The Dark Elves are an evil race with malice filled hearts. Space McQuirk takes a look into the background of these cruel killers and explores their devotional worship of the dark god Khaine, Lord of Murder.

The mere mention of Dark Elves is enough to spread a cold shiver of fear down the spine of all inhabitants of the Warhammer world. There are no realms where they cannot strike and no race safe from their malicious raids. But amongst the Dark Elves, or Druchii as they are known in their own tongue, there exists a cult that spreads fear even amongst its own people. They are the worshippers of Khaela Mensha Khaine, the god of hatred, the god of murder, the dark god of war.

Khaine, as this evil being is more commonly known, is one of the Elven pantheon of gods. Whilst all Elves know of this dark deity and respect him as a necessary evil, only the Dark Elves have formed a society that openly accepts and encourages the worship of this evil master. Khaine is the immortal brother of Morr, the God of Death. Jealous of his brother's vast underworld kingdom of the dead, he steals away all souls that have been murdered or slain in war, building his own dark realm of death.

The worship of Khaine, which is now banished from Ulthuan, began in the kingdom known as Nagarythe. Whilst this practice was largely frowned upon, it was tolerated by the Elven people as the early sacrifices to Khaine took the form of animals. It was during the many wars that were waged upon Ulthuan by raiding parties of marauding Norse warbands, that the first sacrifices of mortals began. The captive warriors were offered to the god so that he would lend the Elves of Nagarythe strength. The prisoners would be bound to great altars and sacrificed in plain view of the enemy army who knew that similar fates awaited them should they lose.

The Elves of other realms allowed this savage indulgence in the knowledge that the Elves of Nagarythe were feared and valuable fighters who had saved Ulthuan from many invasions. Aenarion himself, the first of the Phoenix Kings, wielded the sword of Khaine, a mighty weapon of the Gods which had the power to cleave even the greatest of Daemons in two. Whilst he and his people waged war against the threat of constant invasion, Khaine became an accepted pan of the Elven way of life. As time passed the threat grew less, with the death of Aenarion, the sword of Khaine was laid to rest in its shrine far to the North of Ulthuan upon the Blighted Isle. Banned from each of the other Kingdoms of Ulthuan, the crazed devotees of Khaine still prospered and flourished within Nagarythe.

The temples of this dark god were maintained by a select group of warrior priestesses known as the Brides of Khaine. It was these bloodthirsty Elves who were responsible for the pre-battle sacrifices. When peace settled upon Ulthuan, the priestesses found themselves without victims for their bloody altars. Rumours spread of the strange disappearance of villagers within Nagarythe and, although the finger of suspicion pointed towards the growing cult, no proof of these foul deeds could ever be brought to bear.

Soon a new threat reared its head within Ulthuan. Once again, founded within Nagarythe, an equally sinister practice had taken root. It was the worship of Slaanesh, the Chaos God of pleasure, and Morathi, the sorceress widow of Aenarion was at its heart. Malekith, Morathi's own son, took it upon himself to denounce the cult and publicly chastise his mother. He used the followers of Khaine to hunt down those who practiced the cult of pleasure and betray them to him. But all along, this 'witch hunt' was a clever ruse.

Malekith saw a great opportunity to rid himself of those who had opposed his claim to the throne. He used agents of the temples of Khaine to plant false evidence in the homes of his enemies as proof of their fall to the lure of Slaanesh. His victims would disappear from the day to day affairs of court, supposedly serving their fate within Malekith's deepest dungeons. This again was a lie, Malekith instead would offer these prisoners to the priestesses in gratitude for their services. All this time, Malekith allowed both cults to flourish and he had the perfect tool with which to destroy the political opponents who had thwarted his right to be the King.

When he deemed his position strong enough he made his move. Accusing the Phoenix King himself of being at the heart of the cult, he poisoned him before he could retaliate and accounted for his death as suicide in shame of the discovery of his dark secret. It was too bold a move and few believed such a wild accusation, but Malekith had already dispatched some of his strongest rivals and none dared challenge him, lest they suffer a similar fate. The priestesses of Khaine seized the temple of Asuryan, brutally slaying all within and so beginning a civil war that still rages to this day. Malekith now claimed the right to the throne of Ulthuan and stepped into the Flames of Asuryan. His fate is told elsewhere, but ultimately his coup failed. War was waged upon Ulthuan and Malekith's forces were defeated. As he was forced into exile, his most powerful sorceresses cast spells upon the main cities of Nagarythe and tore them from the mainland to form mighty floating fortresses. Many of the temples had formed major landmarks within the cities, and on the long journey west they became important focal points. When the exiled Dark Elves landed on the continent of Naggaroth, these temples quickly became havens of worship. At the same time, the cult of Slaanesh, without any threat from persecution, also quickly took root. Both vied for the support of Malekith.

The Witch King knew that only one religion should dominate his new realm. He needed to unite his people quickly in order that he could make his plans to seek vengeance on the High Elves. Malekith decided against intervention in the struggle between the followers of Khaine or Slaanesh, to do so would only turn the followers of one cult against him. He strictly forbade a religious war; the civil war had already taken its toll on the Dark Elves, but he also knew that in doing so he was encouraging an underground battle of dark intrigue and evil machination. This appealed to Malekith's twisted sense of pleasure and he let the two factions fight for control of his people's allegiance.

The temples of Khaine already had many agents who secretly stalked the streets of the newly founded cities. Over many decades they had become skilled in the art of subterfuge and their assassins had perfected their gruesome methods as they secretly dispatched Malekith's foes in Ulthuan. Under the devious guidance of Hellebron, High Priestess of Khaine, the followers undertook a secret war against Slaanesh. Whilst Hellebron used her caustic tongue in the courts of Naggarond to undermine the support of Morathi, she positioned her servants tactically within the nobility. Morathi proved every bit the equal of her rival. Just as it seemed that Hellebron would prevail, Morathi revealed the discovery of an ancient gift from Khaine. It was a powerful cauldron which had the power to restore the youth to those who bathed in it. Rumours spread quickly through the realm of Naggaroth that Morathi was favoured by Khaine. The loyalties of the Dark Elves were torn between Morathi, a sorceress who openly worshipped Slaanesh, and Hellebron their High Priestess. Because many of the Brides of Khaine now pronounced Morathi their Queen, a stalemate had been reached, and Hellebron knew that if she did not act fast she would quickly lose support.

In a move that only the head of a bloodthirsty cult such as the Witch Elves could conceive, the deadlock was broken. At the command of Hellebron, hundreds of sorcerers and nobles who supported Morathi were taken from their beds and slain on the altars of Khaine. The screams of the dying echoed into the cold night air and it is said that even Morathi herself was forced to take flight on her Dark Pegasus to escape the murder. This night became known as Death Night and has since carved itself a permanent place within the history of the Dark Elves and indeed the whole of the Warhammer world.

The next morning, Malekith summoned Hellebron and her priestesses to his palace. As they entered the main hall a murmur grew amongst the nobles who had gathered. Hellebron had somehow constructed her own Cauldron of Blood. Hellebron led a procession of the most stunning women. Gone were the haggard wrinkles, and sagging flesh, replaced by a smooth and beautiful youthful complexion. Her beauty rivalled that of even Morathi herself. All knew that Dark Magic had been wrought and from that day the priestesses became known as Witch Elves. In a desperate but cunning move, Morathi declared herself the Queen of the cult, outmanoeuvring the devious ambitions of Hellebron. The enraged Hellebron was placated by Malekith who granted the cult recognition by allowing the . Witch Elves to stalk the streets once each year on the anniversary of Death Night, taking prisoners wherever they should find them. Over the coming year, the Witch Elves discovered their attractiveness faded and that their voluptuous appearance reverted to that of an old crone, but on Death Night they would once again be able to restore their beauty.

Since that day the devotees of Khaine have been loyal subjects to Malekith. For one night each year the Elves in the cities of Naggarond must lock their doors and shutter their windows. On Death Night, the Witch Elves emerge from their temples. They are driven into an insatiable lust for blood by a concoction of poisonous herbs, which only the Hags, the High Priestesses of the Witch Elves, knew how to prepare to prevent them from killing the Witch Elves themselves. Anybody found out on the streets will be dragged to the altars of Khaine to suffer a long and painful death. The assassins pick the locks securing the houses of certain nobles and other high ranking Elves, then the Witch Elves will burst in to take entire families to be sacrificed. It is said that they bring their victims to the height of pleasure before they plunge them into a torment of pain and suffering the likes of which no mortal could ever envision in his worst nightmares. The screams of their victims can be heard until the sun rises and then an eerie silence is followed as each Dark Elf gives thanks to Khaine that he and his family were spared the slaughter.

The assassins employed by the temple to spy and kill the enemies of Hellebron are recognised as some of the most deadly killers in the world. They spend many decades perfecting their art which has been practiced for over three thousand years. The temples provide the assassins with an array of deadly poisons which only the Witch Elves know how to prepare safely. Extracts from plants collected by Dark Elf raids from across the world are mixed together to deadly effect. Some of these toxins work fast, killing the victim instantly as the poison enters his system. Every vein in the body turns black creating a lattice spiderweb appearance to the corpse. But many of the acolytes of Khaine prefer more subtle methods of death. Poisons such as the lethal Black Lotus can take hours to work themselves into the bloodstream. As it infuses itself into the victim's system he suffers horror-filled visions, slowly and agonisingly lapsing in and out of consciousness before death finally overcomes him.

When the Dark Elves go to war it is only on rare occasions that the Witch Elves do not accompany them. Each Black Ark has its own temple located deep within its bowels and when it makes landing the Witch Elves emerge to seek offerings for their Lord. They will, on rare occasions, carry one of the ancient Cauldrons of Blood with them. A large and ominous sight, these are rare and sacred artefacts, gifts from their god, and the few that survive are infused with much of his malevolent energy. They are massive cauldrons brimming with the warm blood and skulls of previous sacrifices. The statue of Khaine the Bloody Handed looks down into the gruesome liquid, watching over his servants as they march to war. Again the Witch Elves have adopted the traditional custom of sacrificing enemies before the battle. With their deaths, an aura of hatred and murder emanates from the Cauldron. The vision of those Elves within the proximity of this dark shrine is overcome with a red mist of murder and hatred.

The Witch Elves also prepare special potions to take before they go to battle. The Hags mix these toxic potions into the Cauldron of Blood and each Witch Elf sips from a ceremonial goblet handed to them by the Hag. The effect is to drive the Witch Elves into a frenzy of bloodlust. They are infused with the power of Khaine and will immediately seek out the foe to sacrifice to their god. Such is the potency of the potions that the Witch Elves care little for their own safety and will relish battle against many times their own number. It is the lust to shed blood alone that drives these crazed females.

The followers of this dark deity are not just limited to the Land of Chill. It has spread far and wide across the Warhammer world. The worship of Khaine has, with good reason, been forbidden in all of the realms of man. Still there are always those who seek to destroy civilisation from within. Witch Hunters seek out and purge these underground cults and all records of the God were burned at the orders of the Grand Theogonist Johann Helstrum. Nevertheless many assassins and cutthroats still secretly gather to pay homage to this dark god and the cult continues to grow in number. But it is within the realm of Naggarond that Khaine has truly found his following, and with each Dark Elf raid his kingdom of slain souls grows ever larger.

Amongst the most powerful weapons of the temple Khaine are the Assassins. Little is known of this highly secretive organisation, whose identities remain hidden to even the Witch Elves themselves. Assassins are chosen from amongst the young children who are stolen by the Witch Elves on Death Night. They are trained in the art of stealth and subterfuge, and for them murder is a way of life. These children learn from an early age how to handle a blade and by the time they arc ordained as an Assassin there are few who can match their martial prowess. In battle, the Assassins will disguise themselves amongst the ranks of the normal warriors, only striking when an enemy hero is at close range and unprepared for the attack.

Although strictly speaking it is forbidden to pay for the service of Assassins, generous donations to the coffers of a temple may result in the mysterious death of the patron's foes. They are a deadly adversary and should anyone fall foul of the devotees of Khaine, they can be sure that their death will come swift and unseen.