#eldrad ulthwe

[ladymirdan]

I am having a brain rot that Guilliman is just Eldrad Ulthwe’s rebound after Fulgrim.

*Eldrad gets visions from the Aeldari gods*

Gods: “You must go and warn the humans, they are about to do the same mistakes as we did. They are falling for the allure of chaos. This cannot happen.”

Eldrad: “who do I warn?”

Gods:” I dont fucking know, the blonde one with the roman inspired legion.”

Eldrad: “Check. Also, isnt it kind of funny how every civilisation have their Roman period?”

Gods: “I know right, I think there was a Star Trek episode about it.”

Eldrad: “yeah I saw that one. Also, the orks got so weird with their second one.”

Gods: “shit, dont remind us about that.”

Eldrad: “well, off I go.”

*a few moments later*

Eldrad, screaming: “that did not go according to plan!”

Gods: “what do you mean? You haven't even talked to him.”

Eldrad: “oh I did, it did not go well. He got a Slaaneshi sword and everything.”

Gods: “what? No he doesnt, he is literally over here doing nothing” *points to the Ultramar system*

Eldrad: “shit. I got the wrong brother. I didnt know there were two blonde romans... I’ll guess I’ll go again.... And also, can I borrow another Avatar of Khaine?”

Gods: “WHAT DID YOU DO?!?”

[denofimagination-blog]

Big projects? That’s what we do best! 🌟💪 With nearly 50 people on our team, we love a good challenge, and every large project is pure enjoyment for us. 🖌️ If you’re looking for someone to paint an entire army, we’re ready to handle it all – just reach out through the contact in our Bio. 📬 Check out our eBay as well – you’ll find tons of completed projects there, including this army

[leveractionlesbian]

"it's farseein' time!" -eldrad, probably

[soonielo]

Vect asked, Eldrad said no, then he threatened to blow up Ulthwe.

For a solid 5 seconds he only thought "They did fire me..."

Space elf grandpas deserve more love dammit.

[clocktowerechos]

Factions of the Grand Alliance

"Our enemies are numerous, powerful, insidious, and dangerous beyond reckoning. Tis good we have friends just as formidable. I cannot fathom having to stand alone in such a galaxy." ~ Imperial Diplomat toasts his allies during a feast on Craftworld Ulthwe

The Brightest Night AU is a lot more clear with who it counts on the good end of the moral spectrum and who it doesn't. This doesn't mean people are perfect, but they're at least mostly good by nature and try to be better. The Grand Alliance is what stands of the "civilized" races of the galaxy, an united bulwark against the abyss that threatens to consume them all.

The Interstellar Imperium

The Imperium of Man as we would know it and the successor state to the Greater Human Dominion from before the Dark Age of Technology. Ruled by the God-Emperor Aurelian, they are far less totalitarian and xenophobic than in canon, their faith is far less fanatical and count abhumans and even some xenos as Imperial citizens. As demonstrated by his marriage to Isha. Instead of the glorification of a holy human form in a physical sense, they value the concept of Humanity as people who can work together towards a greater goal. They can be seen as a galaxy spanning Interex and have adopted their method of dealing with Chaos with mixed results. People are generally more aware and can protect themselves better, but those who do fall often fall faster and further than they otherwise would have. As the Horus Heresy never happened, the idea that betrayal can happen at any time from within while still present, it not all-encompassing. However, plenty of planets and forces have been corrupted, just never all at once in an empire-splitting civil war. Faith remains a pervasive aspect of life in the Imperium, especially Emperor still being alive who is able to put some top down power to reign in the worst parts of the Imperium at times.

The Mechanicum

The largest of Survivor States that rose after the fall of the Greater Human Dominion, they are the most heavily intigrated of them. As the Imperium in this AU operates more akin to a federal system instead of an autocracy, the Mechanicum retains enough independence to the point of never having been forced to integrate and become the Adeptus Mechanicus. Still steeped in their techno-mysticism, technological advancement is glacial at best and often just as restrictive in canon. While technology is still stagnant and they hold the lion's share, some technology remains available in M41 such as jet bikes and volkite weaponry (albeit expensive and rare). AI remains completely outlawed in Mechanicum space and they're constantly pushing against the Tau's utilization of it. Their worst tendencies have mellowed out, going from callously apathetic to just iron-plated dicks. Given the Imperium can rely on other Suvivor States, the Tau, and even the Kyn Leagues for some tech, the political influence they wield is strong but not overpowering.

Confederation of Eldar Craftworlds

Less arrogant and self-assured of their own supremacy than in canon. Especially after Eldrad Ulthran brokered a pact between the Craftworlds and the young Imperium to aid one another in the War of the Beast and then an impossible raid on Nurgle's Garden to free Isha. It was this Hail Mary sucess that formed the foundation of the Grand Alliance and the eventual marriage of Isha and Aurelian. In exchange for their aid, the Eldar repaired and upgraded the Astronomicon and shared anti-Chaos technology and measures to the Imperium. With the rescue of Isha, hope has been restored to the Eldar. While they are a long way off from being a "dying race", their population at least grows even at a tectonic pace. Although their corrupted kin, the Shadishari, or "Chaos Eldar", still vastly outnumber them. She is the most potent anti-Chaos weapon the Alliance have, able to use her divine power to cleanse corrupted worlds with her presence but even with the constant movement of the Celestial Court, she can only be in so many places at once.

The "Imperial" Aquilla (the Alliance Aquilla in this timeline) and its twin heads in this AU actually represent the Imperium and the Craftworlds, not the Imperium and the Mechanicum.

The Exodite Enclaves

Also known as "Medari", they continue their low-tech existence on Eldar Maiden Worlds. There is usually a singular, technologically advanced settlement on their worlds, meant as a space port for their Craftworld cousins and the Imperium, but even then the technology is heavily regulated. Exodites are far more prickly and selective when it comes to dealing with outsiders and are granted special rights upon their worlds that not even the Craftworld Eldar can ignore. They exhibit more Wood Elf-tendencies as well, favoring the use of Ghostwood over Wraithbone which they cultivate in Ghostwood Glades. While often relying on treaties of defense with the Craftworlds, they are capable of rousing "forest spirits" in the form of Ghostwood Dyrads, Ents, and Treekin. Not to mention the various dangerous fauna they keep, most famous being the dinosaurs their knights ride into battle.

The Tau Empire

The largest of the allied Xenos races, they were independent for several millennia, resisting the advances of both Humans and Eldar until they finally joined in M39 after a series of devastating catastrophes and a brief civil war that saw the Farsight Enclaves break away. Their caste system and loyalty to the Ethreals is the result of cultural traditions and social engineering; it's possible for a Tau to go against an Ethereal but those who do probably aren't welcomed in the Empire to begin with or often feel deep shame for doing so. They're genuinely well-meaning with their entrance into the alliance being the biggest boons in millennia, but they're coming to grips with the reality and the vastness of the galaxy as well as its dangers. They weren't stupid enough to trust the Dark Eldar with cultural exchanges, but the Drukhari still took their due with successive raids during their "Bloody Teared Years" leading to a huge amount of animosity that is uncharacteristic for an otherwise famously, levelheaded people. Their AI technology is still highly advanced and they do butt heads with the Mechanicum over it. They are technically immune from its anti-AI strictures but a close, covert eye is kept out of fear they might trigger another Men of Iron-like revolt. Most of the time though, the Tau don't really quite believe the scale and scope of the universe they're in, still somewhat sheltered by their relative youth.

The Leagues of Votann

Technically abhumans, they are officially classified as "Xenos Amicis" (aka Friendly or Allied Xenos) in Imperial and Alliance records for what amounts as galactic tax evasion as being counted as an abhuman Survivor State would involve a great deal more integration than what most Leagues are comfortable with. Not to mention the additional burdens Survivor States are expected to provide for one another. However, they're still happy to work with the other members of the Alliance, giving tech, resources, and expertise in exchange for goods and oaths of defense. The true nature of their Votann AI is a closed secret known only to the Emperor with not even the Mechanicum fully let in on it. Some have their speculation, but it is a "don't ask questions to answers you don't want" situation for everyone involved.

[tlatia-the-radiant]

441.M32 - Craftworld Ulthanash Shelwe

"Farseer Eldrad of Ulthwe."

The veteran Seer raised an eyebrow beneath his black-and-bone helmet.

"Emissary of the Human Imperium," he replied. "Ulthwe did not foresee your arrival."

"They wouldn't have," the radiant woman kneeling before the seer replied. "No psychic powers work on me. I am Primarch Tlatia, of the Dawn Legion. I come bearing an offer of mutual interest."

A soulless one? "Surely you must know that 'Blanks' like yourself are reviled by many Aeldari," Eldrad replied, voice carefully even.

"The many, yes. I hope that you are not one of them--or at least that it will not cloud your judgement." Tlatia paused, then rose from her kneeling position so that she was eye-to-eye with the High Farseer. "We share enemies. Entities borne of the Warp wish nothing but destruction for both your kind and mine. I'm uniquely capable of disrupting their plans."

Eldrad tilted his helmet sideways, ever so slightly.

Tlatia let the glow of her skin pulse. For the briefest moment, she was a void in the Warp.

"You're not the only being that can't divine my actions, Farseer," she continued. "No psychic being can."

///

035.M40 - Craftworld Ulthanash Shelwe

Farseer Taldeer's eyes widened slightly as the full potential of Tlatia's proposal dawned on her. "...not even the Dark Gods," she murmured.

"Exactly."

"It's a good proposal," Eldrad advised. For once, the ancient Farseer's face was both visible and somewhat animated, instead of set like stone. "So long as you're up to it, Taldeer. You live aboard Tlatia's ship, scry the Skeins of Fate, and advise as needed, and in exchange Ulthwe gains a valuable ally and you personally can pursue your relationship without fear of political repercussions."

"I..." Taldeer paused to compose her thoughts before she continued. The benefits were obvious, yes, but living on a ship of soulless ones? "I see the merits, but wouldn't living on a ship of Blanks make divination impossible?"

"We have Null-Field Limiters installed in our surgical suites to allow for psychic healing when needed, so that healers can create wraithbone casts and such," Tlatia answered. She didn't pretend to understand what magic Aeldari healers worked, but she knew how effective it was. "Same technology that's built into my armor. It would be relatively easy to retrofit a small suite for use as a divination chamber."

Taldeer didn't look convinced, and for a brief moment Tlatia was worried she'd reject the offer outright--but then she nodded.

"Very well." She folded her hands on her thighs and gave a half-bow. "On behalf of Craftworld Ulthanash Shelwe and Asuryani everywhere, I hereby accept your offer. Liivi and I will prepare to move immediately."

Tlatia smiled and half-bowed back. "And on behalf of the Dawn Legion and the millions we will no doubt save, I thank you."

[fuukonomiko]

C3 - Eldrad

SEND ME A FACE ASK!!!

I....I don’t even know what to say here, LOL. 

Suffer not the Xenos to live?

[ask-jaghatai-khan]

Eldar - Last Stand - Savier

[tabletop-ready]

Eldrad with galaxy cloak

If you go back to nearly the beginning of this blog (2014ish) you will find an older eldrad. I no longer have the model, but you can see a side by side below. Im super proud of the progress I've made since then and am excited to continue growing.

[redshirtontherock]

This painting project was very near and dear to my heart.  I’ve wanted a Wraithlord for ages, so I got a used one and...just kind of ran with it.  My GLORIOUS BRO, silrasia, designed all of the runic markings on it for me and I’m really happy with how it all came together.  It’s done up as a homage to one of her characters.

The Eldrad Ulthran miniature was a birthday gift from a friend.  The Eldrad sculpt is awesome, but...instead of being just Eldrad, I have done up my “Eldrad” as an Eldar OC.  (And a homage to one of silrasia’s characters, to go with the Wraithlord.)  I’m headcanoning that one of the warlocks I did before got a little lost on their path and, BAM, Farseer.

Did both of these with Vallejo model colors - probably the last thing I’ll paint for a while before I start playing with Citadel colors.  FINALLY get to bust out some Agrax Earthshade.

[cursed-40k-thoughts]

lets be real the only eldar that isn't a twink/femboy is eldrad, and that's why Ulthwe exiled him

Maybe that's why he's so sinister

[htb5045]

Jain Zar - der Sturm in der Stille (2017) Autor: Gav Thorpe Reihe: Legenden der Asurya Das Buch ist ein absolutes muss für Leute die sich für das warhammer40k Volk Der Eldar interessieren. Das Buch besteht zum Teil aus der Vorgeschichte wie die Phönoxkönigin Jain Zar entstanden ist (also wird auch viel über die Geschichte der Elder erzählt und wie Jain Zar Asuryan kennenlernte) und zum Teil aus einer ihrer späteren Missionen als solche. Verschiedenste Fraktionen der Eldar tauchen auf und man erhält ein paar hochinteressante Einblicke. Splittergruppen wie die Harlequine aus dem Netz der tausend Tore, verbündete Dark Eldar oder auch eine Sekte, die nach dem Untergang der Eldar den richtigen Weg gefunden zu haben glauben, tauchen auf. Außerdem macht man Bekanntschaft mit dem mächtigen Runenpropheten Eldrad Ulthran von Ulthwė der mit seinem Weltenschiff in einen Krieg mit dem Weltenschiff Anuiven zu geraten droht. Ihr seht es ist für jede Menge Spannung gesorgt und wie immer hat Gav Thorpe meisterlich geschrieben. Diese Geschichte ist mehr als nur interessant. Absolut lesenswert! 4,5/5 Sternen . @gavthorpegaming #gavthorpe #warhammer40kromane #warhammer40k #warhammer #jainzar #eldar #ulthwe #ulthwé #anuiven #dersturminderstille #eldrad #eldradulthran #phoenixkönig #legendenderasurya #asuryan #htbbuecher #htb5045 https://www.instagram.com/p/BtwD-wLnjMI/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6t6doak2ljxb

[denofimagination-blog]

"When there is no other way, the perilous path is the only road to salvation."

— Eldrad Ulthran, Farseer of Ulthwé

If you want to get this or similar one for yourself -> link in bio.

These dice are made by the one and only @baronofdice - https://baronofdice.com/?ref=DenOfDice 🎯⚔️🎲

[planetofsillyhats]

A Guide to 40k Naming Conventions

General Notes on Angels, Elves, and Aliens

Our modern, western sense of what an otherworldly entity’s name should sound like--and, thus, the typical 40k fluff writer’s idea of same--draws primarily from a handful of major sources.

First is the body of supernatural fiction written in the 16th and 17th centuries by Christian mystics. The most famous of these texts is the Lesser Key of Solomon, which contains the infamous Ars Goetia--a list of demonic names that has been so ruthlessly plundered by novels, movies, comics, video games, and tabletop RPGs that it’s almost impossible to find a name on it that you don’t already recognize from somewhere else. All of these texts are, themselves, informed by the Bible--specifically, by the Greek and Hebrew transliterations of the many, many local deities that competed with Yahweh in the character’s early incarnations, and were subsequently retconned into being demonic (and thus, formerly angelic) entities. Another mystical name to know is John Dee--a contemporary of Shakespeare who claimed to communicate with angels, and learned from them a vaguely semitic conlang called Enochian, which formed the basis for many subsequent demonic and angelic names.

The second major influence on how the supernatural sounds is, of course, Tolkien--his legendarium, and the several constructed languages it was built around, are nowhere near as old, but their sheer depth and ubiquity has led them to inform our sense of the fantastic ever since they were published. It helps that Tolkien (a language nerd of incredible dedication) deliberately designed the various Elvish languages to be pleasing to the Anglophone ear, and constructed the Black Speech of Mordor to sound especially abrasive and unpleasant to same.

Both of these cultural touchstones, of course, are in turn rooted in the structure of English itself--which, simply by being familiar to its speakers, also establishes a set of linguistic elements that come across to us as unfamiliar. You can see this both in the way we parse certain other languages--like Latin and Hebrew, which each carry cultural connotations that color anything we read or hear in them--and how we try to make words and sounds that feel fundamentally ‘other.’ This is why the cliched evil space lord always has a name like Zorblax or Glorbitron or something equally silly; all those Xs and Zs and -or sounds stick out to us as obviously not-from-around-here, both because they show up so rarely in English and because they’ve been so heavily used in other, earlier “outsider” names. In short, they are the Space Noises--learn to love them.

Space Marines

The Astartes are a ridiculously diverse bunch--culturally, at least--and a full accounting of the naming conventions of every major chapter would be a paper in itself. A few trends, however, do stick out across the vast sea of pauldrons that makes up the face of 40k.

Firstly, they tend to default to a slightly generic Greco-Roman theme, with little regard for correct Latin conjugation or (in some cases) the actual established naming practices of a chapter.

Canon: Lucius; Gaius; Titus; Vitus; Julius; Marius; Cornelius; Galba; Otho; Vitellius; Vespasian; Erasmus; Odenathus; Pertinax.

Original: There aren’t any. They’re all taken. Every single one.

Secondly, Black Library loves their Goetia; since space marines are angels of death, and lists of demons are by definition lists of angels, the writers of 40k have given themselves carte blanche to sprinkle Hebrew and Enochian (or just Hebrew- and Enochian-sounding) names across the galaxy.

Canon: Azrael; Asmodai; Belial; Mephiston; Astorath.

Original: Also all taken by one franchise or another, but a few more obscure names, like Focalor and Paimon, haven’t been used for Astartes. Yet.

Thirdly, a few chapters, like the Salamanders, draw on a sort of implicit language (an “implang,” as I’ve started calling it just now and nobody can stop me) for their names; not a fully developed conlang, but a set of phonemes and syntactic conventions unique to that chapter, which evokes a shared culture without laying out the specifics of how their language or society works.

Canon: Tu’shan; He’stan; K’gosi.

Original: Nar’tesh, 3rd Company Lieutenant and famous ASMRtist.

Chaos Space Marines

Traitor Astartes sometimes follow the same general pattern as their loyalist cousins--but they rely more on Greek and Hebrew for their inspiration, use a good deal more Space Noises, and are much more likely to dip into a legion-specific implang.

Word Bearers, in particular, mix Mesopotamian and north African influences with their own Colchisian conventions to create characters that people raised in a Christian milieu can identify as baby-eating diabolists just by reading their names.

Canon: Eliphas; Sor Bakphal; Ankh-Heloth; Marduk.

Original: Tal Berath; Usor-Kehelit; Kor Lugash.

Iron Warriors love imposing sounds that evoke statuary, sieges, and lumbering prehistory, and mix a little German in for extra industrial dehumanization.

Canon: Berossus; Barban Falk; Promodon; Volk.

Original: Tallisk; Cullus Rieg; Idric Therion.

Night Lords have a particularly developed implang, thanks largely to Aaron Dembski-Bowden--there are no concrete rules, but Nostraman names and speech are very evocative of who they are and where their screwed-up childhoods happened, combining soft and harsh syllables to eerie effect. Also, bats. Batsbatsbatsbatsbats.

Canon: Jago Sevatarion; Kellenkir; Uzas; Gendor Skraivok.

Original: Mithrak; Delekiir Surmod; Tadarias.

Chaos Daemons

By the time the actual otherworldly entities of this setting got to the big pile of public domain names, the Astartes had already made off with almost every resource traditionally used for malevolent spirits and the like--so the servants of the Ruinous Powers have had to make do with bespoke names furnished for them by GW's finest edgelords. In general, this means a wild grab bag of Space Noises and more apostrophes than an Austronesian phone book--but certain trends do emerge among the followers of the different Chaos Gods. Supposedly, daemonic names are often tied to their patron deity’s sacred number, but this is rarely adhered to in the fluff.

Khornate Daemons tend to have names that sound like synonyms for anger or types of wounds, like “wrath” or “scar” or “gore.” As the daemons most likely to look and act like Balrogs, they’re also the most likely to have names that sound like Morgoth came up with them. When all else fails, just fall back on the dumbest edgy nineties bullshit you can come up with.

Canon: Skarbrand; Ka’bandha; Hakk’an’graah; An’ggrath; Doombreed.

Original: Rath’gor; Bludskar the Irritated; Skullgoroth Bloodmassacre (Blood Lord of the Skulltaking Goremurderers of Violenceheim).

Slaaneshi Daemons are soft, sensuous, and sibilant, evoking corrupting luxury and puritan sexual terror. They’re ostensibly sexually ambiguous, but they tend to come off as feminine, because only women can be evil and sexy at the same time--at least, before the watershed.

Canon: Luxuria(!); Mistress of Spite; N’Kari; Lushcrix Lashtongue; Kyriss.

Original: Sulatari; Ivress; Scivia the Weirdly Wholesome (secret identity of @jetblackraider).

Nurglite Daemons evoke medical terminology and bodily effluvia, and are the only breed of daemons whose names are even more extra than Khorne’s.

Canon: Epidemius; Horticulous Slimux; Rotigus; Scabeiathrax the Bloated; Maggotgurgle fucking Pukeslime I swear to god that is actually a real character.

Original: Count Thergothon (Lord of the Chronic Court and certified tax attorney); Phagovile the Viscuous; Gribbulous Taintsac (Founder of the Gribbulous Taintsac Institute for Excessive Medical Horror, and head of the accreditation board for Death Guard Plague Surgeons).

Tzeentchian Daemons often have Egyptian-sounding names--or, at least, Egyptian as transliterated into Greek, which is the way most people know the Ancient Egyptian language. They also have the highest letter-to-apostrophe ratio of any Daemon breed.

Canon: Kairos Fateweaver; K'tzis'trix'a'tzar; Aetaos'rau'keres; Shim'dre'lex'kazar.

Original: Azoth Flickerflame; Kheper’atos; Ix’il’kak’iz’it’xyk’ik’ak’it’l’zy’xyx the Unpronounceable (holds the current record for most planets destroyed by failed summoning attempts).

Aeldari

The original name of this faction was lifted directly from Lord of the Rings--in fact, one of the most iconic themes in the movie soundtrack is literally called "The Host of the Eldar." Accordingly, the majority of the sounds and conventions that go into an eldar name come from the Tolkien legendarium (and the many other fantasy worlds that have sprung up around it), with the occasional angelic or Space Noise element--but there’s also a good dash of both Vedic and European pagan (or at least, reconstructed Romantic-era neopagan) mythology mixed into their lore, and allusions to such sometimes pop up in their names as well. In particular, it’s normal for Craftworlds to be named after either goddesses we stopped praying to or holidays we stopped celebrating.

Canon: Eldrad Ulthran; Taldeer; Yriel; Mauryon; Craftworld Biel-tan; Craftworld Os’tara.

Original: Gilthoniex (ranger of Ulthwe who died of shame after being tricked into starring in Drukhari cuckold porn); Athembra (Iyanden Farseer who follows Tyranids around and narrates their behavior in a posh British accent). 

Drukhari

The Dark Eldar are a modern take on the Fair Folk--both directly by way of being decadent evil elves, and by the more roundabout route of being alien abductors with a thing for weirdly sexy science-torture--and their lexicon reflects this by replacing the Quenya- and Sindarin- inspired sounds of the Craftworlds with lots of fey, witchy imagery (largely derived from Celtic culture) and a more sibilant, angular set of Space Noises. They also help themselves to a bit of Sanskrit and Enochian--but with a demonic slant where their cousins might have a hint of the angelic.

Canon: Asdrubael Vect; Lelith Hesperax; Kheradruakh the Decapitator; Arhra.

Original: High Excruciator Ekritar (rose to become Archon of the Kabal of the Ludicrous Edge thanks to a body of spectacularly depraved PornWeb videos);  Rinatha Heartrend (Prima Succubus of the Cult of the Severed String, the Dark City’s foremost NTR specialists); 

Necrons

Necrons are Egyptian space robots. That’s really all there is to it.

Okay, so there’s a little more to it. Necrons draw on Egyptian themes--but like Tzeentch Daemons, it’s Egypt as parsed through Classical Greece. The heyday of Egypt occurred during the misty prehistory of Greek civilization--Pharaohs like Thutmose III and Amenhotep III knew of, and traded with, the Mukinu (Mycenaeans) on the opposite shore of the Mediterranean, but serious diplomatic contact was fairly limited. By the time the Greeks started writing anything down about the Egyptians, it was the 5th century BC, and Egypt’s sun had set. Greeks like Herodotus knew it primarily as a fading power--a helpless subject of one empire after another, fought over by foreign kings in the shadow of crumbling pyramids that nobody even remembered how to build.

Because our idea of Egypt was, for centuries, mostly informed by Greek sources, a lot of people and places have been transliterated from Egyptian to Greek--so gods whose original names were closer to User, Sutih, and Heru became popularly known as Osiris, Seth, and Horus, respectively. This slight detachment between the pop cultural image of Ancient Egypt and their actual spoken language is why Necron names can sound as much Greek as Egyptian--and sometimes, they roam even further into the Balkans and start rummaging through the Baltic and Slavic language families for spare phonemes. They also tend to be studded with Space Noises of a particularly electronic nature.

Canon: Szarekh; Imotekh; Anathrosis; Trazyn; Varagon Drakvir

Original: Nefertronus; Inenoth; Tombworld Per-Ma’akh

Orks

Like the space elves, the space orcs draw heavily on Tolkien--but they eat the hot dog from the other end, with names rooted in the Black Speech and a penchant for vaguely problematic thuggery. Orks, like Uruk, are horrible brutes who exist mostly to die in vast, anonymous hordes at the hands of a protagonist.

Unlike Uruk, Orks are funny.

Yes, I’ve read The Beast Arises. Yes, I remember the dead civilians in Space Marine. The occasional serious outing is simply the exception that proves the rule: Orks are as much British football hooligans as they are the hosts of Mordor, and every time they take center stage, it’s as shamelessly wacky comic relief that's equal parts mad science and Mad Max. Orks are the demented lovechild of Wile E. Coyote and the Mythbusters, and I love them dearly for it.

To make an Orkish name, start with either a few Mordor-ish syllables or a descriptive sobriquet, and record yourself shouting it while (timing is very important here) you’re drunk enough to fight a mailbox, but sober enough to walk away when you lose. Orks have lots of hard G and K sounds and long vowels, giving you all sorts of opportunities to shout at people and hit them over the head--and if you’re not doing either of those things, you’z not speakin’ Ork proppa, ya git.

Canon: Nozgrot; Snagga-Snagga, Wazdakka Gutsmek, Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka.

Original: Killdoza (voted Best Cuddler in the Calixis Sector fifty years running, but mostly because only gretchin are smart enough to actually spell 'Calixis Sector'); Goffmawg (once stole an ultraberry pie from Marneus Calgar's windowsill); Lugnutz Boomkrasha (semi-mythical mekboy active during the Great Crusade, said to still be hurtling through interstellar space, clinging desperately to a planet-cracking warhead aimed in the general direction of Segmentum Solar).

Tau

The Tau ostensibly have their own codified naming scheme--but before that was laid down, they inevitably developed a handful of characters with silly alien-ized versions of famous Asian names. Modern Tau names are usually assembled from long sequences of one-syllable words, in imitation of the modular logograms used in Chinese and Japanese writing. Unfortunately, as it’s currently implemented, it’s kind of shallow, and there isn’t much room for different names--as evidenced by the number of Tau referred to as “Kais” in various media, some of whom are different people and some of whom aren’t.

It’s sad, honestly. There’s so much potential here, and they don’t even scratch the surface--even without leaving the Sino-Japanese Sphere of Generic Asian-ness, there’s all sorts of fascinating, lyrical things you could do with a naming scheme like this, but there’s, like, six Tau books and everyone in them is either a noble space-samurai or an inscrutable space-mandarin, so they’re all one syllable apart.

Canon: El’Myamoto, El’Hassai, Shas'la T'au Kais, Shas'O Kais, Shas'O Vior'la O’Shovah Kais Mont'yr, Aun’Va, Aun’Vre, Aun’Shi.

Original: Por’La Xiu (minor Water caste diplomat and star of the first human-Tau interspecies erotica recorded under the official auspices of the Tau’va), Fio’El Tra Buo’ren (Senior Earth Caste programming director, responsible for developing the endearing behavior subroutines now installed on all frontline drones to prevent frivolous use of the savior protocols), Kor’O Da’he Li’Lian Sou (Revered fleet strategist, architect of some of the greatest space battles of the Second Sphere of Expansion, died in his bed without ever meeting a gue’la).

[tearofisha]

The Farseer Diaries.

Aelinor was exhausted. Not from battle, nor training or Runeseeing. No, Aelinor Fatereader had spent many hours in the Dome of Contemplation, participating in endless debates about the future of Ulthwe, as her position demanded of her.

It was the politics of speculation, and it drove Aelinor mad. Would the T’au founding a colony on Imperial territory prove disadvantageous to the Asuryani? Debate would rage. Would the intervention in an Imperium defence against the Orks have benefit to Craftworld Ulthwe? Debate would rage. Would the ascension of Ynnead bring about a new dawn for the Eldar race or mean meaningless destruction and the death of hope or the salvation of a dying species? It was a pertinent question, and debate would rage all the harder.

It was a consequence of having powerful Farseers in such quantity as hundreds of thousands of fates were observed between them and consensus on the correct action to take would be nigh impossible to reach. Alone in her sizeable apartment  at last, Aelinor stretched away the hours of debate and ate a modest meal in peace.

“It is no wonder Eldrad’s bones are turning to crystal, even the decisions he makes now are sluggish.” she quipped to herself, a smile spreading on her lips from the joke she would allow no-one to ever hear.

Then a thought came. Like a sneeze it tickled at her periphery until action had to be taken. She would take the small forces allocated to her and do something impulsive. Something good. She would take her Dire Avengers, Wraithguard and the ever loyal Eldrin Shadewalker and do something good to shake off the ennui  the council had set in her. Yes. That would do nicely.

[Any Imperial volunteers to have their day saved and over-run positions rescued by some enigmatic space elves? This is an open call for a little thread]

[farsight-the-char]

RWBY + JNPR and what 40k armies they would play because bored.

Ruby: Eldar, Saim-Hann Jet-Bike spam and Flyers for MAXIMUM NYOOM POWER. Also Dark Reapers because yes.

Weiss: Also Eldar, but Ulthwe Psyker Dickery with Eldrad, plus Wraith Constructs because I think it feels right. Has a wonderfully painted Wraith Seer.

Blake: Farsight Enclaves. She likes the lore of one who rebelled against a corrupt, abusive leadership that spouted the “Greater Good”. Crisis Battlesuit and Breacher Teams with Farsight at the helm.

Yang: ORKS. Ghazghkull led Goffs. Lots of Boys.  Really well painted, probably the best on average painted army (Weiss puts more effort into her center pieces, Yang does more for grunts). Lots of cool conversions.

Jaune: Grey Knights. Paladins in Land Raiders, with an Imperial Knight in support. Probably the next best painted after Yang’s.

Nora: Space Wolves because Vikings. Focuses mostly on hero spam and elites like Wolf Guard Terminators and Thunderwolf Cavalry. Lots of Thunder Hammers (any model that can have a hammer has a hammer). Has fun, tends not win though.

Pyrrha: Imperial Knights + Space Marines support (Ultramarines). Prefers Knights, but will only use Marines for non-competitive matches. Gave Jaune the Knight he uses.

Ren: Custom Space Marine chapter (White Scars rules). Uses a lot of custom (3rd party) bits and plays more for aesthetics/fun then winning.