User blog:Ilniaj/The Dark Elves

When the ancestral land of the elves known in their legends as Ulthuan sunk into the sea, what would become the Dark Elves fled west and what would become the Wood Elves fled east, both looking for new lands to settle. What would become the Dark Elves found the chill land they named Naggaroth, cold and hard but largely uninhabited. Most of their fight for survival was against the land itself rather than any inhabitants. When the Wood Elves and Dark Elves met later on the two had become so different culturally from each other that there was no reconciling, the Dark Elves viewed the Wood Elves as primitives who have abandoned and denigrated what made the elves strong while the Wood Elves viewed the Dark Elves as decadents who were on the same path that led to the sinking of Ulthuan. The Dark Elves of both the previous age and the current age are both lustful and uninhibited and it was unfortunate, but no surprise that they gave themselves over to monsterization. Still, that changed the diplomatic situation with Dark Elves little, they would raid monsters, humans, elves and dwarves for slaves and ransoms in both ages. In the current age, many monsters have husbands from exotic places, bought off from the Dark Elves. Dark Elves have plenty of labor saving methods both magical and mundane, so the slaves they take tend to be skilled laborers, intellectuals, mages, warriors and similar, with the rest ransomed, sold to other monsters or released. Males taken as slaves to dark elves will be married quickly, either to a dark elf or one of their monster or human slaves. The Dark Elves encourage relationships among the male and female slaves, having lovers together both improving morale and breeding more slaves that they are encouraged to pass on their skills to. Dark Elf armies mostly consist of Dark Elf women and men married to a Dark Elf.

As suiting their names, Dark Elves wear dark and sinister attire. Their wargear are exquisitely well made and well decorated with distinctive patterns of gold, black and silver. Almost all Dark Elves, both women and their incubus husbands are skilled fighters, equally adept with sword, spear or repeater crossbow. At times of war, almost the entire Dark Elf population can be called to arms, allowing them to field huge armies despite the total number of them being small compared to the other races that inhabit the world. Dark Elves prefer to use guile and cunning to defeat their foes rather than pure brute force. Dark Elf armies have large numbers of Shades and Dark Riders, ranging ahead of the main army to spread fear and confusion and gather information. If possible, the Dark Elves will use this information to draw the enemy into a trap or ambush. Even when forced to fight a pitched battle, a Dark Elf army will not charge head on. Instead, they'll wear the enemy down with repeater crossbows and bolt throwers and goad them into a rash attack. Dark Riders mount hit and run attacks on the flanks while Shades emerge from hiding to unleash flurries of well aimed crossbow bolts. Only when the advance falters will the line breaker units be released to finish the enemy off.

Dreadladies and Mistresses are the rulers of Naggaroth, ranging from sycophantic schemers to masterful strategists. Their combat skills have been honed in decades of raids and they are equipped with the finest suits of armor and a deadly assortment of well crafted blades through which they carve a path through their foes. Dreadladies are the head of each Dark Elf army, fighting with the practiced ease of decades of combat, each one having countless victories in their ascension to power and great hosts marching to their will. Below them are the Mistresses, the most proven among them carrying a Battle Standard of the army into battle.

Elves are magical beings with a natural affinity for guiding and channeling the shifting winds of magic, embracing dark magic in all its terrible majesty. They use the lores of fire, metal, heavens, beasts, shadows, death and dark magic. Dark magic is undivided, containing all nine of the winds in a seething mass. While what would become the Wood Elves turned their backs on the possibilities of Dark Magic due to the risks, what would become the Dark Elves did not, experimenting and molding such raw power to their bidding. The Sorceresses (and rare Sorcerer) are gathered, learn and taught at the fortress of Ghrond and competition between them is fierce. Those that pass initiation learn some of the most powerful magic in the world, they can call upon aethyric beings to sap the energy of their enemies, hurl storms of wicked shards or engulf them with bolts of black energy. Most importantly, dark magic allows increased supplies of magical energy when the fickle winds of magic blow weakly. Should a Dreadlord's need procure the service of a Sorceress, she will find herself in proxy command of a magical mastery as well-rounded as it is ruthlessly wielded, bending the winds of magic to their will with dark intentions.

Elves have been experts at bending beasts to their will since the distant days of Ulthuan. However, some show exceptional aptitude with this and command even the unruliest beasts with a single word. These famed Beastmasters are raised from talented children at the city of Karond Kar, studying under the masters that dwell there. It matters not if the beast is a raging Cold One, skittish Elven Steed or majestic Opinicus all will eventually submit to the Beastmasters will. Beastmasters and their apprentices tend to become decent fighters due to the need to dodge an occasional swipe from a rebellious beast so they'll occasionally sell out their services to an army. However, their main role won't be fighting, it'll be the care of the beasts in the army and goading them into battle. Under the Beastmasters stern gaze, a beast Hydra, Kharibydiss or even Opinicus can be made to fight all the harder.

Beastmasters are always eager to find fresh subjects, for the perils of the battlefield and gladiatorial arenas ensure enevitable attrition. Small bands of beastmaster apprentices, possibly led by a Beastmaster roam the wilds in Scourgerunner Chariots, searching fen, crag and cave for suitable prizes. Armed with barbed nets and harpoon launchers attached to strong chains, they snare and immobilize their prey before dragging it back to be trained. They are also a common sight on the battlefield where they search for suitable "recruits" among enemy ranks. If no fitting candidate presents itself, the apprentices vent their frustration as best they can, riding along the flanks to pelt the enemy with crossbow and bolt thrower bolts.

Assassins are one of the most powerful weapons of the Dark Elves, masters of subtlety and combat. Trained from a young age, as they grow they learn the deadly martial arts, the power of poisons, how to move without sound and slip through the night unseen. By the time they are ordained as an Assassin after a decade of training, there are few who can match their martial prowess; striking a foe low before they even see the blade that does so, such is their speed. They move silently and with a precision that surpasses even the standards of other Elves. Blindfolded, an Assassin can walk sure-footedly across the spears of an embattled phalanx, or strike a precise flurry of blows so that each cut exploits a different weakness of armor or flesh. Some are hired by admirals of the dark elf fleets to train corsairs or sow confusion among the targets of a raid. These Assassins are also adept spies, being able to gather information while among opponents or among allies, simply knowing that an Assassin might be among the ranks of warriors keeps talk of sedition and disloyalty at a minimum, for no one can be certain it is not an Assassin they are conspiring with. Assassins coat their weapons with a variety of poisons that paralyze and stupefy the victim so they can be captured, interrogated and sold or married. In battle, an Assassin is secreted among the other warriors and hunt down enemy leaders, wizards and other vulnerable characters, pouncing upon them unexpectedly as regiments clash in combat.

The backbone and bulk of a Dark Elf army are split into three types based on armament, Dreadspears, Bleakswords and Darkshards. Dark Elves are raised from birth as soldiers and raiders, becoming skilled and fierce fighters. Like all elves, Dark Elves are lithe and sinuous, their muscles strong and reactions as quick as their agile minds. Despite Dark Elves being all female, regiments will often be made up of both human/elven men and elven women, the human men taking on an elvish aspect due to their wife. Regiments are drawn from the same city and often the same extended family, the commanders instilling a semblance of control by appointing leadership of units to lesser family members. Regardless of the specific armament a Dark Elf warrior is equipped with, it is inevitably of high quality, their weapons well crafted and their person protected by suits that are a mixture of cloth, chain and plate. The principle weapon of a Dreadspear is a heavy bladed spear known in their tongue as a "Drannach" - the Sky-Piercer. The role of these warriors is to defend against counter attacks threatening the flanks of other formations and protect the war machines and missile troops. All elves are swift and Dreadspear regiments can march quickly to seize ground or respond to enemy movements. These spear troops are a solid cadre of soldiers that allow less reliable troops to roam freely. Dreadspears consider themselves true soldiers, looking down upon Bleakswords as brash adventurers unsuited to the proper business of war. Dreadspears know the strength of discipline, of the locked shieldwall bristling with spear points, making them a reliable bastion around which a Dreadlord can form her battle plan. While wilder warriors roam free to fight at will, the Dreadspears hold key positions and repel counter-attacks. Many Dark Elves forsake melee weapons in favor of ranged combat, training in the use of Repeater Crossbows called "Uraithen" translated as Deathrain. These magazine fed weapons are capable of unleashing a hail of bolts and can be fired on the move, allowing Darkshards to fire storms of bolts from the rear or move forward to weaken the enemy line with a withering volley before the Dark Elf attack charges home. Though often scorned by other warriors for their distaste of melee combat, the Darkshards are unflinchingly proud of their marksmanship. Dark Elves tend towards arrogance, but Bleakswords far outstrip even other Dark Elves in this regard. Each believes herself to be the greatest warrior of her age, needless of aid and heedless of danger. Bleakswords forsake the spear and the repeater crossbow, deeming the former a peasant's weapon and the latter a craven armament. Instead, they wield slender dueling blades that can easily flash past an enemies guard.

When a Dark Elf fleet reaches the coast of a foreign land and disgorges its invading army, one or more regiments of Black Ark Corsairs will be well to the fore. These daring women dual wield swords or wield a sword and repeater handbow, using impressive agility and speed to jump from mast to mast or roof to roof when raiding a coastal town. They do not use shields, considering them to be too cumbersome, preferring to rely on light armor and cloaks made of sea serpent scales for protection. The Corsairs are fast, making use of their ships or speed to flank an enemy after the battle has started, driving their lines into chaos.

Dark Riders are the messengers and heralds of the dark elves. They will often be the first part of a dark elf army that those opposing them see, as Dark Riders will range ahead of the main army, spying on them and spreading mayhem and confusion. Riding fast elven steeds, these expert horsewoman spend most of their lives in the saddle, using cavalry spears and repeater crossbows to launch sudden attacks and daring raids, laying ambushes for the supply trains and attacking with deadly speed against reinforcements. When called to take part in a pitched battle, they usually deploy ahead of the main army so they can slow down and harry the enemy as they try to deploy for battle. If they are attacked, they will fire off a quick volley of crossbow bolts and retreat, relying on the speed of their steeds to outdistance pursuers. They are also known for skirting the enemy flanks, attacking war machines, skirmishers and light cavalry with a hail of repeater crossbow bolts before finishing weakened or flanked units off with a spear charge.

There is one exception to the rule that only Dark Elves and their husbands may serve in the armies and that exception is the Beastwoman Flyers. Some of them are a mix of woman and bird while others mix woman and insect. These Beastwoman Flyers will band together in great sky-borne flocks, roaming high above the ground. In order to remain in the air, Beastwoman Flyers have to travel lightly so they lack armor or heavy weaponry, only equipping themselves with their talons, two hand weapons or a light spear. Their light equipment means that Beastwoman Flyers are ill-suited for prolonged combat. Instead they avoid dedicated melee units to strike out at war machines, ranged units, or units occupied by others, cutting off the ranged support and preventing retreating units from rallying and rejoining the battle. In the previous age, some of the harpy family developed dangerous manbane claws that could rip into the vitals and wildfire that would make their claws burst into a magical flame that makes them able to set fires and harm ethereal beings. These mutations carried into the current age, the manbane claws now draining spirit energy like a wight and the demon hellfire no longer causing burns but making the body heat up. They will also use dirty tricks like coating their weapons and talons with a paralyzing poison. The Beastwoman Flyers can create elaborate camouflages in the woods and eyries above their targets so a unit of soldiers that think they were safe can suddenly find themselves surrounded by lustful women, eager to carry them off as lovers.

The Black Guard are some of the most elite warriors, selected by each Dreadlord as personal bodyguards and enforcers. Black Guard come in husband and wife pairs, it being believed that they'll fight all the harder with their lover at their side. While heavy armor and halberds make them formidable, their greatest defense is their loyalty to each other and their liege, preferring to die than abandon each other. Black Guard units are hard to shift, it often requiring killing the whole unit to remove it from a point and impossible to scare. When other units around them get destroyed or rout, they stand resolute and not even the most ferocious and massive beasts can drive them to flee or cower, such is their pride of their martial prowess.

The Shades are a silent and deadly sisterhood who live out in the wilderness. They are scouts few can compare to, able to move as swiftly and silently as ghosts through thick forest, across razor sharp rock and through twisting caverns. Their lives are difficult, hunting to feed themselves with every day a battle for survival. The formation of the Shades dates back to the previous age, they were once the ruling elite of Clar Karond but were ousted from power while exploring the land the Dark Elves settled. Rather than serve the usurpers, they chose exile in the wilderness. The rulers of Clar Karond fear that the Shades might return to stake their claim to the city but this is unlikely, for the clans of the Shades seem more at home on wind-swept mountain ridges and shadowy canyons. The Shades hardiness makes them valued additions to any raiding fleet and much wealth is expended to entice them to a Dreadlords cause. Companies disembark from the fleet under the cover of darkness, before moving inland to locate targets for raids. From hidden positions they spy on enemy forces and ambush pickets and outriders to conceal the greater armies presence. In battle, Shades rely on their skill with repeater crossbows rather than risk direct confrontation. They will move out on their own well before battle lines have been drawn, choosing a well concealed location where they can harry and snipe while remaining within cover. Having infiltrated behind enemy lines, they can harass the foe with well aimed volleys of bolts or strike the crew of war machines with their blades. Although they consider melee combat to be foolish unless the foe is surprised or his back is turn, their skill with dual swords or great swords is not to be underestimated and many an overconfident opponent has learned to his cost that a Shade is most dangerous when cornered and forced to fight.

A Cold One is a rapacious predator and pack hunter, this behavior allowing a group of them to bring down creatures many times their size with some of their number snapping at their quarry and the rest encircling and surrounding the unfortunate victim. Cold Ones can be broken to the saddle, and are used as cavalry mounts. However, breaking them in this way tempers their normally savage nature, and although still ferocious compared to most mounts, it leaves them dull-eyed and sullen compared to their wild cousins. Cold One Knights count themselves among the finest warriors among the Dark Elves. A fully armed and armored Cold One Knight carries a long lance known as a Khietain that can pierce the hide of a dragon and wears a reinforced helm and full-length armor and on her arm, a shield carrying the device of her house. Though they are few in number, their ferocity is such a decisive weapon that it can win a hard fought battle at a crucial moment with a single devastating charge.

Among the Dark Elves it is a symbol of great prestige and favor to ride into battle upon the magnificent chariots of Cold One Chariots. These are given as gifts to warriors who have pleased their Ladies with their devotion, bravery and prowess in battle. To possess such a machine is a symbol of great prestige, and is ranked among the highest station in battle, even though the Cold Ones' truculent nature can often bring the chariot to a jarring halt at the most inopportune moments. Should the crew retain mastery of their chariot, they thunder across the battlefield like gods of war, wicked lances leveled and Cold Ones roaring fit to freeze the blood.

Neither the Wood nor Dark Elves have ever developed gunpowder technology and have never needed to do so due to their excellent marksmanship. The Dark Elves have created created torsion powered and counter-weighted devices which are their equivalent of cannons, perfecting them to such a degree that in many ways they are superior to the gunpowder weapons of others. The Reaper Bolt Thrower is the most outstanding example of the Dark Elves expertise in this field. Reaper bolt throwers are used at sea to clear the decks of enemy vessels, and on land to scythe down ranks of enemy warriors. A mechanism of counterweights and cords allows the Reaper to shoot a hail of bolts, or a single missile with force enough to pierce a Dragon's hide. The repeater bolt thrower is therefore ideally adapted to engage large, tough targets by means of a single shot, or multiple weaker targets with a volley of darts.

The cult of Ares is strong among the Dark Elves and few venues of entertainment are as enthusiastically patronized as the gladiatorial arenas. Every city has at least one amphitheater where battles are fought for the amusement of the crowd. Here, among the sands, gladiators do battle with each other and vicious beasts. For warriors who ply this trade to improve themselves and earn favor, it is a wild existence where survival and glory are victories rewards. The weakest among the Dark Elven Cult of Ares, but still highly skilled and deadly are the Witch Elves, the youngest among the dedicated worshipers. Before a battle, they perform mental exercises that drive themselves into a frenzy, fighting with increased viciousness but making them forget about their own protection. These graceful and beautiful warriors fight half-naked or in form fitting light armor, whirling and slashing with dual blades coated in paralytic venom and cutting a trail of destruction in their wake.

Among the gladiatorial guilds, the Sisters of Slaughter, veteran Witch Elves are the first among them. The Sisters fight as they live, moment to moment with every swipe and slash going unplanned until it is unleashed. Those who have not seen them mock their talents, refusing to believe that instinct - no matter how finely honed - can replace discipline and training. Such doubts last only until the naysayer witnesses a lone sister hack through a trio of lesser warriors, or a handful of gladiatrixes fell an Opinicus without a single casualty. However, fighting in the regimented arenas can become unfulfilling and a fortunate Dreadlord could be approached by a band of Sisters wishing to test their skills on the battlefield, demanding no payment except the promise of a foe that can test them (and the chance to take that foe as a lover). Most foes, trained for the battle of regiments and shield walls are easy prey, the sisters vaulting over the locked shields to slice into the formations heart.

The Dark Elves of the Cult of Ares prefer to take elite warriors as husbands, getting them to join the cult if they aren't already part of it. While the females of the cult fight barely clothed in a frenzy, the males are heavily armored and careful fighters who take pride in dispatching foes with a minimum of effort, sapping the energy completely from an enemy with a single blow of a demon realm silver great weapon. The great weapons they wield is forged with the aid of who would become their wielder and are reforged and refined further by the wielder so that they are as one. Some prefer a heavy axe-like blade, others a slender greatsword. Regardless of design, these weapons are fearsome in battle, able to cleave through armor and the willpower of an enemy with a single well-placed strike.

The highest ranking members of the Cult of Ares are the Hag Queens and the Death Hags below them, master Witch Elves who have lived and fought for many decades or even centuries. They are the greatest of their kind and are privy to the innermost secrets of the Cult. These Hag Queens mix the noxious potions that drive Witch Elves into a battle rage and craft the poisons which they coat their blades. They carry ancient weapons from the vaults of the temples and masters of martial techniques that can befuddle their foes or strike them down.

Occasionally, the Cult of Ares will bring forth a Cauldron of Blood, attended to by a Keeper specially trained to use it or a Death Hag or Hag Queen who knows all the secrets of the cult. Two guardians also defend the cauldron fanatically from all attackers. The Cauldron is kept filled with the blood of animals, the blood never drying as the magics within preserve it. Each Cauldron is heavy with enchantments that can be accessed by one with the proper knowledge, protecting itself and those around it with magic, driving them deeper into a frenzy and filling the limbs with strength.

Avatars are created by binding a being of the aether into a frame of steel and bronze and then enchanted to do the bidding of a Sorceress. The aethyric being is what provides animation to the statue and controls it, within reason of what the the one doing so needs. Once in combat, these statues hack and slash with reckless abandon, their steel skin impervious to common strikes. However, as magic holds them together, they can crumble to pieces if faced with great adversity. To avoid the Avatar being stressed outside of combat, they are held in a dormant state by magical shackles when not in battle and only awakened when needed. When the words of power are spoken, the Avatars awaken to fight, breaking down fortifications and smashing aside battle lines.

The Hydra is a fierce disturbing creature, resembling a wingless dragon with 5 possibly fire breathing heads, whose appearance can cause witnesses to recoil from snakes for years afterwards. Hydras are very difficult to slay as not only are their scaly bodies well armored, they heal wounds at a frightening rate, even regrowing severed heads from the stump, yet still functioning just as capably with missing ones. A foes only chance is to sever all the heads in quick succession. Hydras are solitary creatures and quite ill tempered when their territories are threatened. They are widespread and can be found on both the eastern and western hemispheres of the world, stalking the slopes of the World's Edge mountains or hunting the ashen wastes of the dark lands. They are especially numerous beneath the Dark Spine and Iron Mountains in Nagarroth. Beastmasters have learned to capture and breed these enormous creatures, goading them into battle as War Hydras and controlling them with goads and whips. Since even the previous age, War Hydras have been used to break lines with their bulk and breath weapons, of which they can either release a stream of flame from all their heads or spit globs of poison. The bulk of the War Hydra makes a great shield for the Apprentices controlling it, protecting them from missile fire.

Kharibydiss are hydra-like beasts that lurk the darkest depths of the ocean and are seldom seen on land save when Dark Elves goad one into war. If there is enough food to tempt it, Kharibydiss can wade through the surf and spend indefinite periods on land. Their stomachs can digest nearly everything, except magically enchanted items and gemstones, giving some solace to a Beastmaster who loses one, as the treasures that remain in its gullet can help offset the loss. Beastmasters covet Karibydiss as treasures beyond measure and only those wealthy enough to get a Sorceress to lure one to the surface can acquire one. Breaking them to their will is comparatively easy, Kharybidiss are herbivores and opportunistic scavengers on account of being one of the smaller creatures compared to what lurks in the depths, it only attacks things that move when threatened, the most difficult part about taking it to battle being feeding it enough so that it doesn't gorge itself on unconscious bodies. Once broken, a Kharybidiss is one of the most formidable weapons among a Beastmasters command, its slimy body, adapted to the heavy pressures of the ocean possesses incredible strength and fortitude and it can wade through a storm of arrows without injury. If it's bulk and multiple heads weren't dangerous enough, the Kharibydiss secretes a poisonous slime (one of its hunting method is to get a creature to poison itself by swallowing it whole and then eating its way out) along its scales. The slime is only dangerous when ingested, when absorbed by the skin, it simply causes muscle weakness.

A Pegasus is a mighty beast that resembles a horse with wings, in fact, they were all once mundane horses. It is cunning and intelligent beyond the measure of any ordinary steed. The Dark Elves have abandoned the anti-monster gods and by relation, can no longer gain Pegasus the conventional way. However, the Sorceresses are inventive and figured out how to alter mundane horses into Pegasi through arcane magic rather than godly blessings. They are most favored as mounts by Sorceresses, their ability to fly giving them free line of sight to the whole battlefield. All pegasi are formidable fighters and these artificial ones are no exception. While the Dark Elves have not copied the ability of some Pegasi to absorb sunlight and release it as a stream of energy they have copied the tendency of some Pegasi to have a horn.

Another artificial beast is the Opinicus, whose creation was not developed by the Dark Elves but extracted from human wizards. Opinicus were made in the previous age in imitation of the griffons, the most significant difference being that they have the front legs of the cat they resemble, rather than the claws of an eagle. An Opinicus is a graceful creature, much favored by Supreme Sorceresses and Dreadlords as the only massive creature they can ride, a War hydra and Kharibydiss being too averse to being touched to accept riders. A patiently hand reared Opinicus can be trained to bear a rider upon its back, making a formidable and loyal mount that can even be taught to anticipate a wide range of commands.