“Gia, least talked about goddess of the pantheon. Courtesan, dancer, consort of gods, radiant enigma. Bright mother in the shadow. Bringer of poisoned gifts. Loving conqueror. Beautiful. Terrible.”
Farseer Faladham’en
The Children of Gia are a doomsday cult with branches in every Aeldari society. Each subcult reveres a different deity, but they are united in their grotesque belief that Gia is the central goddess of the pantheon and Asuryan only a minor god, who abandoned his children in the face of their approaching doom. Thus breaking the cycle of destruction and rebirth that the children of Gia believe to have happened countless times in Aeldari history.
A thousand Rhana Dandras that always led to the reascension of the race. For the Aeldari are kissed by the phoenix. But during the birth of Slaanesh, the last battle didn’t come. The destruction wasn’t complete. The race was barred from rebirth and sentenced to linger for millenia in an abhorrent diminished state.
Unbeknownst to their brethren, in which midst they live, they scheme to force the Rhana Dandra to happen. It is their central prophecy that whenever the Aeldari race is near destruction, Gia births a child that heralds a new age. Slaanesh proved to be a false child, but with the birth of Ynnead, still-born son of Gia, the cult sees its chance to fulfill the prophecy at last.
For the other Aeldari the Children of Gia are an aberration. Despised and mocked. Dangerous close to fanatical psychosis that plague the mon-keigh. With a mythology that has nothing in common with the traditions of the Aeldari, except for the name of the gods.
Other Aeldari call the cult derisively Panthemonium.
My big project is to create these cults. Each cult is dedicated to a different god, each with a darker take than usual. Some gods keep close to the lore, where there is already a broad foundation and which are in line with the overall theme of the project: death and desperation. Khaine and Ynnead fall into this category. Other gods stray farther from the lore the other Aeldari follow. The cult’s interpretation of gods like Asuryan, Isha and Gia is not as hopeful as you might expect.
I will touch on all Aeldari factions. Some of the subprojects exist only as ideas, which will inevitably change and shift around. But some subprojects are nearer to completion. The goal is to make one of them into an Armies on Parade board in 2024. Furthest along are:
- Hoec – Songstriders – webway messengers with a penchant for flutes
- Ynnead – Kinslayers – Ynnari that actively try to hasten Ynnead’s rebirth by murdering their siblings
- Cegorach – The Winged Dirge – harlequins with a raven theme
- Asuryan – Murderhost of Aelindrach – a curious combination, which needs more explanation later on
