Wuxide Craftworld

World: Wuxide
Type: Artificial Mobile Planetary Body - Craftworld
Population: Unknown - At least tens of millions assumed.
Government: A governing body known as the High Council of Wuxide has ultimate authority over this Craftworld, and it is made up of Wuxide's most senior Autarchs, Farseers, Exarchs, and other esteemed individuals. The High Council's authority is in turn deferred to local governing bodies such as local councils, Aspect Temple Exarchs, and Noble Houses.
Description: One of the legendary Eldar Craftworlds that escaped The Fall, Wuxide is known to operate within and around the boundaries of Sector Deus. A mysterious yet significant faction within the Sector, Wuxide pursues numerous agendas at any one time - most of which have the ultimate goal of further securing the Craftworld's survival. Overall Wuxide has very little direct interaction with other factions, preferring instead to act in more manipulative ways such as using proxy fighters and infiltration agents. However when they do engage in direct warfare they are considered one of the most dangerous factions in the region, capable of utterly annihilating far larger forces with their advanced tactics & technologies in return for minimal casualties.
Technology: [VIII: Xenos - Eldar]
Military: Typical Craftworld military forces. Aspect Warriors form the core of the Wuxide military while they also utilise the full range of technologies and vehicles commonly seen in Craftworld Warhosts. Super-heavy Eldar vehicles have also been sighted on rare occasions, mostly in Wuxidian Warhosts on Malta fighting the forces of Chaos.

Appearence[]

At least 1000 kilometres in length and constructed at the height of power of the ancient Eldar Empire, Wuxide Craftworld is a colossal voidship that is so vast it contains its own atmosphere and several natural biomes. Like all Craftworlds Wuxide is constructed mostly of wraithbone and divided into multiple regions, wings, and sections that house distinct biomes and features. Craftworlds take many shapes, though are typically long, broad and relatively flat by voidship standards, akin to a flying continent, and Wuxide takes an arrowhead shape.

The rear if the Craftworld is dominated by an engine array of incomprehensible size, with plasma exhausts large enough to comfortably fit an Imperial Battleship and powered by fusion energy reactors that are essentially small artificial stars. The topside of the main body houses nation-sized biomes filled with colossal forests, grasslands, wraithbone cities, and even rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges, all home to Wuxidian peoples. Important Temples, Council Chambers, and engineering sectors are located in various wings and distinctive hull segments. A great artificial star is suspended above the main body of the craftworld, within a rotating wraithbone half-sphere that mimics a day & night cycle.

Near the prow of the Craftworld is the main anchorage of the Wuxidian Fleet. A massive network of wraithbone docks extend above the prow and house hundreds of vessels, the specifics of which are relatively unknown. At the prow end of the docks is an enormous Webway gate around 10km in diameter, through which even the largest Eldar vessels can enter the Webway. The underside of the Craftworld features multiple long vanes & antennae whose exact purpose is unknown, but are assumed to be long-distance sensors & communcators both conventional & psychic.

The surface of the craftworld - particularly on the flanks - is studded with powerful defensive gun emplacements of such number and magnitude that they are easily the rival of an entire Imperial Navy Battlefleet. While Wuxide's exact defences are unknown, Navy Officers with the rare experience of facing Craftworlds in the void attest that it is more like assaulting a fortress world in low orbit than contending with another voidcraft.

History[]

No major conflict in sector history involves Wuxide craftworld, indicating that they seem generally content with keeping to themselves. However the Eldar are perfidious and manipulative by nature and Wuxide could have had a hidden hand in any number of events.

Of particular note are the Seekers, a group of outcasts from Wuxide craftworld who hunt down and recover lost soulstones across the Sector. Due to the nature of their work they are encountered by humans more often than their non-Outcast fellows.

Treaty of Serenia[]

In 822.M38 the Eldar made contact with the recently colonised Imperial world of Serenia, this was the first recorded contact the Imperium had ever had with Wuxide Craftworld. The xenos messenger informed the planetary governor that Serenia was a maiden world and property of Wuxide, and demanded that all humans left the planet immediately or they would be eradicated. The governor was infuriated by the xeno's demands, but representatives of the Administratum and Inquisition arrived before the encounter could turn violent.

The newly discovered Wuxide Craftworld presented a massive potential threat to the Imperium in Sector Deus, especially when coupled with enemies like The Grave and numerous Ork worlds already present. Conversely the Imperium - if suitably motivated - could cause Wuxide problems as well by destroying Serenia and Exodite Worlds like Amar'eth, in addition to the Orks and forces of Chaos that plagued the eldar too. With enough common enemies already in the Sector both the Imperium and Wuxide were loathe to enter into conflict with each other. By the end of several days of tense negotiations - often interspersed with bouts of loud arguments and threats of violence - the Imperial and Eldar delegations reached a number of reluctant agreements:

Humans would be permitted to live on Serenia provided they do not build any further settlements or harm the environment, and ensure more destructive creatures like Orks do not ravage the planet.
No aggression by the Imperium against Exodite Worlds in the Sector would be tolerated by Wuxide. Independent human entities (such as Rogue Traders) would be solely responsible for their own actions and treated accordingly.
Neutrality would be the default stance when humans and wuxide eldar encountered one another. The Imperium would not be held responsible for the actions of their common citizens, and Wuxide in turn would not be held responsible for the actions of Dark Eldar or other Craftworlds.

These agreements were never made official in imperial records (as negotiating with xenos is deeply frowned upon), and no physical treaty actually exists. Only through unofficial & personal records is this documented and only the Sector Lord and his most trusted advisors & allies know the true details. Its practice is generally kept within the Sector chain-of-command as well, with higher authorities such as Segmentum Command and the Senatorum Imperialis generally just assuming that Eldar activity in Deus is very low as per official reports.

To ensure compliance high level Sector personnel such as Imperial Navy Admirals, Planetary Governors, Imperial Guard Lords Generals are all aware that Sector Command does not want war with the Eldar and proposing such a course of action is generally unhealthy for their careers. But if this practice is questioned by any it is mostly reasoned away as a misuse of Imperial resources when there are so many more pressing threats.

Of course the members of the Inquisition are aware of the true background of the standing orders, and most of the more conventional Inquisitors consider them to be a reluctant necessity - reasoning that Wuxide's time to be destroyed will come once the other threats in the Sector are dealt with. Until then however most believe the Eldar to be a distraction compared to far more pressing threats such the Orks around the Sector and heretics from The Grave. Because of this there is intense debate within the Sector Ordo Xenos over how much action should be taken against Eldar. More than one overzealous Inquisitor has been eliminated by radical colleagues after attempting to engineer war with Wuxide, and more than one overly radical Inquisitor has burned at the stake by their puritan contemporaries for consorting too favourably with the Craftworld.

Post Treaty Interactions[]

The agreements of the treaty of Serenia would help keep the Imperium safe from any overt predation of the Craftworld for millennia, whilst Imperial Sector Command were content to wait until a more opportune moment to engage in open war with the Eldar.

For their part the Eldar of Wuxide Craftworld also seem content with the current state of affairs, though it is suspected that they influence events in secret that work both for and against the Imperium's advantage at times. There have been several instances of misfortune befalling Imperial forces following an Eldar sighting near an existing warzone, usually when swift wins are expected only to be turned into grinding costly victories by unseen machinations. On the other hand the reverse has also occurred at times, when an Imperial force expecting defeat manages to snatch victory thanks to some unlikely disaster befalling the enemy. Thus - it is suspected - do Wuxide play the Imperium and its enemies as pawns, ensuring none ever become too strong & unoccupied to turn their attentions towards the Craftworld. There is also generally little Eldar Outcast Corsair activity within Sector Deus compared with its neighbours, which some Inquisitors suspect is due to the local Craftworlds' influence.

For their part the Imperium is mostly benign towards Eldar in the Sector. When sighted Eldar are largely ignored - unless they are breaching Imperial security or territory in some way, in which case they are treated as any other intruder and may find themselves captured or killed. But generally speaking speaking Imperial & Eldar groups in independant territory practically act as though they never saw one another. On those rare occasions that the Eldar intervene in a conflict to the Imperiums' favour, official reports may note attempts at pursuit or 'spirited' warning fire but this is usually an embellishment - higher level officers are aware of standing orders to ignore Eldar, whilst lower level soldiers aren't foolish enough to fire upon those helping them.

The last time Wuxide came into known conflict with Imperial humans was in 188.M41 on the exodite world of Amar'eth in Subsector Adamantis. When an Imperial Navy patrol group responded to a Rogue Trader's distress signal they found his vessel orbiting the world claiming that their leader and his entire command crew had mysteriously disappeared planetside despite several previous trips to the surface without incident. A small Naval landing party was unmolested when they explored the Rogue Trader's last known location, and they discovered him and his entire landing party of several dozen massacred to the last with no indication that they even had a chance to return fire, their wounds indicating shuriken fire. A holo-recording of Eldar craftsmanship that showed the Rogue Trader hunting local Exodites was left at the scene.

Society[]

Wuxide Craftworld is a largely egalitarian and individualistic society. Positions in Craftworld Governance are not hereditary and no Eldar is considered an enforced 'subject' of another. All are free to pursue their paths as they wish provided they do not infringe on others or endanger the Craftworld.

Most Wuxidian Eldar live 'normal' lives within the vast craftworld biomes. Some live in agrarian homesteads on vast open ranges where they farm with the assistance of highly advanced technology, sustaining the craftworld's enormous population. Others live within wraithbone cities clustered around key locations within the craftworld, these more densely packed Eldar typically providing services to each other with their chosen Path or - in the case of warriors, seers, and other 'public' servants - study their path within Temples and are provided for by a form of taxation on the 'civilian' Eldar.

Other environments include suburban townships or villages deep within forests that practise cooperative and complimentary economies. While others may prefer the chilly lands of wraithbone mountaintops or the scalding weather of an arid desert directly beneath the craftworld's artificial sun.

Wuxide Paths[]

The Wuxidian Path system is largely typical and has many of the commonly found Paths: Crafters, Warriors, Servants, Seers and more. Wuxide is less strict than some with the enforcement of their Paths, so while each Wuxidian's Path must certainly be the primary focus of their efforts, they are not forbidden from pursuing any other interests at all.

Two Paths that are seemingly unique to Wuxide has been observed. The first is the Path of the Warden. Eldar walking this Path seem to be devoted to monitoring the intergalactic void and researching the phenomena found there, which is unknown ground even for the Eldar. The second is the Path of the Veilwalker. Eldar on this Path are devoted to the arts of infiltration, stealth and disguise, and can be found in non-Eldar territory across the Sector gathering information and studying the 'lesser' races.

Economy & Nobility[]

Economically the craftworld Eldar are almost post-scarcity in terms of necessities. Their miraculous technology and psychic powers ensure they never want for provisions and all but the most heinous of diseases are trivial for them to cure. Medically they are able to treat almost any physical ailment including severe combat injuries with ease, and have been seen replacing lost limbs with animated wraithbone in the field, while on the craftworld itself large amounts of repair and replacement can be performed.

Wuxide therefore has very little primary industry. Their economy is based around Eldar providing manufacturing, crafting, and other services depending upon their current Path. Most of these are simply offered freely, in exchange for their other necessities being met freely. Wuxidian Eldar are united by a cooperative nature that stems from their precarious position on the peripheries on the galaxy, and any Wuxidian that threatens to disrupt this with selfish behaviour is forced to change or becomes an Outcast.

However as with any society, some inevitably rise above others. Should Wuxidians achieve high status such as the rank of Autarch or Farseer they will often be granted superior benefits (land, propery, services etc.) from the people by the Wuxidian governing council, and if successive generations build on this with their own excellent the family could rise to the class of Wuxidian Nobility. This phenomenon is by no means unique to Wuxide and craftworlds often have a numver of Noble houses who - with the blessings of the craftworld government or even as a part of it - hold direct authority over portions of craftworld territory and its inhabitants (though this 'authority' rarely stretches beyond watching for disturbances of the peace, or leading in times of strife).

Some craftworlds take this even further, with the famous Saim-Hann craftworld being divided up into clans that jostle, compete, and even conflict with each other for power on their craftworld. Others may eschew the concept of noble families entirely, with each Eldar entitled to the same benefits for the fruits of their labour regardless of what Path they walk.

Wuxide however is more typical, and has a number of great Houses that serve as figureheads to the people. Still the threads of fate are without mercy and through either catastrophic failure, the shame that follows, or lethal misfortune, Eldar noble houses can and do fall. Some of Wuxide's most prominent Noble houses are:

House Blazewind - A warrior house without peer, the Blazewinds have been vaunted Autarchs, Exarchs, and Aspect Warriors since the Fall. The House's current head, Autarch Vanyr, is one of the most influential members of Wuxide's governing council, and the House currently has no less than five other serving Autarchs.
House Ge'Ahn - A legendary house on Wuxide descended from their greatest hero, Autarch Sun. Though born in the crucibles of war, the House has since erred towards more peaceful callings and many of the more recent generations follow Paths of Diplomacy and Meditation. They are counted as one of the wisest families on the craftworld and their opinions carry a lot of sway.
House Evythanna - A house known for its Warrior-Seers and the powerful psychic abilities of its main line. No less than six generations of Farseer have spawned from this house, spanning over 10,000 years. It is currently headed by Autarch Gawayn, a former Warlock and brother of the previous head, Farseer Aralle, who was killed in battle with Daemons in 288.M41.
House Starmane - A house with a promnent presence in the Wuxidian fleet. The Starmanes are the craftworld's most famous Mariners and some of the fleet's most poweful vessels are helmed by them. The head of the House, Shipmaster Kiene, currently commands the powerful Wuxidian Battleship Elogy of Shadow.
House Orellia - A large house famous across Wuxide for its skilled crafters & Bonesingers. The craftworld's finest constructions, from weapons to buildings to starships, are the fruits of this House's labour and some of Wuxide's most potent relics and weapons are etched with the seal of House Orellia.
House Somnace - A young warrior house that came to prominence only recently against Styrian Triarchy forces on the spinward rim of Deus. Through skill & valour an Exarch and two Aspect Warriors from this family led squads that destroyed no less than 5 entire Triarchy battalions as they searched the forests of a lost world for a webway gate.

Wuxidian Fleet[]

Little is known about Wuxide's esoteric & powerful voidfleet. What is known is that these advanced vessels are the most potent craft to ply Sector Deus' starwaves. While relatively fragile, Eldar vessels are impossibly swift and pack immense firepower, and whenever they intervene in engagements they almost invariably turn the tide.

Wuxide itself has two subfleets. The vast Home Fleet remains around the craftworld at all times. Very little is known about this fleet save that it contains at least several Wyrm & Dragon class ships along with hundreds of Shadowhunter-class escorts. The Home Fleet is thought to consist only of 'Craftworld' type vessels and is immensely powerful.

The smaller Expeditionary Fleet is mostly anchored on Wuxide but its vessels are sent into the void & webway to do the Craftworld's bidding across the stars. This fleet is composed of 'Corsar' type vessels and is much better known to Imperial Authorities. Consisting mostly of heavier escorts & lighter capital ships, this fleet is a seldom seen but lethal force.

Known Vessels of the Wuxidian Fleet[]

Void Stalker-class Battleship Elogy of Shadow - The only known battleship ever seen away from the Craftworld. The Elogy is arguably the most dangerous vessel in the Sector and is notable for landing a crippling salvo on the chaos battleship Calamitous above Malta in 132.M40.
Shadow-class Cruiser Isha's Herald - A vessel known for its seemingly constant vigil around the spacelanes of Subsector Cryptus, against orknoid vessels from the greenskin empire on the coreward rim. It has destroyed countless ork raiding ships, but has also caused serious rancour for preemptively destroying Imperial ships that were being boarded by greenskins as well.
Aurora-class Light Cruiser Aenerthai (translation unknown) - This elegant voidship is inarguably one of the fastest capital ships in the Sector; appearing, striking, and disappearing so fast that it can barely be identified. In 575.M40 the Aenerthai appeared in the outer reaches of the Athena System, heading straight for Athena Prime itself. The vast Athenian defence fleet moved to intercept before a large Chaos Fleet appeared from the warp in pursuit of the Aenerthai. The Eldar vessel veered off and disappeared as loyalist & heretic engaged, and while the Chaos Fleet was far outunned and ultimately annihilated it inflicted heavy damage on the Imperial Navy. Since then the Aenerthai has been considered the worst of omens to human voidsmen across the Sector and a testament to the capricious & ruthless practices of Craftworld Eldar.

Legends of Wuxide[]

Not much is known about Wuxide's history, but some of the dusty tomes deep in the Inquisitorial archives have bits and pieces of legends that were either forced out of prisoners, learned from cooperative Outcasts or gathered from Exodite worlds in the Sector.

However what is known is that the greatest Wuxide hero was Autarch Sun Ge'Ahn. Following his ancestors teachings he led to war with both strength and strategy that were legendary, whether in the void of space or planetside he would fight with ferocity and skill that brought him victory countless times. Sadly his fall came at the hands of his hated kin the Dark Eldar after he defeated one of their raid groups.

A jet bike wing, led by Asdrubael Vect himself, came upon the Autarch while he was traveling back to the webway gate. Ge'Agn fought bravely and killed half of his attackers, among them Vect's favourite pet-lover, but then he was taken down by sustained ranged fire. There are many speculations regarding what happened afterwards, but it is a dream for every Wuxide Eldar to retrieve Sun Ge'Ahn's Soulstone, for it is known that the Lord of Commoragh has decided to keep it as a prize forever

Known Wuxide Eldar[]

Farseer Adriel - Beautiful and powerful Seer and high ranking member - if not leader - of the Seekers. Has had numerous interactions with the Ghosts of Retribution.