Warhammer 40K: Jain Zar – The Storm of Silence
Today, we delve into the deathless Eldar Phoenix Lord of the Howling Banshees – Jain Zar.
Early Life
Jain Zar was born Faraethil on the world of Eidafaeron shortly before the Fall of the Eldar. She was so young at the time of the doom of her people that she did not remember life in the Eldar Empire. After the Fall, the young Faraethil was raised by her brother until he was killed by the Daemons rampaging across her planet. Now forced to survive on her own, Faraethil eventually found another survivor known as Illiathin who was contemplating suicide at a temple of the old Eldar Gods. Faraethil managed to interrupt his plan, but he initially shunned her. However, when Faraethil became hunted by the Dark Eldar, Illiathin managed to save her and in the process renamed himself Asurmen. During the fight, Faraethil lost control of herself and killed several of her attackers, and realizing her lack of discipline, he took her on as his disciple, renaming her Jain Zar. The two settled on an abandoned moon that they renamed Asur.
Transformation into Jain Zar
Originally of the Asurya, Jain Zar became the first of Asurmen’s students. She and her brothers-in-arms learned well from their master, and soon set off across the stars to establish their own Warrior Aspect shrines. Unlike many of the other Phoenix Lords, her devotion to her shrines is all but unmatched and she regularly travels between many Craftworlds to instruct her deadly craft, so that now, only the most remote Craftworld does not have a shrine to the Howling Banshees. She disappears and reappears at her own whim and her shrines keep a constant vigil for her, looking for the Jainas Mor (Silent Death) and Zhai Morenn (Blade of Destruction).
40th Millenia
In the late 41st Millennium, Jain Zar hunted the Chaos Space Marine Talos Valcoran, the commander of the 1st Claw of the 10th Company of the Night Lords Traitor Legion, due to a vision by Eldar Seers who foresaw that a prophet of the VIII Legion would unify the Night Lords and lead them against the Ulthwé Eldar in the future, and in so doing kill enough of the Craftworld’s population to push it beyond its ability to recover its losses. When Talos’ warband of Night Lords laid waste to the Imperial colonists of the world of Tsagualsa in the Eastern Fringe, they were ambushed by Eldar of the Ulthwé Craftworld looking to again kill the Soul Hunter before he could become a threat to their race.
In the ensuing battle, nearly every member of Talos’ warband was slain and he himself became embroiled in a desperate single combat against the deadly Phoenix Lord who had led the Ulthwé Aspect Warriors. In the ensuing battle, Jain Zar took grievous injuries and Talos sacrificed himself by detonating a grenade, killing the Eldar Phoenix Lord and ending her hunt. However, she soon rose again.
Jain Zar next appeared fighting to save Biel-Tan from Daemonic invasion and has since joined the Ynnari, taking Ynnead into herself and becoming reborn. Since then no other Phoenix Lord has championed the cause of the newly risen Ynnari as has Jain Zar. She has spoken passionately about the hope fostered by Ynnead, and come to the aid of Yvraine and her followers on multiple occasions. However, she went missing in the Webway during their battle against the Thousand Sons.
She reappeared during the Psychic Awakening to protect Yvraine, first from Drazhar during the Raid on Saim-Hann then later on Iathglas from Shalaxi Helbane.
Jain Zar defeated Drazhar on Craftworld Zandros
Drazhar, Death & Rebirth
After the Raid on Saim-Hann Jain Zar she went to pursue the retreating troops of Drazhar to the Webway. The journey led them to the Aelindrach – a mysterious region of Commorragh, part of Shaa-Dom sub-city. There Drazhar ambushed Jain Zar and her Howling Banshees killing them all and cutting Jain Zar in half. Drazhar believed that if the armor of Jain Zar stays in the tainted Aelindrach she could never be reborn. This was not the case when Yvraine, feeling Jain Zar’s death asked Ynnead grace to give the Phoenix Lord new life.
A Howling Banshee Exarch Quitui’yenh was resurrected, donning then armor and the mask of Jain Zar and melding her own mind with the Jain Zar’s composite animus. Reborn anew, Jain Zar killed the dark denizens of Aelindrach and activated an ancient portal that led to the Craftworld of Zandros. Appearing there she met Yvraine and her Ynnari folowers. Drazhar arrived shortly at Zandros learning that Zar was alive. In an epic battle, Jain Zar slew Drazhar wielding not only the power of the Phoenix Lord, but also of Ynnead.
Jain Zar is the most active of all the Phoenix Lords in the war against the forces of Chaos. She has led hundreds of Howling Banshees to war on countless occasions, even mustering them from multiple Craftworlds at once.
Wargear and Equipment
Jainas Mor, or Silent Death, is a three-bladed throwing weapon, tempered within the warp itself. It is wreathed in black fire and is sharper than any mortal blade. It always returns to Jain Zar and never harms her, despite its deadliness.
Zhai Morenn, or the Blade of Destruction, is a light, curved blade forged thousands of years ago before the Fall and shimmers with power. It is light and is wielded with dizzying speed.
The Mask of Jain Zar was the first Banshee Mask produced and all others have been copies of this original. It is similar in its workings to standard Banshee masks, however, it is much more potent.
~The wail of the Banshee is doom.
