nvestigation into the recent history of the Iyanden craftworld can lead to but one conclusion - the Eldar of Iyanden are on the brink of total extinction. They have lost many of their number in the long millennia since the Fall and, as with all Eldar, new generations are few and far between. However, it was an attack by a swarm of Tyranids from Hive Fleet Kraken that may have rung the death knell for Iyanden craftworld. The space-borne city was all but destroyed and thousands upon thousands of its warriors fell in battle against the Great Devourer. They were on the verge of utter annihilation but despite these horrendous losses, the craftworld was saved from extermination by the intervention of the Pirate Prince Yriel and his Eldritch Raiders. However, Iyanden is unlikely to ever recover its losses and it is only a matter of time before the craftworld becomes lifeless.

We can comfortably make this deduction on the basis of one fact; the massive preponderance of artificially constructed warriors in an Iyanden host. These 'Wraith-guardians' and 'Wraith-nobles' use the Eldar's advanced knowledge of psychic and soul-grafting technology to create a new, artificial constucted body for the soul of an Eldar whose body has been destroyed. This reliance on such constructs confirms the belief in the Iyanden craftworld's imminent demise simply because the creation of these 'Ghost Warriors' is an abhorrent necessity to the Eldar, who view the process as something akin to grave-robbing in our own culture. Not only are they disturbing the eternal rest of the dead, the Eldar are, in essence, creating zombies of their ancestors and forcing them to continue fighting. As one can imagine, this repulsive behaviour would never be undertaken except in the direst of circumstances.

This reliance upon the dead has given rise to an increase in the number of psykers specialised in raising the souls of the Eldar from where they are stored within the Infinity circuit. These necromantic psykers, or Spiritseers as they are sometimes known to their kind, are adept at communing with the souls of the dead and utilising the sophisticated psycho-crystalline technology of the Eldar's spirit stones. The Spiritseers demonstrate all of the normal battle-magick capabilities of the formidable Warlock psykers, as well as acting as a node or focus for the spirits roused from their deathly slumber. The presence of a Spiritseer greatly increases the coordination and flexibility of these undead hosts and it should be noted that whenever facing such an adversary, a military commander should endeavour to eliminate these Spiritseers as a matter of importance and urgency.

Inquisitor Czevak - Teachings on the Unholy, Chapter V
'The Necromancers of Iyanden'

Related Links:
Inquisitor Czevak on: Alaitoc | Biel-Tan | Saim-Hann | Ulthwé
Genesis of the Eldar