Haemonculi are the Dark Eldar’s surgeon-alchemists, flesh-crafters who treat pain as an art form and can rebuild the dead. They’re the reason Commorragh’s elite can afford to be nearly immortal.
What is a haemonculus?
A Haemonculus is a Dark Eldar master of torture and biological manipulation. They started out as the ruling masters of the ancient Eldar Empire, and they’ve kept that sense of entitlement ever since.
They believe inflicting pain is one of the highest arts, maybe the highest. When someone ends up under their blades, the Haemonculus savours every moment of it.
Fleshcrafting and self-modification
Haemonculi reshape flesh the way other people reshape clay. They can build horrific monstrosities from scratch and regenerate Dark Eldar who’ve fallen in battle, as long as enough of the body is left.
They don’t spare themselves either. A Haemonculus might move his heart and lungs into a hump on his back, hollowing out his torso until he looks gaunt and stretched. Extra limbs are common. Some swap their blood for acid. Others grow horns, antlers or bony tails.
- Organs can be repositioned at will
- Secondary and tertiary limbs are common
- Blood may be replaced with acid or other ichors
- Spines can extend into bony tails, with antlers or horns from the back
Covens and servitors
Like most Dark Eldar, Haemonculi organise into factions called covens, scattered across Commorragh. Everyone in the Dark City secretly fears them, even the ones who rely on their services. Crossing a Haemonculus is a good way to find out what horrors they keep in the back room.
Every Haemonculus sees himself as a god. Most won’t even touch the ground if they can avoid it, let alone do anything as vulgar as physical labour. Instead, they surround themselves with freakish acolytes and abominations like Wracks and Grotesques, many of whom they built themselves. These servants haul captives around and flay or dissect them on command.
Immortality and the price of it
Dark Eldar of status make pacts with Haemonculi: fresh captives in exchange for medical treatment, biological enhancements, or even resurrection. It’s said a Haemonculus can grow a Dark Eldar back from a single severed hand.
The Haemonculi themselves are practically immortal. If their body is completely destroyed, they can resurrect in their labs. The only way to end one for good is to destroy both body and soul. Anything less just earns you a slow, inventive revenge.
Key facts
- Haemonculi are Dark Eldar surgeon-alchemists specialising in torture and fleshcrafting
- The first Haemonculi were masters of the ancient Eldar Empire
- They can regenerate dead Dark Eldar and are virtually immortal themselves
- They modify their own bodies heavily, moving organs and adding limbs
- They organise into covens based across Commorragh
- They’re served by Wracks and Grotesques, often of their own creation
FAQ
Can Haemonculi bring Dark Eldar back from the dead?
Yes, as long as enough of the body remains. They can regenerate slain Dark Eldar and are said to grow one back from a single severed hand. This service is why powerful Drukhari make pacts with them.
How do you permanently kill a Haemonculus?
You have to destroy them in body and soul. If you only destroy the body, they’ll resurrect in their lab and come looking for you.
What are Haemonculi covens?
Covens are the factions Haemonculi form, based across Commorragh. They’re feared even by the Dark Eldar who depend on them, and each is run by a megalomaniac who sees himself as a god.