Arhainii Bestiary

The Arhainii are physically similar to the Wood Elves and other Elves of the world but in character they are worlds apart.

All Arhainii have a lust for battle and fighting. Because of this, every Shadow Elf can be a warrior if needed. They do not grow or make anything - no Shadow Elf would ever consider farming! Instead the Arhainii raid settlements and caravans, they attack merchants and lone travellers, they rob and steal to get what they need. This provides them not only with basic amenities but also gives them the opportunity to fight.

Although the Shadow Elves take great joy in fighting and bloodletting, it is very rare for such things to occur between warriors. Indeed an Arhainii will defend another to the death if need be. This bond is nearly unshakeable and means that the Arhainii operate like a single many-armed creature when on the battlefield.

Where the High Elves have complicated politics with lots of complicated dealings and the Dark Elves have lots of intrigue and assassinations, the Arhainii have a simple but effective system of government. Kry'el has absolute power over all Shadow Elves and will have until his death. He has the title of The One Who Walks in Shadows. He is advised by the Priests of Khaine especially Lithar the High Priestess. Serving under Kry'el are three nobles called the Lords of the Shadows. These Lords deal with everyday life and troubles amongst the Arhainii. If there is a serious question that needs answering, the Lords will vote on it. The vote must be unanimous or the question gets passed to Kry'el for judgment. In this manner Kry'el has maintained a stable system of ruling.

The Wood Elves of Athel Loren believe in working with nature to achieve their goals. By tree-singing they encourage plants to grow, forming all manner of instruments for them to use. They build their homes in the trees and work with the natural spirits for the good of all. The Arhainii take a different approach. Instead of working with nature, they bind nature to their own will. Rather than building mutually beneficial relationships with the spirits, the Arhainii capture and exploit them. Shadow Mages bind magical creatures called Dark Sylphs to fight for the Arhainii they are a powerful foe but are ever straining to break free of their captors. It is partly due to this difference in approach to nature that has caused the Wood Elves and the Arhainii to hate each other so much.

Hatred

All Shadow Elves hate Wood Elves for being weak and foolish, and for trying to kill them. When the Arhainii fight Wood Elves, the whole army suffers from hatred and has to take obedience tests exactly like the Dark Elves. Their Wood Elf opponents become resolute in their determination to rid themselves of the curse of the Shadow Elves. They are resolute in exactly the same way as High Elves fighting Dark Elves. Note that none of the above applies to Dryads or Treemen.

Woodsmen

Though they may be corrupt and depraved, the Shadow Elves were once Wood Elves, and so they never suffer movement penalties for woods. This bonus also applies to mounted troops though not to chariots.

Blood Lust

The Arhainii are filled with lust for blood and for the deaths of their enemies. Once they have tasted blood they become filled with rage and race to shed more blood.
All Arhainii suffer from Blood Lust with a few notable exceptions. Troops that suffer from Blood Lust must always pursue and cannot test to avoid pursuit. Due to their haste and eagerness for bloodletting they also add 1" to all of their pursuit moves.
Blood Warriors and Shadow Dancers have other psychological effects that effectively replace the Blood Lust rule. Night Walkers are also not affected by Blood Lust as they need to have their emotions under control in order to infiltrate.
Characters are also not affected by it unless they are part of a unit that is. If this is the case the character is moved with the rest of the unit as he becomes caught up in the blood lust.

Arhainii Warriors

These are the common infantry of Kry'el's dark kindred. They followed Kry'el into battle against the Dark Elves, and have fallen to worshipping Khaine along with their leader. They are stronger than the average Elf after many decades of warfare, and are skilled with many weapons. The ranks of Arhainii warriors always includes the women of the tribe who are just as skilled as the men-folk.

The Blood Warriors

The Blood Warriors used to be the warriors with the greatest skill in the kindred. They were Kry'el's personal bodyguard and his champions of many battles. In the fateful battle against the Dark Elves, they led the attack taking many lives and taking great pleasure in it. After the battle they became Khaine's most fervent devotees, slaying many in his name. Before they go into battle, the Blood Warriors daub themselves with fresh blood. The smell of the blood drives them into a wild frenzy. They wear no armour and have no thought for their own protection. However, they are so crazed with Bloodlust that they can ignore blows that would normally kill them.

Special Rules
Frenzy
The Blood warriors suffer from frenzy. When frenzied they are immune to hatred of Wood Elves.

Ignore Pain
The Blood Warriors have a chance to ignore damage that they take. This effectively gives them a save of 6+ against any damage.

The Night Walkers

Like all the other Elves in the cursed kindred, their scouts also took to worshipping Khaine. Instead of ambushing the enemy with a volley of arrows, they have perfected the art of close combat ambushes, preferring to slay their foes hand to hand. The Night Walkers have learnt how to use cover to leap out and strike their foes before fading back into where they emerged.

Special Rules.
Deployment
The Night Walkers are deployed after all other troops on both sides. They may be placed anywhere on the board, except in the enemy's deployment zone, or in line of sight of his troops. If both sides have troops able to deploy in this manner, eg Wood Elf Scouts, roll for it, whoever rolls highest deploys second.

Skirmish
The Night Walkers may skirmish if you wish.

Strike and Fade
The Night Walkers can make a special move in the close combat phase if they charged that turn. The Night Walkers may voluntarily leave combat and move up to their normal movement. Note this is done before break tests, but after both sides have attacked. This move must get them into cover so their foes can no longer see them. The enemy cannot pursue. This extra move can also be made if they wipe out their opponents.

Bloodwolves

Before the corruption, the Shadow Elves bred large hunting dogs to help in the protection of the forest. So fierce are they that they are more like wolves than like dogs. When the Arhainii left the forest they brought these Bloodwolves with them. In battle, the Shadow Elves herd them forwards, snarling and growling, before unleashing them in a devastating charge.

The Wolfmasters that lead the Bloodwolves into battle are every bit as fierce as the wolves they control. They are wild and strong warriors. Some Wolfmasters even have the ability to shapeshift into a wolf though this only lasts for a second or two before they revert to their normal shape.

Special Rules.

Pack

Bloodwolves fight in units called packs. They may not have standard or musician. The pack may not be joined by characters and must be led by a Wolfmaster.

The pack normally moves at the speed of the slowest member of the unit. The exception is charges when the Pack charges at full speed. If the slower models are not able to connect, they are placed at the back of the unit for the first round and cannot fight or be fought for the first round.

Should the Wolfmaster be killed then the Bloodwolves will attack the closest unit they can see. They will always move towards the closest unit they can see and will charge them if they can.

Note that the Wolfmaster may be placed either at the back of the unit of hounds or in the front rank. If the Wolfmaster wishes to fight he must be in the front rank. In the movement phase the Wolfmaster may go from the front to the back or vice versa. This move is for free.

Shadow Dancers

The Arhainii kindred before the corruption, was privileged to have a good few Wardancers in its midst. When they began their descent into darkness, the Wardancers were corrupted with the others. They became the servants of Lithar and the other sorcerers, in the rituals and worship of Khaine. The Wardancers became engrossed in their activities and performed many blood sacrifices. When the Shadow Elves left the forest of Loren the Wardancers were unrecognisable as the warriors they had once been. They had a blood lust in their eyes and a burning hatred of any who deny their souls and their blood to Khaine. They were renamed Shadow Dancers, and have lost a some of their former skill, though this has been replaced with a deadly fanaticism.

Special Rules.
Loose formation
The Shadow Dancers may use a loose formation, in which case the models may be placed up to 2" apart. This is not a skirmish formation and so they suffer no penalties for being in this formation. However opponents suffer a -1 to hit from shooting at the individual targets.

Dodge
The Shadow Dancers have still got incredible athletic ability, and their agileness gives them a dodge of 6+ to all attacks.

Hatred
Shadow Dancers hate all living enemy for denying Khaine their souls and their blood.

Thanks to Lex aka the Grey Sage <l.vanrooy@keni2so.nl> for the concept of the following and for having loads of other ideas that sadly could not make it into the army.

Raptors

The Night Walkers of the Arhainii are effective scouts but sometimes the Shadow Elves require detailed information that even the Night Walkers cannot provide. The Shadow Elves realised that from the air they could spot their targets from miles away and organise a rapid assault force to attack at the right moment. Large monsters were unreliable at this and were easily spotted. The Arhainii needed something else. The Shadow Mages decided that smaller birds would be the answer and so the Raptors were formed.

The Raptors are a group of magically inclined Elves that use their power only to force their will on birds. They are able to see through their eyes and can control what the birds do. Raptors use their abilities to gather information about the enemy's plans and forces before battle is joined.

Once the fighting starts, Raptors summon flocks of birds to attack their foes. The enemy find themselves under a screeching barrage of beaks and talons.

Special Rules

Spying

Raptors can spy on their foes before battle utilising nearby birds. This allows them some foreknowledge of the enemy. To represent this after both players have finished deploying for battle you may reposition one of your units. This may only be done if you are allowed infiltrators in the scenario as otherwise there isn't enough time. You may only reposition one unit regardless of the number of Raptors in your army.

Summon Birds

Raptors can summon huge flocks of birds in battle and send them to attack their foes. Raptors can summon a flock of birds in the shooting phase of their turn. To do this they must pass a Leadership test on their own unmodified leadership. The birds will attack any unit the Raptor can see up to 30" away and cause 2D6 S3 hits.

Thanks to Rick Martin <rick@martincs.globalnet.co.uk> for the name of the Dark Sylphs. The basic concept and rules are from Xhilipepa <s.swade@virgin.net> and I owe him a great debt of gratitude.

Dark Sylphs

The Arhainii, no longer able to call on the spirits of the woods for assistance, scoured the magical planes to discover spirits that they could bind to their will. They found them in the form of Dark Sylphs. These creatures exist apart from reality but a powerful Shadow Mage can bind them to his service making them more substantial. On the battlefield Dark Sylphs are terrifying creatures that fade in and out of reality. They crave the life force of the living as they can use this power to break free of their bonds and return from whence they came. This lust for death combined with their ability to literally suck the life force from their opponents makes the Dark Sylphs deadly opponents.

Special Rules

Fear

Dark Sylphs are terrifying creatures to face in battle and thus cause Fear.

Immune to Poison

Poison has no effect on magical creatures like Dark Sylphs.

Command Group

Dark Sylphs may never have a command group nor may they be led or joined by any character.

Insubstantial

Due to their insubstantial nature the Dark Sylphs gain a special save of 3+.

Drain Life Force

Dark Sylphs attack by literally draining the life from their foes. This gives several benefits. Dark Sylphs attack with the strength of their opponents. This is the strength on their profile. In addition, armour provides no protection against their attacks. Magic armour provides some protection but even this is at an additional -1 save modifier. This of course only applies to troops that are alive. Against non-living troops eg Undead and Daemons, Dark Sylphs count as Strength 0 and therefore cannot hurt them.

Thirst for Life Force

Due to their thirst for the souls of the living, the Dark Sylphs must roll a dice every turn they are not in combat. If they roll a 1 they must move as fast as possible towards the nearest enemy unit. Dark Sylphs also Hate all living troops on the battlefield.

Breaking Free

Dark Sylphs can use the souls of those they slay to try and break free of their magical bonds. For every model the Dark Sylphs kill in combat one Dark Sylph will disappear on a D6 roll of 5+. Any wounds caused in this way do not count towards combat resolution but if a unit completely disappears then your opponent will get victory points as usual.

Bound by Mages

Dark Sylphs are bound to the physical world by the Shadow Mages. If all your Mages die then all your Sylphs disappear. Your opponent gains victory points as normal for the Sylphs.

Blood Willows

Since the dawn of time the Blood Willows have existed in the world. Although superficially similar to the Treemen, the two races are very different. Treemen and Blood Willows exist as opposites of each other. While the Treemen protect and defend, the Blood Willows attack and destroy. While Treemen are peaceful creatures that love nature, the Blood Willows seek to kill. While Treemen drink water, Blood Willows drink blood. The destiny of the two races are inextricably linked and as the numbers of Treemen have fallen, so have the numbers of Blood Willows. If a Treeman dies then a Blood Willow will also die and the opposite is also true. The Blood Willows are intelligent creatures. They are cunning and malicious and as such are very dangerous. They also tend to sleep for long decades as they live for many thousands of years. The Coven discovered their existence and sought to use their magical powers to bind the Blood Willows to their will but the Blood Willows are ancient and powerful and they could not be subjugated by spells. Intrigued by the notion of having Elven allies, the Blood Willows came to Kry'el to negotiate an alliance between the two races. They came to an agreement but neither the Arhainii nor the Blood Willows really trust anyone they cannot control and they always watch each other's moves very closely. The Blood Willows look like willows with faces and gaping jaws. They use their long branch like fingers to entrap and destroy their enemies.

Special Rules

Fear
Blood Willows are huge and frightening. They cause Fear.

Move Through Woods
Blood Willows can move through woods with no penalty.

Entangling Branches
When a Blood Willow attacks it entwines its branches around its opponents. This causes all enemy models in base contact with the Blood Willow to lose their first attack.

Vulnerable to Fire
Blood Willows are vulnerable to fire attacks. Each wound a Blood Willow takes from a fiery attack is doubled.

Linked by Destiny
A Blood Willow and a Treeman will never attack each voluntarily. If both a Treeman dies then your Blood Willow will also die on the D6 roll of 6. If your Blood Willow dies then each Treeman must see if they die on the D6 roll of 6. Only 1 Treeman can die this way ie if he has 2 Treemen and rolls a 6 for the first one then he need not roll for the other. If the first survives then roll for the second.

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