Warhammer 40K: Karandras, the Shadow Hunter
Today delve into the myths and legends of the Xenos Eldar to study – Karandras, Phoenix Lord of the Striking Scorpions.
The Phoenix Lords are amongst the most ancient and renowned heroes of the Eldar race. Should they be vanquished, their essence will lie dormant inside their armor until it is donned by another Eldar warrior whose soul resonates. Should they prove worthy enough to combine souls, the Phoenix Lord will be reborn in a new body. There were born in the aftermath of The Fall, and the birth of Slaanesh. It is said that the Phoenix Lords will fight and perish at the Rhana Dandra — the final battle between Chaos and the material universe.
Karandras, the Shadow Hunter
Karandras is the most shadowy and mysterious of the Phoenix Lords. No one knows where his shrine originally lay, though it is thought to be one of the smaller Craftworlds that survived The Fall but were destroyed soon after. Karandras is also not the first Exarch of the Striking Scorpions, as that honour belongs to Arhra, the Father of Scorpions. However, Arhra fell to darkness and betrayed the other Phoenix Lords, leading daemons in an attack on the Shrine of Asur. Arhra would flee into the Webway becoming forever known as “the Fallen Phoenix that burns with the light of Chaos.”
Karandras, the greatest pupil of Arhra, took his master’s place after a brutal seventeen day duel with him and tempered his murderous nature with the patience of a hunter, using his new teachings to found Aspect Shrines on many Craftworlds.
Recent Encounters
As with the other Phoenix Lords, Karandras has no permanent home and wanders across the galaxy. He was last spotted on Zandros in 928.M41 where he dueled for seventeen days with Arhra. He later appeared under the command of Jain Zar, now pledged to Ynnead. Karandras took part in the battle to defend the Ynnari against the Thousand Sons and Tzeentch Daemons in the Webway, vanishing during the struggle.
Wargear & Equipment
Karandras is the ultimate stealth warrior, able to draw the very shadows around himself and kill his prey with claw and blade before they were ever aware of his presence. He carries the Scorpion’s Claw and Scorpion Chainsword, along with Plasma Grenades. But perhaps his most potent weapon is his Mandiblaster known as the Scorpion’s Bite. The Mandiblasters of other Scorpions are as pinpricks compared to the Scorpion’s Bite, which is so powerful it can shatter the Power Armour of a Space Marine and hurl him off his feet or penetrate Terminator Armour.
The Scorpion’s Claw is an Eldar Power Weapon used by Karancras and Striking Scorpion Exarchs. This claw-shaped glove slips easily on to the arm and incorporates a Shuriken Catapult in the back, giving the Exarch both a powerful ranged and close combat weapon.
The Scorpion’s Bite are a set of enhanced Mandiblasters build into Karandras’ helmet. Mandiblasters are Eldar Striking Scorpion weapon systems. They are a pair of weapon pods built into the sides of the Aspect Warrior’s helmet. Known also as the Scorpion’s Sting, Mandiblasters are neurally activated weapons which fire a hail of deadly metallic shards. These shards, while capable of cutting and lacerating flesh, are not particularly powerful alone. They act as a conductor to a follow-up intense laser burst. The laser flashes the slivers of metal into plasma, which can cause significant injury or death.
Because of the neural activation of the device the accuracy is often very high. This makes it an effective pre-combat rank thinner. However its range is very short, a meter or two, making it geared for close quarters combat only.
Learn More of the Phoenix Lords
Lexicanum
