Arach-Qin

"In mine hand is the power and the might. None may  withstand me. By the Will  withstand me. By the Will  of Khaine I will bathe in the blood of my enemies."

- Mantra of the Khainite Arach-Qin is a mysterious Aeldari Craftworld suspected to be responsible for many act of slaughter and attacks against Imperials, Orks, Hruds and even other Aeldari settlements and forces. They are isolated in the Ghoul Stars, where they constantly fight lost human colonies and various Xenos enclaves.

The inhabitants of Arach-Qin refers to themselves as Khainite, for they rever the Bloody Handed God as the only survivor of the Aeldari Pantheon and Protector of their civilisation. In his name, they wage war, sacrifice prisonners and erect Aspect Shrine dedicated to his various Aspects. This belief has drawn the suspicion and ire of other Craftworld, as well as several Grand Masque of Harlequins. However, their acts of slaughter and destruction give them good relationship with Drukhari, especially the Incubi Shrines and Wych Cults.

Dissapearance.
It is unknown when Arach-Qin left the Aeldari Empire during the days of the Exodus, but after the Fall, all contacts and connection between the Craftworld and any other Aeldari was lost. Many believed it was simply destroyed by the openning of the Eye of Terror, or attacked by the forces of Chaos or the Imperium during the Horus Heresy.

For a long time, Arach-Qin was simply remembered as another Craftworld claimed by the Great Enemy and lost to the Aeldari. Even the Phoenix Lords and Harlequins believed so. However, many rumors started to spread of ancient ghost from the past emerging from the Webway to attack alien settlements, leaving no survivors and reducing anything to burning ruins, especially near and inside the Ghoul Stars. Of course, most theories pointed toward Drukhari or Corsair attacks, but those that investigated the attacks realised most of them weren't claimed by the major Corsair Fleets and Kabals operating in the regions, and the use of equipements unusual for Drukhari, such as Shuriken weaponries and Psychic Blast.

Return from the Void.
In the closing day of the 41 Millenium, after the Ghoul Stars Crusade, Rogue Trader and Exploration fleet ventured in the territories conquered by the Black Templars. An Adeptus Mechanicus detachement was dispatched to the Cythor Fiends homeworld, found deserted by the Black Templars when High-Marshall Helbrecht pushed forward, before retreating to reinforce Armageddon.

The Tech-Priest researched the ruins of a destroyed civilisation. As they continued their research, their encampment was attacked by a group of Aeldari clad in dark purple and blood red signs, decorated with bonemade runes and jewels. Though their armor and equipment matched those of Asuryani Aspect Warriors and Guardians, their armors wore features closer to Drukhari, such as spikes and decoration made of skulls and other part of skeleton.

Striking with surprise on their side, the Asuryani destroyed the defenses of the explorators. The Tech-Priests leading the expedition, curious of these familiar, yet strange, foes, gathered their Skitarii and Servitors in a defensive formation around the Heavy Transports that landed their forces. The battle lasted for an entire weeks, during which the Mechanicum lost hundreds of warriors to study the Arach-Qin Aeldari. After taking a small group of Prisonners, the Explorator fleet left the system, despite the loss of several ships and soldiers.

This first battle started a series of conflict between the Imperium and Craftworld Arach-Qin, who lasted until the 13th Black Crusade.

War with the Imperium
See also : The Hunt of Arach-Qin.

Following the flight of the Ghoul Star expedition, the Ordo Xeno studied the prisonners and records taken by the Mechanicus in their fight against the Aeldari raiders. But only after a few weeks, several raids were reported on the Frontier Worlds near the Ghoul Stars, as well as other centers of population and military installations.

The first of these attacks targeted the Watch Fortress Castilos Nullifact, where the Aeldari prisonners had been taken and interrogated by the Ordo Xenos. Emerging from the Webway, the Fleet attacked the orbital defenses of the station with a fast and surprised attack. Despite the initial advantage, the expertise of the Deathwatch and knowledge against Aeldari allowed the Astartes to return most of the damages inflicted by the Aeldari, taking down several attack crafts of the Xenos. But as Stormraven and Corvus Blackstars were send to the air to engage the Xenos fleet and squadrons, Aspect Warriors and Harlequins used their stealth and speed to break inside the Fortress. Astartes and Eldar fought a bloody battle, with death on both sides, until the Xenos started to retreat. Before the Deathwatch could track the fugitives, distortion charges placed at key positions of the Fortress detonated, killing the captured Eldar as well as many of the Fortress's defenders and staff.

After the Raid against Castilos, several other attacks targeted the Imperium's borders. All of them were characterised by slaughter of civil population and untold destruction. This included attacks on Angelis, Coelia and even the Homeworld of the Doom Legion, Elusia Prime. The battle between the Eldar and the Doom Legion marqued the near extinction of the Chapter, until the Ultima Founding.

The war continued for a year until the Novamarines lead a Crusade to Elusia Prime, saving the Doom Legion and forcing the main Warhost to retreat in the Ghoul Stars. Despite the will of the Astartes to find and destroy Arach-Qin, but the pressure of the 13th Black Crusades forced the Imperial to turn their focus elsewhere.

The War against the Imperium marked the return of Arach-Qin to the Aeldari civilisation, as they received assistance from the Frozen Stars and Silent Shrouds Harlequins Masques, Void Dragon and Sky Raiders Corsair Fleet as well as several Drukhari forces, especially from the Cult of the Red Grief and Seventh Woe.

The Cicatrix Maledictum
After the openning of the Cicatrix Maledictum and the Noctis Aeterna, Arach-Qin contacted the other Craftworlds when the Asuryani counted the losses after the cataclysm. Their culture and bloodthirsty nature was exposed to the other Craftworlds, who manifested much dread and ire to Khainite Cultists, especially after the horrors of their war against the Imperium. But with the Dark Prince stronger than ever, the strength and martial strength of Arach-Qin appeared as a most necessary measures, although they still show great mistrust to them.

The Aeldari of Arach-Qin have shown much savagery and determination in facing the Daemonic forces of Chaos and alien species that threatening the Aeldari. However, they have been noted to waged war against Warhost of other Craftworld on at least two occasions.