What was it like, back then? Just sheer joy, I’m told. Entire civilizations, rendered down for stimulants. Stars drained dry of their power, for a decade-long soiree. Oh, to have been alive and powerful in the last days of Empire—before She-Who-Thirsts crashed the party…
„
~ Gyrthineus Roche, former Archon of The Last Blade
Description[]
The Drukhari are an ancient race that fell into degeneracy and depravity, with their remnants only surviving in immense Webway cities. Though they have suppressed the psychic power of their Aeldari kin, they have replaced it with preternatural agility and rapacious cruelty. Their lighting raids from the Webway carry off wealth and captives to dark Commorragh where they suffer intensely throughout their short lives…
Background[]
Sixty million years ago, the Old Ones and the Necrons fought The War in Heaven. The Old Ones lost, but their mantle was inherited by one of their creations—the Eldar, a psychically-powerful race of immense sensitivity. Over the subsequent millenia, they ruled the galaxy, slipping over time deeper and deeper into depravity and arrogance.
Their golden age ended with the birth of Slaanesh, the Chaos God of pleasure. At the moment of her birth, the core of the Aeldari civilization was utterly destroyed, its citizens’ souls and even its gods consumed by the nascent god. Where the Aeldari homeworlds once were, now there is only the Eye of Terror, a massive rift into the Warp.
A few ascetics survived on Craftworlds, becoming the modern Aeldari; but far more survived in the hidden cities of the Webway, built in the warp itself. These cities over time have agglomerated into Commorragh, an impossibly vast non-Euclidean space. Here the ancient Aeldari continue their decadent practices, but now with purpose, for only inflicting pain on others rejuvenates their souls as Slaanesh constantly draws at them.
An arrogant Archon brought a Drukhari raiding party to Gladius Prime, to take advantage of the distracting Ork invasion to gather wealth, power and workers. Unfortunately, someone followed him, someone equally ancient and decadent…"
Features[]
Initial Challenge:Hard
Power from Pain: As pain spreads across the battlefield, Drukhari are invigorated, thriving from the suffering. Their units gain additional bonuses depending on their experience level.
Corsair Outposts: The Drukhari rarely venture outside the webway, save to loot realspace resources. Their cities have a reduced growth rate, but it can be improved by controlling more outposts.
Raid from the Webway: The Drukhari strike swiftly from the webway, before vanishing with their plunder. Pay influence to create temporary portals and activate webway gates to move your raiding party across the map.
Raider Fortress: The Aeldari and Drukhari are forever battling over their access to the webway. Found cities on activated webway gates from which you can unleash your forces on Gladius Prime.
Soul Hunger: The souls harvested by the Drukhari are an invaluable resource used for their malevolent schemes. Destroying an enemy unit rewards you with influence that can be traded for economic boosts and combat effects.
Combat Drugs: The Drukhari’s foul Haemonculi render down some captives into powerful stimulants. Infantry units can pay with influence and hitpoints for temporary buffs that allow them to outperform their opponents.
Betrayal Culture: Drukhari are a vicious race, and only a huge display of riches will convince them to serve—as long as it also serves their interests. Drukhari cities have lower loyalty but gathering influence grants more loyalty.
Blade Artists: Blades have an omnipresent place in Drukhari culture, and each commorrite learns this from a young age. Drukhari units get bonus armour penetration in melee.
Raiders Tactics: When attacking a new prey world, the Drukhari attack en masse from their specially designed vehicles to land troops as close as possible to the fighting. Drukhari transports are all assault transports and Drukhari infantry units can gain combat bonuses when disembarking."
