"Agony’s Breath and Wrackbane would bring that creature down most quickly, Archon. Of course, if I know your tastes, a hasty death is hardly preferable."
- — Morin, Sister of Lhilitu, to Lady Aileas
A Drukhari Lhamaean, poisoning a blade
A Lhamaean is a female Drukhari warrior who is a member of the organisation known as the Sisterhood of Lhilitu and devotes herself to the study of poisons, drugs, toxins and other methods to kill with stealth and misdirection. Many of the greatest and most powerful Kabalite Archons who have warred against the Imperium were accompanied by these deadly female warriors, tentatively identified by the Imperium's xenographers as belonging to the Sisterhood of Lhilitu.
The workings or hierarchy of the Sisterhood are largely unknown, but certain facts have been determined from devoted intelligence work, or the boasts broadcast by particularly proud Archons. The members of the Sisterhood are called Lhamaeans, and devote themselves to the studies of venoms, drugs, and other ways to kill indirectly. They are considered to be among the foremost poisoners in all of the Dark City of Commorragh, an accomplishment as impressive as it is sinister.
The Lhamaeans revere the mysterious figure known as Shaimesh, Father of Poisons. Certain xenographers hold him to be a mythological figure, and others a historical one. The tendency of Aeldari mythic cycles to blur the line between the two has not helped what studies exist on the topic.
Whether this Shaimesh was ever real, his influence lives on the deadly brews of his devoted followers. Such is the Sisterhood's mastery that they can alter the poisons of others to enhance their effect, intuiting how best to maximise a weapon's potency with a glance.
Wargear[]
- Kabalite Armour - These suits of segmented plates are commonly worn by Kabalite Warriors of all kinds, from the half-born murderers who have dragged themselves up from the depths of Commorragh to the sneering Trueborn in their palatial spires. Each suit of armour is held in place by a variety of barbs and hooks that dig deep into the wearer's flesh and play against his nerve bundles. His senses heightened by his own pain, the simple act of donning this armour prepares him for battle.
- Splinter Pistol - Splinter Weapons fire shards of splintered crystal using a powerful magno-electric pulse. These shards are covered in incredibly virulent and fast-acting toxins the better to ensure a painful death. The favoured armament of the Kabalite Warrior is the Splinter Rifle, often fired on the move from the ballustrade of a Raider or Venom transport. The Splinter Pistol, its handheld cousin, is an elegant sidearm beloved of assassins and street fighters across the galaxy; though it is designed for precision short-ranged shots, the toxins inside its reservoir pod are no less deadly.
- Shaimeshi Blade - Whether elegant short sword, curved dagger or even barbed hair pin, the core of each Shaimeshi Blade is shot through with reservoirs of breathtakingly lethal poisons, while its surface is riddled with microscopic vents through which these venoms can flow. With each graceful swing or lightning fast stab, it parts flesh to vent its poisons where they can do the most harm.
Sources[]
- Codex: Dark Eldar (5th Edition), pg. 35
- Codex: Dark Eldar (7th Edition), pg. 71
- Only War: Enemies of the Imperium (RPG), pg. 82