40k Lore: Missing Phoenix Lords
Some very brief thoughts this week on persistent mystery in the 40k fluff: the missing Phoenix Lords.
As any Eldar player must realize eventually, there are a couple of notable absences, not only in the codex lists, but even in the background material. More specifically at least two Phoenix Lords are missing, and there is some mystery sounding the whereabouts of a third. Unfortunately, while the information about those that are listed is fairly significant, albeit only offering tantalizing glimpses into a much broader cultural mythology, all available material is oddly silent about the Lords of two aspects, in fact it does not even acknowledge their existence (or lack thereof). What this means is that we can barely even speculate about who these missing Lords might be, fortunately the we have slightly more to go on in the case of the third “missing” Phoenix Lord.
Striking Scorpions: While the Scorpions have the Phoenix Lord Karandras, it has long been known that he is not the first Scorpion; that honor goes to the Father of Scorpions, the Fallen Phoenix Arhra. Little is known about the mysterious and sinister Arhra, except that he fell into the corruption of Chaos and was exiled. Of his character before this we know only that he and his followers were the most brutal and violent aspect, and of his subsequent doings and current fate we have only some strong clues. It seems all but a certainty that Arhra and whatever of his followers went with him into exile were the founders of the Incubi, the skilled warrior sect of Commorragh that serve as the personal retainers to the mightiest of the Dark Eldar Archons, these warriors traditionally make use of weapons and armor that are eerily reminiscent of those wielded by the Striking Scorpions aspect. Of the Fallen Phoenix himself, nothing else is known.
Shining Spears: Sadly nothing whatsoever is known about the Phoenix Lord of this small aspect, and very little about the aspect itself for that matter, not enough to even promote useful speculation. We can only assume that, as with all Phoenix Lords, he or she embodies the lightning fast and viciously hard first strike that characterizes the aspect as a whole, the “Spear of Kaela Mensha Khaine.”
Warp Spiders: Named for the living crystal beings that defend the Infinity Matrix on Craftworld, the Warp Spiders are a notoriously reclusive aspect, given to solitude and a somber and distant demeanor that is perhaps natural given the uniquely perilous nature of their chosen method of conducting warfare; teleporting directly through the Warp. In war they will rarely be seen by friend or foe until they strike, and perhaps these characteristics are the reason for the mysterious apparent absence of a Phoenix Lord. However, one potential clue to the identity of this mysterious Lord, whoever he or she might be, can be seen when the Spiders gather in great numbers for battle; at such time one of their number will assume the mantle of “Void Weaver,” a title whose significance is unknown outside the Aspect, and leads their fellows in battle. It is possible that the Void Weaver is the title of their Phoenix Lord, though this begs the question of why another must assume this title. Perhaps this serves to camouflage the true Void Weaver, he or she being but one of many across the galaxy that bear the title at any given time, allowing that Phoenix Lord to move about to where he is most needed in silence. It might also suggest that the Void Weaver is lost or even dead, and that the Exarchs have taken it upon themselves to fill his place until their Lord’s return. Of course, the title of Void Weaver may have nothing to do with the mysterious Phoenix Lord at all, in which case we are if anything even more in the dark than before.
As a slight change of format, because there is so little information on this subject for proper speculation, I openly invite the community to volunteer their thoughts and theories on the matter; I’m sure some among you must have them, and I for one would like to hear them.
References:
Codex: Eldar
Codex: Dark Eldar
Apocalypse: Reload
Let’s hear some of those ideas people!
If you have a favorite corner of the 40k lore that would like to see featured, or just a lore question you think would interest the community, let me know, you can even PM me on the forum if you like. New ideas are always welcome.
