"I have trespassed in the realm of Daemons and seen the things within. You cannot fathom the price we pay to deliver death to our foes."
- —Yrule, Born of Twilight, Warp Spider
The Warp Spiders are Craftworld Aeldari Aspect Warriors who specialise in the use of a personal teleportation device built into their Aspect Armour to make a series of rapid jumps through the Immaterium that make them nearly impossible to target and allow them to attack the enemy suddenly and disappear before he can strike back.
Taking their name from the arachnoid creatures who protect the Infinity Circuits of their craftworlds, the Warp Spiders epitomise the concept of an aggressive defence.
History[]
A squad of Warp Spiders prepares to meet the enemy in combat
Like all of the Craftworld Aeldari Warrior Aspects, the Warp Spiders trace their history back to Asurmen, the first Phoenix Lord, who established the first Aspect Shrine, called the "Shrine of Asur," upon the world of the same name. It was Asurmen who trained the first Aeldari Exarchs, several of whom went on to become the Asurya, the first Phoenix Lords and founders of the different Warrior Aspects.
However, like several of the other Aeldari Warrior Aspects there is no known founder, or Phoenix Lord, of the Warp Spider Aspect Shrines, although the lore of the Kaelor craftworld speaks of the Lhykosidae, the Wraith Spider, who might be a Warp Spiders Phoenix Lord perhaps even the Aspect's Asurya, the first Phoenix Lord. The truth of the matter may not even be known to the Aeldari themselves, lost in the mists of the ancient past.
A Warp Spiders Exarch and Aspect Warrior in combat.
The Warp Spiders actually take their name from the tiny but aggressive creatures that are seen amongst the slender wraithbone trees of the Dome of Crystal Seers that forms the heart of every Aeldari craftworld. These sparkling entities can move anywhere within the craftworld, melting their arachnoid bodies into the Infinity Circuit and becoming pure psychic energy before recrystallising in the Materium to reappear at a new location. They are attracted in vast numbers to invasive psychic entities.
As the wraithbone core of a craftworld is supportive of psychic consciousness in a similar way to the Immaterium itself, it is possible for it to become corrupted by the fragmented consciousnesses of lost Human or other non-Aeldari souls. In theory, at least, it would be possible for a Daemon of Chaos to find its way into the wraithbone core of a craftworld, although such a horrific occurrence would be immediately apparent.
The tiny Warp Spiders ensure that this does not happen, hunting and destroying alien psychic fragments much as white blood cells in the Human body attack and neutralise foreign bacteria.
Role[]
A squad of Warp Spiders Aspect Warriors ambush a T'au Hunter Cadre.
The Warp Spider Aspect Warriors epitomise the doctrine of aggressive defence. Using a compact Warp Spider Jump Generator housed within the backpack of their Aspect Armour and operating in squads of five to ten warriors which are sometimes lead by an Exarch, these Aspect Warriors can make short Warp-jumps, disappearing into the Immaterium and reappearing into realspace in the blink of an eye.
An Asuryani Warp Spider Exarch of the Saim-Hann craftworld.
This enables them to make totally unexpected attacks on their foes, though it does necessitate spending a short time unshielded in the Empyrean. For this reason, the Warp Spiders are considered the bravest of all Aeldari Aspect Warriors -- they risk not only their lives in the name of victory, but also their souls, as Slaanesh hungers for the souls of all Aeldari who dare to enter the native realm of "She Who Thirsts" unprotected.
Warp Spiders squad on patrol.
Despite this accolade, Warp Spiders are also regarded as strange and terrifying, the furthest removed from the normal Asuryani mindset of all the Warrior Aspects. Warp Spiders also tend to have a bleak outlook on life, and rarely mix with the warriors from the other Aspect Shrines.
The ritual armament of the Warp Spider is the Death Spinner; a highly advanced weapon that extrudes a thick cloud of razor-sharp monofilament wire. The Spinner's magnetic containment field then spools the wire together and hurls it toward the enemy. The wire's own tension causes it to writhe and lash, and where it touches flesh or soft tissue, it slices through the victim's body, causing an agonising and quite messy death. Warp Spiders are also equipped with other standard Craftworld Aeldari weapons, including Power Blades, Shuriken Weapons and Fusion Guns.
Notable Warp Spiders Shrines[]
- Shade Gate Shrine - Warp Spiders of the Shade Gate Shrine bear only token flourishes of the red and white of their Aspect, favouring all-black bodysuits. Draping their foes in cascades of monofilament wire, they will often retreat to hidden positions in order to observe their targets' futile, and ultimately fatal, struggles.
- Slicing Skein Shrine - The crimson-clad Aspect Warriors who hail from the Shrine of the Slicing Skein are the thread of fate that severs all others. Theirs is the art of the ambush from multiple directions; the cutting of chosen strands that will see entire webs of fate collapse in upon themselves.
Warp Spiders Exarchs[]
Warp Spiders Exarch, armed with Powerblades
Every Aspect Shrine of the Craftworld Aeldari is led by an Exarch, an Asuryani who has been called permanently to the Path of the Warrior. An Exarch has travelled so far down that Path that he or she can no longer leave it and so dedicates him or herself fully as a high priest of Khaine in service to the Aspect of the war god that he or she represents.
A Warp Spiders Exarch emerges from the Empyrean to attack their foes.
Exarchs wear more elaborate and ornate versions of their Aspect Armour which incorporates the souls of their past wearers, granting an Exarch not only wisdom and knowledge stretching across the millennia but a raw pool of potent psychic energy that can be used in combat.
A Warp Spider Exarch and his squad ambush a mob of Ork Boyz from the rear.
This permanent acceptance of the Asuryani's "war mask" provides Exarchs with enhanced skill and dedication to their craft and entitles them to access their Aspect Shrine's oldest and most advanced wargear.
The Exarchs of the Warp Spider shrines have honed their deadly skills as ambushers to a high degree, passing on this knowledge to the Warp Spider squads that they personally lead. They are experts in surprise assaults, teleporting onto the battlefield in a storm of crackling psychic lightning, but also know when it is prudent to withdraw from combat and to regroup in order to perform further guerrilla attacks.
Some Exarchs will go into battle with two Death Spinners, wielding them as ably as they would a single weapon, or instead carry a Spinneret Rifle. These weapons eject a single, rigid strand of monomolecular wire that punches through armour and recoils in a tight spiral.
In addition to this ranged weaponry, some Warp Spider Exarchs will also be equipped with Powerblades, twin Power Weapons fitted to their forearms, enabling the wearer to use both hands freely.
Phoenix Lord[]
The Phoenix Lord of the Warp Spiders is Lhykis, the "Whispering Web," who embodies the Aeldari war god Khaela Mensha Khaine's willingness to risk everything for victory. Lhykis is considered to be a daredevil even amongst her fellow Phoenix Lords. Despite the dangers, Lhykis is known for repeatedly plunging into the Warp without fear and uses her keen eye for navigation to go further and more accurately to her chosen destination through the Immaterium than even the most ancient Warp Spider Exarchs.
Lhykis, the Whispering Web, Phoenix Lord of the Warp Spiders, armed with her unique, four-armed Phoenix Armour and the crackling power sword Vhattarkan, also known as Weaverender, which is so sharp it can carve the fabric of reality itself, opening up microrifts into the Warp.
Yet when the Asuryani need her, Lhykis always eventually emerges from the Warp to save them from doom. The one-of-a-kind suit of Phoenix Armour she wears houses four additional arms -- two armed with a unique pair of Death Spinners while the others end in wicked monofilament weapons reminiscent of the infamous Harlequin's Kiss. Even with this arsenal at her back, Lhykis' most dangerous weapon is the crackling power sword Vhattarkan, also known as Weaverender, which is so sharp it can carve the fabric of reality itself, opening up microrifts into the Warp.
Because of Lhykis' penchant for disappearing into the Warp for long periods of time, many Asuryani long believed that the Warp Spiders had no known Phoenix Lord. Instead, those who dimly remembered the truth claimed that the legendary Aeldari warrior Lhykosidae, renowned upon the craftworld Kaelor simply as the "Wraith Spider," was likely the Phoenix Lord of the Warp Spiders.
This mythical Aspect Warrior exists within the legends of the Kaelorians who claim that he is a rogue Exarch who appears once every few millennia to bring justice and peace to their craftworld. It is said that he will arise from the ranks of the Warp Spiders though his power would transcend that of any Exarch. A copy of the work known as the Arc of Destiny located in the House Library of Ansgar on Kaelor even claims that the Craftwars were won by Kaelor due to the timely arrival of the Wraith Spider.
There were various theories that surrounded Lhykosidae on Kaelor, with some holding the view that the descriptions of the warrior indicated that he was a Phoenix Lord, one of the Asurya, though Kaelorian lore was actually ignorant of the originator of the Warp Spider Aspect. However, other Kaelorians held the view that the Wraith Spider has taken the essential soul of the Warp Spiders with him, being a kind of spiritual awakening rather than finding or donning the armour of a fallen Phoenix Lord as is the case with the main Aspect Temples.
Among the beliefs held by the Warp Spiders Aspect of Kaelor themselves is that the Wraith Spider is a monumental force of purification that stems from the view that the Warp Spiders draw their name as well as power from the tiny crystalline creatures that roam the Webway and craftworld's Infinity Circuit which they purge of non-Aeldari psychic energy. Thus, Lhykosidae is said to return to Kaelor at the moment of greatest pollution and atrophy.
Vhaalum the Silver, who is a mighty Kaelorian wraithsmith, holds his own interesting interpretation of this myth as he believed the Wraith Spider to be a personification of wraithbone except he is a sha'iel, a wraithbone being directly manifested into an organic form.
Warp Spiders Wargear[]
Various Warp Spiders and a Warp Spider Exarch in their distinct Aspect Armour, armed with Death Spinners and Powerblades for defensive melee combat.
- Aspect Armour - Like other Asuryani Warriors Aspects, Warp Spiders wear lightweight synthetic bodysuits, reinforced with plates of psycho-sensitive bioplastics that will instantly harden to resist impacts. These plates can also morph their shape in accordance with the wearer's movements, meaning the armour does not encumber the wearer in the slightest, offering both good protection with excellent mobility. Using a compact Warp Spider Jump Generator housed within their armoured backpack, Warp Spiders are able to make short Warp-jumps, disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye. This enables them to make totally unexpected attacks upon their foes, though it does necessitate spending a short time physically unshielded in the Immaterium. For this reason, the Warp Spiders risk not only their lives in the name of the victory, but also their souls. Warp Spider Aspect Armour is much bulkier compared to that worn by other Aspect Warriors, making the Warp Spiders more heavily armoured than their fellows but also among the slowest of the usually highly mobile Asuryani Aspects. While this would be more constricting for the movements of other Aeldari warriors, the Warp Spiders' unique teleportation abilities negate this disadvantage. Warp Spider Aspect Armour is also further warded to allow for safer travel through the Warp, which provides some protection against psychic powers when in realspace. The reinforced breastplate of the Aspect Warrior's armour bears their Spirit Stone, a precious item for all Asuryani. This psycho-receptive gem is attuned to the individual so that at the moment of death, when the Aeldari's psychic consciousness or soul is released into the Immaterium, it is captured instead within the crystalline matrix of the stone. Otherwise it is believed by the Aeldari that the soul would be released into the Warp, where the Chaos God Slaanesh, "She Who Thirsts," awaits to consume it. Contrary to popular belief, the small domes and blisters on Warp Spider Aspect Armour are not extra gems, but small compartments that contain the suit's technical systems. A tabard or pennants are a common addition to Warp Spiders Aspect Armour. The armour's runic Aeldari Lexicon inscriptions name the particular Warp Spiders Aspect Shrine for which the Aspect Warrior is fighting and identifies the the particular craftworld that shrine is located upon. Regardless of a shrine's location, the Warp Spiders Aspect's colour scheme is always some pattern of red, black and white.
- Aspect Helmet - Each Warrior Aspect has its own distinctive helmet, and within each shrine of that Aspect the helmet may vary in form slightly, with correspondingly more elaborate versions for the shrine's Exarchs. For a standard Warp Spider, the helmet is swept back and comes to a slight point. By custom, it is this helmet that marks the Aspect Warriors as the protectors and avengers of their craftworld. In battle, the Warp Spider is assisted by an advanced, computerised targeting system. This targeter finds and tracks multiple foes, feeding the target information directly to the Aspect Armour's helmet display. It is likely that it can also differentiate between enemy and ally. The helm bears the Warp Spider Aspect's Aeldari Lexicon rune traced upon its forehead. Warp Spider Aspect Helmets appear to incorporate an external respirator unit that allows operation in the void or toxic atmospheres.
- Warp Spider Jump Generator - The Warp Spider Jump Generator is a sophisticated Warp field emitter that is integrated into the Warp Spider's Aspect Armour and is largely responsible for that suit's unusual bulk, as least so far as Craftworld Aeldari defensive technologies are concerned. The generator is what allows the Warp Spider to make their short jumps into the Immaterium so that they can cross the intervening space nearly instantaneously, completely undetectable to their foes.
Asuryani Warp Spider armed with a Death Spinner
- Death Spinner - A Death Spinner is the ritual armament of the Warp Spiders Aspect; a highly advanced ranged weapon that extrudes a thick cloud of razor-sharp monofilament wire. The spinner's magnetic containment field then spools the wire together and hurls it toward the enemy. The wire's own tension causes it to writhe and lash, and where it touches flesh or soft tissue it slices through the victim's body, causing an agonising and exceptionally messy death.
- Spinneret Rifle - A Spinneret Rifle is a variant of the Death Spinner used by Warp Spider Exarchs. Spinneret Rifles operate by ejecting a single, rigid strand of monomolecular wire that punches through armour, before recoiling in a tight spiral. Spinneret Rifles have a more consistent armour penetration ability than standard Death Spinners, and a longer range. However, they will usually only affect a single target at a time.
- Powerblades - Warp Spider Exarchs that utilise twin Death Spinners commonly fit a pair of powerblades on their forearms. Primarily used as defensive weapons, powerblades are short, wide blades attached to the forearm designed primarily for parrying. Their projected energy field allows them to parry almost any attack, but it is less effective when used offensively. Still, Powerblades remain no less deadly than a normal Aeldari Power Weapon in melee combat. A powerblade is mounted on the forearm, and does not need to be held in the wielder's hand (leaving the Exarch's hands free to wield their Death Spinners whilst retaining dangerous close combat capabilities). Some wielders pair them with compact pistol weapons, while others wield a single powerblade while carrying a larger ranged weapon in both hands.
Sources[]
- Codex: Eldar (2nd Edition), pp. 23, 38
- Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), pg. 9
- Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pp. 36, 65
- Codex: Eldar (6th Edition), pg. 37
- Rogue Trader: Into the Storm (RPG), pg. 125
- Rogue Trader: The Koronus Bestiary (RPG), pg. 55
- White Dwarf 127 (US), "Eldar" by Rick Priestley, Jes Goodwin, William King and Lindsey D. Le Doux Paton, pp. 13-52
- White Dwarf 138 (US), "Alaitoc Craftworld Eldar Army - Warp Spiders Exarch", pp. 20-29
- White Dwarf 172 (US), "The Eldar: The Path of the Warrior - Warp Spiders", pp. 5-16
- Wrath & Glory: Aeldari - Inheritance of Embers (RPG), pg. 30
- Planetstrike (4th Edition), pg. 9
- Eldar Prophecy (Novel) by C.S. Goto, pp. 140, 142, 146
- Dawn of War (Novel) by C.S. Goto
- Path of the Warrior (Novel) by Gav Thorpe
- Warhammer Community - World Championships Preview – Aeldari Phoenix Lords step from the webway
- Warhammer 40,000: Conquest Collectible Card Game(Picture)
Gallery[]
| Crimson Hunters • Dark Reapers • Dire Avengers • Fire Dragons • Howling Banshees • Shadow Spectres • Shining Spears • Striking Scorpions • Swooping Hawks • Warp Spiders • Eagle Pilots |