Lore of the Exodites: Reject Decadence and Ride Dragons

Syph

Syph is one such maiden world, beautiful and dangerous, covered in lush rainforests, deep seas, and wide grasslands as well as a variety of lethal flora and fauna. It is ruled by nomadic clans of Exodites, each with its own territory. They rarely gather in great numbers, and there are no cities. This lack of visible civilisation to draw attention, combined with its remoteness, are two of the planet’s main defences. For the most part, Syph has remained undisturbed – but recently, a ramshackle fleet has brought a force of Beast Snagga Orks to the planet, guided by a Wurrboy’s visions of a world full of hungry, dangerous predators.*

Dragon Knights

Unfortunately for such unwelcome visitors, Syph – like all Exodite worlds – is not without its defenders. The noble elite of the Exodites – Dragon Knights and Dragon Masters – ride to war atop lizard-like beasts known as saimneth or drakesteeds: one of several kinds of creatures collectively referred to by Exodites as dragons. Most Dragon Knights are armed with high-tech laser lances and solar carbines, while Dragon Masters include expert duellists, powerful psykers, and deadly snipers. And, of course, there’s also the threat of the drakesteed itself.

World Spirits

Like the Aeldari of the craftworlds, Exodites use waystones to protect their souls from She Who Thirsts. Unlike craftworlds, though, Exodite worlds do not have infinity circuits. Instead, they have a world spirit – a vast network of psychocrystalline steles, menhirs, and barrow nexuses, which hold the souls of the dead Exodites in a gestalt reservoir of energy that helps to hide and protect the world.

Echoes of Ancient Kinship

Although inherently isolationist, Exodites do have some contact with other elements of the Aeldari diaspora, and it is not unknown to see Dragon Knights fighting alongside forces of the Asuryani, Harlequins, or Ynnari. Craftworlds Biel-Tan and Saim-Hann in particular maintain close ties to the Exodites, and regularly deploy to help defend Exodite worlds.

They were the first to leave the collapsing Aeldari empire, and now at last the Exodites have arrived on the tabletop. Whether it’s against the Beast Snaggas on Syph or out in the wider galaxy, the Dragon Knights are sure to leave their mark. It’s hard not to leave a mark when you ride someone down with a drakesteed.