Slaanesh

Slaanesh's History

Slaanesh, also known as the Dark Princess and "She Who Thirsts" among the Aeldari, is the Chaos Goddess of of pleasure, pain, hedonism, excess, perfection and decadence. Lust, pride and self-indulgence are the hallmarks of all who follow it. Slaanesh is the youngest of the four major Chaos Gods, having come to full sentience within the Immaterium only during the 30th Millennium. The name Slaanesh is a corruption of the Aeldari term Slaaneth (Slaa meaning "ecstasy" or "pleasure" " and Neth meaning "lord" or "prince" in the Aeldari Lexicon; hence, the Prince of Pleasure), though ironically, the Aeldari refer to this foul entity only as Sai'lanthresh, "She Who Thirsts." Slaanesh was given life by the immorality and hubris of the ancient Aeldari Empire. As their empire reached its zenith, the Aeldari became lost in their own decadence, for they experience sensation and emotion to a far greater degree than any other intelligent species of the galaxy. The capabilities of their highly advanced technology meant that the Aeldari did not need to labour or wage war. Instead, they were able to dedicate their lives to whatever idle pursuits took their fancy. Over several generations, this indolence and hedonism came to rule and pervert their souls.

Not even the agents of the Inquisition know for sure how far Slaanesh's influence spreads, for wherever the lust for the pleasures of power and temporal gain exists, the talons of Slaanesh dig deep. Despite their best efforts, it is almost certain that the Imperium is rotten to the core, just as the Aeldari Empire was before it. How long before it succumbs to a similar fate?