Welcome to Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum! Log in and join the community.

Exodite

From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
Revision as of 06:42, 24 April 2025 by Zap1000x (talk | contribs) (expanding about dragons)
Jump to: navigation, search
Grotwrench.jpg Attention Adept of the LEXICANUM!

This article is being created or revised.
Please consider this before you edit this text!


Targetdrone.gif This article is about the Eldar faction; for the animated series, see The Exodite (Animation).
Eldar.png Eldar Portal
A Space Marine of the Salamanders battles an Exodite Megadon rider.[1]

Overview

The Exodites are the Eldar who abandoned their homeworlds before the Fall, establishing new cities on Maiden Worlds of the Eldar Empire in order to escape the growing decadence of their civilization.[10] Protected from Slaanesh's predation by their World Spirit, they purposefully live a physically rigorous life[2a], expressing the intensity of their Aeldari nature through a powerful loyalty to their clans and a strong determination to acheive the clan's objectives.[20] They are known for the martial superiority of their Dragon Knights.

History

The Fall

Beginning in M30[7] as the Eldar Empire neared its Fall, the degeneration of Eldar society leading to the Fall did not go wholly without resistance. Far-sighted individuals began to criticize the decadence of their citizens and warn against the newly formed cults[2b] and the abandonment of the Eldar Gods[17]. Mostly ignored or else treated as narrow-minded fools and fanatics by their fellow citizens, as society collapsed they became resolute that this would be a decline without end.[2b] They were the ones still untainted by the touch of Chaos, and by now they were few.[10] They would form a new group of doomsayers and survivalists, deciding to leave the Eldar worlds and settle planets far from Eldar civilization among the Lilaethan, the Maiden Worlds[2b] seeded at the height of the empire by Turella Dandramensha Dominion Genesis ships,[19] abandoning their homeworlds in a series of migrations called the Exodus[2b] and for their exodus they were named Exodites.[19]

The first Exodites would launch from Hiron-athela[18] and assortment of spacecraft would follow, including Craftworlds built from the habitat towers, domes, and Webway pylons that would become the foundation of new cities.[19] The Exodites would also bring with them the tremendous war-machines of the Eldar Knights.[20] The Exodites travelled far away from their collapsing civilization, mostly eastward, settling many, often harsh, worlds – a place of safety (for most) beyond the psychic implosion that would wipe out most of the Eldar race and its empire[2b] in M31.[7]

Recent History

The Exodites survive on Maiden Worlds, untamed and dangerous planets, where they have learned to herd Dragons, cultivate crops and harvest other natural resources.[2b] Within a generation, aristocratic noble houses formed among the Exodites, and it is the decendents of these planetary kings who rule today[20]. Today Exodite Worlds exist in a seemingly primitive state,[10] and their Asuryani brethren view them as rustic and simple, but it is by choice that they live as they do. Exodites have many advanced technologies and are familiar with the same sophisticated materials used on the Craftworlds, they purposefully live a hard life.[2b]

The Exodites are not isolated from the rest of the Aeldari Diaspora, their worlds linked through Webway gates.[2b] Many Outcasts will find a refuge among these Eldar,[10] and Rangers will regularly patrol Exodite worlds.[2b] Exodites are generally accepting of Eldar Corsairs patronizing their mercenary contracts and hosting their pirate fleets.[2c] It is not uncommon for an outcast craftworlder or corsair to settle into permanent life among the tribes of the Exodites,[2a] and likewise not all Exodites remain with their tribes and sometimes join other Eldar groups.[10] The Ynnari even count some Exodites among their number. Several Craftworlds have a special interest in the wellbeing of Exodites including Saim-Hann, whose young travel to Exodite worlds for rites of passage,[3] and Biel-tan, who view the Exodite worlds as the foundation of a reborn Aeldari Empire and will mobilise its forces in defence of any of the scattered worlds.[10]

Society

Exodite military forces.[2a]

Though Exodite societies vary across the galaxy virtually all organize into an aristocratic hierarchy of clannish tribes, much like the Asuryani of Saim-Hann,[3] with each lead by a warrior elite known as a chief[12] or Dragonlord.[8] Each Exodite tribe on a planet swears loyalty to a local ruling tribe that in turn owes adherence to the planet's king[2a] and his Noble House,[20] who in turn keeps a retinue of Warlocks[8] to settle disputes between the tribes. Full conflicts between tribes are rare but clashes between rival Dragon Knights are common. It is the Noble Houses of the Eldar that maintain the Eldar Knights and it is through combat award that Eldar Knights become Lords and new Noble Houses.[20] The King is also responsible for guarding the Royal Circle, the most potent link in the World Spirit's network.[2a]

Exodite tribes are nomadic timing their planting and harvests with the seasons and moving between settlements and seasonal camps, arriving in in the late summer to collect crops planted in the spring and remaining until it is time to plant crops the following year,[2a] with some tribes even migrating through the Webway to reach new grazing lands as seasons change.[22] It is notable that no matter how hard-fought their disputes might be, no Eldar would despoil or steal the crops of a rival tribe even though these lie unprotected for months at a time.[2a] Exodite cities are meagre, small, and thinly scattered[2a], built of Wraithbone towers[6] and quarried stone domes[8][1] they co-exist with wild beasts of all kinds.[2a] The lives Exodites live is thought to be similar to the ancient Eldar empire before the Fall and birth of Slaanesh.[2a]

Most of Exodite life revolve around the Dragons they ride and herd, and it is said that Exodite warriors are practically born into a dragon's saddle.[2a] Exodites herd and work bestial dragons, including Megasaurs[2a] and Megadons,[20] from the backs of horse-sized dragon Raptors[1] with Laser Lances,[2a] but they may also do so from the helms of Eldar Knights[20] or with Scout Walkers[24]. Exodites eat and trade valuable dragon meat, they fashion their clothes from dragon hide,[2a] and they sing dragon bones into their structures and tools[6]. In times of war, exodite clans will ride as Dragon Knights, primarily atop the horse-sized Raptors[1] but also in aerial squadrons of atop fire-breathing[13] flying dragons including Giant Pterosaur,[5a] with the clan chief alone rightfully riding the fearsome and giant Carnosaur.[10] Working Dragons are also brought into combat, with heavy weapons mounted in troop-carrying howdahs.[6] While not willingly hostile, the Exodites are a stout, self-confident people and still possess the mythical pride, even arrogance, of the ancient Eldar race.[2b]

Exodites do not follow the Asuryan Paths of their Asuryani cousins but do see the value of maintaining discipline, they purposefully live a rigorous life[2a] eschewing the ancient Eldar technology they maintain mastery of[2a] to purge their souls in a ceaseless battle against the environment,[5a] expressing the intensity of their Aeldari nature through a powerful loyalty to their clans and a strong determination to acheive the clan's objectives.[20] Exodites continue to revere the pantheon of Eldar Gods, they take no joy in warfare, fearful of the battlelust of Khaine,[14] and thier Worldsingers who guide their dead into the afterlife of the World Spirit are associated with Isha.[5b]

Technology

The Exodite Worlds are generally considered backward and rustic compared to the rest of the space-roaming Eldar, although they still possess a good deal of high technology. One of the pieces of technology they have maintained is the Infinity Circuit, although on the Exodite worlds these are known as World Spirits and exist in the form of stone menhirs, obelisks, and stone circles all crafted from psychoactive crystal. These are gathered together in a World Shrine.[4] Despite the presence of some technology, these worlds are often agricultural, however, and it is not uncommon for groups of Exodites to exist in a nomadic state, living off roaming herds and seasonal harvests. This is the most common image of the Exodite life.[2a] Raptorhounds possess more sensitive senses than the Aeldari, and are used by Exodites to patrol and hunt.[26]

Conflict

Mon-keigh Knight Houses formed during the Age of Strife after learning Eldar farming techniques during the Dark Age of Technology, and colonized Maiden Worlds often neighboring those of the Exodites to the point that the Eldar lay claim on severaal Knight Worlds. The two cultures often clash over resources and the Eldar Knights gain prestige through their battles with the Imperial Knights.[20]

Forces

Though often looking to their Craftworld brethren for protection, Exodites are nonetheless capable of defending themselves in a war. Their forces include:[2a]

Notable Exodites

Notes

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

Eldar Exodites were included in Codex: Eldar (2nd Edition) as a playable unit, but a model was never released. Jes Goodwin included sketches for the initial designs that could have become these models in his sketchbook The Eldar Collection.

  • Sketch labeled "Exodite Scoutlancer"[23]

  • Sketch labeled "Exodite Dragon-Riders"[23]

Related Articles

Related Videos

Sources

Uncited

ServiceImage.jpg

This article purports to rely on sources which are not cited in the body of the text.
For help on citation see the citation guidelines.
You can help Lexicanum by fixing it.

Retrieved from "https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Exodite&oldid=615712"