Of Shadow Made

Raised in the crucible of war, tutored by shadow and sin. What more could we expect from our scorpion, than that he would turn upon his own. Watch now, and wait, for he was poisoned the first time he stepped forth to do battle against the night.


Karandras, the Shadow Hunter, the Ever-Venom, and the Master of the Striking Scorpions, is the darkness behind much of the Eldar's might. Grim and relentless, his history is plagued with doubt and tragedy, wrought with kin-strife and rebellion.

Forced to battle with his aspect's rage and need for violence, Karandras is a figure caught between damnation and salvation, promising hope even as he teaches the very hell they seek to escape. Such has earned him a fell reputation, salvaged only by his loyalty to Asurmen, but one that is forever examined for fear the student does not stray far from the master.

Such dichotomy perhaps best reflects the dangers of the Eldar's existence, for though feared for his talents, none would ever turn his help away. A legendary killer, a
ruthless assassin, from the dark does he arrive without celebration or love, only to vanish once the war is over.

Such is the life of the Scorpion, betwixt murder and survival, hope and destruction. A neccesary evil perhaps, a monster called upon for the darkest of days.

Or perhaps he is the end of a dying race...

A Venom for the Soul.

From Whence They Came

The origins of Karandras are murky at best, containing mostly myth and legend rather than fact, perhaps unsurprising for the Prince of a Shrine devoted to shadows and their work. Raised during the Fall of the Eldar, that grim time when their once galaxy-spanning empire fell upon itself in a glut of sensation and self-destruction, the Scorpion emerged from a Craftworld unknown, lost now perhaps or hidden far from the eyes of the enemy.

He joined Asurmen later than most, serving beneath a figure most terrible. Ahrha he was called, founder of the Striking Scorpions, and even during this terrible time was he considered a bleak soul, dark and destructive in nature.

Here did Karandras learn the art of stealth and murder, proving himself an exemplary student in the feral works of battle. An Exarch in short order, his skill was sublime but not unusual amongst his kind, and though destiny had chosen him, no sign could be seen that he would rise above all others and claim the throne of his father.

Time would pass however, and though it seemed like the Aeldari would be safe from extinction, at least for now, the Striking Scorpions began to sink further into the very lunacy they sought to escape. Murderous rage and all-consuming violence began to devour the Shrine, as Ahrha furthered his path into madness and annihilation.

Eventually, as the stories say, the curtains opened and the Dark Father would reveal himself. The Phoenix Lord of the Striking Scorpions turned upon his brethren, summoning forth a vast army of Daemons to bring ruin to the Aeldari, sundering the First Shrine so carefully constructed by Asurmen.

Though the battle was terrible, and many legends were made, the sickness thick within the Striking Scorpions proved too strong to resist, and their work shattered the legacy of the Phoenix Lords. Ahrhra himself disappeared however, vanishing into the Webway with his followers, leaving only the ashes of a once singular hope behind.

Shattered they Stand

Few of those benighted Aspect Warriors remained, who had once pledged loyalty to the Fallen Phoenix. Amongst them was Karandras, and though he was not the most skilled in battle, nor the most talented in the arts of stealth, he arose as a new leader for the broken Shrine.

Espousing restraint and discipline amidst the carnage, desperately trying to cleave back control from the inferno, he rebuilt the Striking Scorpions from the ground up, diverging from the brutal path lay down by his forefather.

Across the Craftworlds would he travel, bringing warning of the shadow, standing as a living symbol of the darkness that still waited to claim the refugees amidst the stars. Temple by temple, Shrine by Shrine, Karandras brought revelation and sanctuary to those battling the sickness in their hearts, undoing the harm caused by one who had fallen further than any.

Recognised for his work, though still feared for the legacy of his kind, Karandras was named the new Phoenix Lord of the Striking Scorpions, for the Path he taught was far different than the lessons of old. Though named hero and saviour by a dying race, the damage had already been done. No longer would the shadows bring comfort to the Eldar, no longer would the darkness be free of the terrors of old.

As the Night Calls

Time would pass however, and so would Karandras earn his title. Battle after battle, war after war, the Striking Scorpions would appear as though mist, leaving behind only bloody murder and brutal death in their wake.

Quiet and restrained, a thousand years, and a thousand more, silently would they watch from the night. History, however, is often want to repeat, and as the galaxy spiralled towards its own annihilation, so too would the Aeldari find themselves on the precipice once more.

Amidst the ruins of an ancient Craftworld named Zandros would Arhra finally emerge. Hunted down by those he had abandoned, a terrible battle ensued between the Fallen Phoenix and Karandras, their blades clashing amidst a world forgotten and abandoned.

No pitched war was this, no grand conflict of gleaming armour and swirling pennant, but instead a brutal and violent struggle, dancing between ambush and murder. No crevice could be ignored, no doorway dismissed, as the two faces of destruction sought the others end without mercy.

Darkness is often strongest, however, with nothing to lose. The Striking Scorpions were skilled, their master legendary, but the prowess of the Incubi and their father was without equal. Each body dropped, each tear of blood spilt, and their rage grew onwards like a furnace flame fed.

Realising success would not be his, Karandras turned instead to those tactics that had earned him fame. Ordering his soldiers to depart, he baited Ahrha into chasing him, leading him onwards for seventeen day and seventeen nights.

Frustrated at every turn by this master of shadow, Ahrha followed relentlessly, falling further into madness each step that he took. Finally, however, he cornered his former apprentice, and struck out a killing blow to end this rivalry forevermore.

And yet, there was nothing, no sound, no feeling, just metal against dying bone. Melting into the shadows, Karandras escaped the clutches of his foe, a final taunt that drove the fallen Phoenix into madness. There had been only silence on Zandros for so very long, and once more would their be silence again, as Ahrha turned on his followers in frenzy beyond control or restraint.

The Foe Within

So successful, one would perhaps be safe to assume
that the Striking Scorpions had at long last paid for
their crimes. The darkness talks however, the night
stirs... A God of the Dead has come forth into life, and
the Aeldari now face a new struggle... One from within.

Pledging himself to the newly formed Ynnari, Karandras would disappear along with his kin, battling against She Who Thirsts within the Webway for one final chance at salvation. The darkness fades fast, the shadows retreat as a new dawn approaches.

None know now where the Scorpion rests, but at this final hour amidst the end of days, it is certain he will return. The Great Foe marshalls its strength once more, never looking behind it in certainty that it shall succeed. Such ego, however, is how the greatest shall fall, such ignorance where the truth can be found... Without knowing do they tread towards the Scorpion...

Without Knowing they Tread Towards their Doom.

Art

1: Unknown
2: Eldar Codex (5th Edition) by Games Workshop
3: Striking Scorpion by Jorge Momparler
4: Stalking the Prey by RazydaArt
5: Striking Scorpion by Mikhail Savier

Afterword

I hope you all enjoyed this installment of the Phoenix Lord's Lore by Jackeyblob. If you have any feedback or criticism, please don't hesitate to let me know. The next chapter will be about Maugen Ra, so I look forward to hearing from you then.