Asurmen is the first Phoenix Lord of the Aeldari, the founder of the Dire Avengers, and the figure who taught the shattered remnants of his race how to survive as warriors. If you’ve ever wondered where the Aspect Shrines come from, the answer starts with him.
Who Asurmen is
Asurmen is an Aeldari Phoenix Lord, the oldest and most widely travelled of them all. He’s the founder of the Path of the Warrior and the first Dire Avenger, and his shrine on the world of Asur became the template for every Aspect Shrine that followed.
He’s also called the Hand of Asuryan, named after the Aeldari god of kingship. Before all that, he was just Iliathin, a man from Eidafaeron who didn’t believe the doom-sayers.
From Iliathin to Asurmen
Iliathin lived a comfortable, unremarkable life before the Fall. He dismissed the Exodites’ warnings as superstition, and when his brother Tethesis wanted to leave with them, Iliathin refused to go.
Then the Fall happened. Iliathin and Tethesis survived the collapse of their world, but it was overrun by daemons. Tethesis was possessed, and Iliathin had to kill him. He hid in an old temple that daemons avoided, thanks to the lingering presence of the Aeldari gods, and spent years there contemplating suicide.
A feral child named Faraethil pulled him out of it. He shunned her at first, but when Dark Eldar attacked her, he took up arms, renamed himself Asurmen after Asuryan, and saved her. She became his first disciple.
The first Aspect Shrine
Asurmen and his followers settled on a barren world they renamed Asur. There he founded the first Aspect Shrine, the Dire Avengers, which grew into the most common of all the warrior Aspects.
From Asur, he trained the Asurya, the first students who went on to spread Aspect Shrines across the stars. Many of them became Phoenix Lords in their own right. No other Phoenix Lord has visited as many craftworlds or founded as many shrines.
Not long after the shrines took root, Asurmen vanished. He’s died many times since, but his armour keeps bringing him back.
Wargear and role
Asurmen fights as a Dire Avenger writ large. He wears ancient rune armour and wields the Sword of Asur and a pair of shuriken catapults, the same weapons his Aspect favours, but turned up to Phoenix Lord levels.
He’s also a leader. He’s fought alongside the Ynnari at points, though his main loyalty remains to the Asuryani and the Path he built.
- Sword of Asur: his signature close-combat weapon.
- Twin shuriken catapults: ranged firepower matching his Aspect.
- Rune armour: the source of his repeated rebirths.
Key facts
- Asurmen is the first Phoenix Lord of the Aeldari.
- Born Iliathin on Eidafaeron before the Fall.
- Founded the first Aspect Shrine, the Dire Avengers.
- Known as the Hand of Asuryan.
- Trained the Asurya, many of whom became Phoenix Lords.
- Wields the Sword of Asur and twin shuriken catapults.
FAQ
Is Asurmen the first Phoenix Lord?
Yes. He’s generally described as the first Phoenix Lord and the founder of the Path of the Warrior.
What Aspect does Asurmen belong to?
He’s the Phoenix Lord of the Dire Avengers, the Aspect he created himself.
Is Asurmen still alive?
He’s died many times, but his armour brings him back, so he’s still active in the 41st millennium.