40K: The Ynnari Are Coming – 3 Q’s That Need A’s
With the Ynnari due to be out sometime in May, we thought it was time to stand up in front of a brick wall, get some sweet bass licks going and ask, “what is the deal with the Ynnari?”
Alright folks, time to check in with the newest flavor of space elf–the Ynnari. Formed as part of the grand plan of the Seventh Path, a mystical path that would see the (re)birth of Ynnead, the Aeldari god of death, without requiring the sacrifice of the Aeldari race, the Ynnari represent hope reborn for the Aeldari. And considering that they get off on brooding, being doomed, and mourning the fact that their milennia-spanning lives are “but the blink of an eye” or “like a mayfly” actually having hope is something many Aeldari consider downright heretical.
The Ynnari have reached across the aisle, recruiting a number of Drukhari and Aeldari to their cause, and we know, thanks to this month’s White Dwarf, that the Ynnari are coming next month. We know they’re getting an Index in May’s White Dwarf. But we don’t know what, if any questions will get answered alongside their new rules. Sure, there are the mechanical ones, like “What will happen to Soulburst?” but, the Ynnari are also a very real step forward for the lore, about on par with the advent of Primaris Marines or the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum. So of possibly more interest are the questions of what lore gets revealed or advanced. After all, the Ynnari are very much on a path forward. And here are a few steps they’ve taken that we hope get some answers.
Crone Blades
Let’s start with the easiest one. We know that the Ynnari are out in search of the missing Crone Blades. They brought Yriel back to life in order to get one back–which let’s get to that in a minute. The Crone Blades are a big part of their plan to bring back Ynnead. Carved from the hand of the Goddess Morai-Heg, these swords have mystic powers related to life and souls.
And we all know where the last one hangs out.
Commander Farsight has it. The Dawn Blade (which even sounds like an Aeldari weapon), is made from chronophagic alloys which add a slain foe’s remaining natural lifespan to that of its owners. So definitely Ynnari-esque. What’s going to happen when they decide to go get it?
Asdrubael Vect
Another big unanswered question… how will the Ynnari deal with Vect. Or rather, how will Vect deal with the Ynnari? After fighting in the Commorragh arena, Yvraine, the emissary of Ynnead, and lead recruitment officer of the Ynnari, managed to recruit Lelith Hesperax and also escape from the Arena in the aftermath of Ynnead’s awakening. More importantly, Yvraine escaped from Vect, and he has a reputation to maintain.
However, there’s the little matter of him being dead and reborn, brought back to life by the Harlequins after they slaughtered everyone at his funeral. Declaring himself to be a Living Muse or Living Dark Muse depending on how goth you want to get, Vect has also shown to have some strange connection to death and rebirth. The Archons loyal to him were resurrected after being slain, and those traitorous fools who thought they could get the best of Vect are now grotesques. The upshot of it all is: now there are two space elves out there who are strongly connected to Death and Rebirth and it seems like they’re heading towards a battle–will that happen? Will Vect become a part of the Ynnari? He hasn’t had rules or a model in a while–so what is Vect doing?
Slaaneshi Stirrings
And now we get to the other matter. The Ynnari are the last best hope for the eldar against the all-consuming desire of Slaanesh. This chaos god has been awfully quiet, but recently GW has been showing a lot of love for the Dark Prince. With two new lore articles (one for AoS, one for 40K) we know that Slaanesh is about to get a shot in the arm/tentacled appendage/pincer, with a wave of new models. As 40K is a game about how in the grim darkness of the distant future, all you need is war, factions are defined as much by their enemies as their allies.
And with a new Keeper of Secrets and Masque coming (and let’s not forget, the Masque is the one who made it necessary to crack open Biel-Tan like a kinder surprise, corurpting its Infinity circuits and all), it seems primed for the Ynnari to do…something. They can’t beat Slaanesh, not now, but what does that confrontation look like? How do things move forward for the Ynnari? For Slaanesh?
And more importantly, will this faction ever have more than three models? Let us know what you think in the comments!
