Eldar Exodites and their reptilian mounts, upon a Maiden World.
The Eldar Exodites are the Eldar that rejected the degenerated civilization of their peers before the Great Fall.
History
The Exodites are those Eldar who, millennia before the Fall of the Eldar, predicted the coming of the Great Enemy, born of the decadence of the Eldar. Some, the more far-sighted, began seeing the growing decadence of Eldar society. These few 'dissidents' began to openly criticice the laxity of their fellow citizens, warning them against the effect of the Chaos cults. These people were mostly ignored. Seen as deluded puritans by most, their cries for restraint were ignored. Soon the general collapse of society convinced even the most resolute amongst them that their race was heading for inevitable disaster. Fearing this impending doom, some decided to leave the Eldar worlds, and settle new planets free of the creeping corruption. They were the ones still untainted by the touch of Chaos, and by now they were few.
These Eldar became known as the Exodites; uniquely far-sighted and pragmatic. They were reviled by their fellow Eldar as dour fanatics obsessed with misery and self-denial. Some were generally insane - their dire premonitions haunting their dreams. Others were genuine survivalists who chose exile over degradation and destruction. The Exodites abandoned their homes and began their exodus in an assortment of spacecraft. Many died in open space. Some reached new worlds only to be slain by marauding Orks or natural predators. But many more persevered and survived, heading ever eastwards as far away from the main concentration of Eldar worlds as they could reach.
The Exodites made new homes upon worlds on the fringes of the galaxy. These savage worlds were harsh and life was brutal for a people unused to physical work and self-denial. When the final cataclysm erupted most of the Exodite worlds were far from the psychic epicentre and survived. Out on the fringes of the galaxy the Exodites were safe, as the resultant psychic implosion wiped out the rest of the Eldar race, leaving a gaping hole in the fabric of space. Many Eldar Craftworlds rode out the psychic shock wave and survived, but the Exodites has already reached places of safety - or else they perished along with the rest of their race and have been forgotten.
Since they were first settled, the Exodite worlds have not changed a great deal. These Eldar live a more primitive and auster life than the Craftworld Eldar or even their corrupted kin, the Dark Eldar. The Exodites have learned how to cultivate crops and harvest other natural resources. Exodite societies are more rigorous and physical than those of the Craftworlds. Where the Craftworld Eldar cling to the past and preserve all they can of their fallen civilisation, the Exodites have turned their backs upon ancient tradition in favour of this simpler and harder way of life. Their mental defences are tougher and more straightforward but not so subtle and ultimately less powerful than their Craftworld cousins. They have survived, and of all the Eldar they seem most likely to continue to do so.
Lifestyle
The Craftworld Eldar regard the Exodites as rustic and rather simple folk - vigorous and wild compared to their own introverted societies. The Eldar path doesn't determine the way of life for and Exodite Eldar. They seem wild and individualistic and are more independently minded and adventurous. They survive in this austere fashion because of the extreme distance from the Eye of Terror, which still acts as a psychic focus for the destructive influence of the Eldar's most hated enemy, Slaanesh. Though this alone does not protect them, it is a significant factor.
Technology
The psycho-plastics necessary for Eldar technology are rare and precious on these remote planets so the Exodites utilise other substances and rely upon simpler ways and physical labour. Although this lifestyle is in many respects a primitive one, the Exodites have many advanced technologies and are familiar with all the sophisticated materials used on the Craftworlds. It is by choice that they live as they do, and their way of life has proven every bit as successful as that of the other Eldar.
Society
Exodites society is a tribal one. Each tribe owing allegiance to a local ruling tribe which in turn owes fealty to the planet's king and his royal tribe. As there are relatively fewer Eldar on these worlds there are fewer territorial disputes. Open wars between tribes are rare but skirmishes between rival young Dragon Knights are common. Although not openly warlike, the Exodites are a robust, self-confident people and possess the legendary pride of the Eldar race. These societies are a common destination for Eldar Outcasts since they are are less hostile to outsiders than the Craftworld Eldar. Often these rogue Eldar seek the patronage of one of the Eldar tribes. In return they fight alongside the tribe's warriors and, for awhile at least, enjoy the freedom of mind which is impossible on the Craftworlds. To the Exodites the Outcasts are strange romantic figures, the masters of a hidden lore and way of life which is arcane and archaic. They bring skills which the Exodites value highly, and so are always made welcome at the courts of the tribal Eldar.
The Exodite worlds often make use of a still functioning Infinity Circuit as a repository for the souls of the dead. However, on Exodite worlds they are refered to as the World Spirit and are contained in a web of stone menhirs, obelisks and circles constructed from a form of psychoactive crystal.
Sources
- Codex: Eldar (4th Edition)