

Quote :

if not the, youngest active Kabal in Dark Eldar society.

Commorragh is near infinite and ever shifting, a land of turmoil where political power is difficult to trace. They would have been one of the youngest active Kabals for a few minutes, but quickly another new Kabal would be formed, even though they may never have heard of each other.

Quote :

Special thanks to Cavash, Mushkilla and all sources.

You're very welcome!

I look forward to seeing what you have to add in the future!

glad you could get back

awesome!

regarding young Kabal thing - are you sure its that extreme? i find it difficult to believe that Kabals form so quickly and rapidly given their nature.

Likewise with your stuff!

Well, with the young Kabals stuff, Commorragh is so full of Dark Eldar that statistically (I imagine) numerous Kabals fall and rise every day, seeing as the Dark City is so large. Kabals are ridiculously common, forming the central political structure of Commorragh. They also provide protection for their citizens, so if many people were to become homeless from a single Civil War they could all band together under the leadership of one man calling himself an Archon and there you have a brand new Kabal.

Kabals split and merge constantly, and seeing as there are countless of them I think that it would be difficult to say that any Kabal is one of the youngest. All we know is which ones are the oldest.

These are just my thoughts, though.

hm i guess that makes sense. i suppose i could still say they are one of the youngest large Kabals at least for a short while. then change it. i think ill fix that and then try and work on the incubi a bit. or actually maybe expand more on the eldar.

sorry i have not posted anything in a while. i was very bzy and now i am basically writing my own sm/csm legion codex. i will try to get back to my kabal writing soon.

the kabal will soon be briefly part of a B&C project to create a new sector of the Imperium. the craftworld will be sighted in the sector and the rest is in the works!

Do you still have plans for the Liber Cluster Tie-in, if so I can try to help out there, now that I am up to date on both these threads. In any case, I really like the idea of a dark eldar craftworld deal, so count me in on the future discussions of your fluff!