Characters / Warhammer: High Elves

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Martial prowess!

"We are the chosen of Asuryan, beloved of the gods and heirs to the world. Our armies are the finest in creation; swift where our foes are lumbering, cultured where they are barbaric. Give no thought to failure, nor defeat – we are the Children of Ulthuan and we shall prevail."
—Phoenix King Aenarion the Defender

The High Elves, Asur or Annulii, are one of the Elder races created by the Old Ones. Isolated from the rest of the world, the High Elves mainly reside in the continent of Ulthuan, dividing their people into ten great kingdoms. Long-lived (more so than dwarfs), refined and having a strong affinity with magic but with haughty hearts, the High Elves' history is marked by numerous tragedies, fratricide wars and an unending fight to quell the forces of Chaos ever since the Great Chaos invasion. As such they are a dwindling race contemplating the ruins of better times. Their current ruler is the Phoenix King Finubar the Seafarer but its foremost champions are the twins Tyrion and Teclis.

The High Elves are the very definition of the Elite Army. What they lack in number they compensate in quality, fielding highly trained units of infantry or cavalry, from the humble militias to the Phoenix Guard, Swordsmasters of Hoeth, or Dragon Princes of Caledor (although they mostly ride horses nowadays), most of which lack toughness but strike fast and true. Around these units the High Elves make ample use of Mages whose mastery of the Winds of Magic is supreme on the battlefield. They can also call upon powerful monsters such as Phoenixes or mighty Dragons for help.

Having taken it upon themselves to protect the world, the Elves siphon the Winds of Magic out of the world to prevent the Daemons of Chaos from invading again. However, it can be said that their archenemies are the Dark Elves, corrupted and cruel reflections of themselves bent on invading Ulthuan. Arrogant as they are, the High Elves keep few relations with the other forces of Order, but will fight with them if need be.

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In General

The Northstar of Ulthuan, one of the main symbols of the High Elves.

• Amazon Brigade: The Maiden Guard of Avelorn are an elite troop of female warriors tasked with protecting those areas of Ulthuan that are most sacred to Isha, the Elven Mother Goddess. The majority of the Maiden Guard fight as Sisters of Avelorn, skilled archers who fire bolts of mystical, purifying flame. The most talented of the Maiden Guard are chosen to become the Handmaidens of the Everqueen, the fiercely loyal bodyguards and heralds of the High Elves' spiritual leader.
• Animal Motifs: Many of the kingdoms of Ulthuan have strong cultural ties to some specific animal species:
  • Caledor is strongly tied to the great dragons that slumber in its peaks. In addition to fielding most of the dragonriders still active in the modern day, Caledor places a twisted drake on its banners and fields regiments of noble cavalry who clad themselves and their horses in armor shaped to resemble draconic wings and spines.
  • Chrace's symbol are the huge white lions that live in its woods. The lion serves as its traditional symbol, and Chracian hunters are famous for either adorning themselves with the pelts of slain lions or taming them and using them to draw their chariots.
  • Ellyrion lives and breathes horses. Ellyrian troops ride to war beneath the symbol of a rearing pegasus, and love their steeds as they do their own kin.
• Archenemy: The High Elves have a long and bitter feud with the Dark Elves, and have had such a fratricidal history with them that their armies are especially suited to fight them. Valour of Ages which is pretty much omnipresent to the High Elves allows them to reroll Panic, Fear and Terror tests against the Dark Elves, and the Shadow Warriors of Nagarythe have Hatred against them.
• Atlantis: Ulthuan is a Fantasy Counterpart Culture version of it, an ancient and highly advanced civilization sitting in a content situation in the center of what is equivalent to the Atlantic ocean, arranged in several concentric geographic circles.
• Automatic Crossbows: The Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower is a repeating ballista.
• Back from the Dead: Phoenix Reborn allows slain Flamespyre Phoenixes a chance to come back at the end of the turn they were killed.
• Badass Army: Stout spearmen and archers who fight like the heroes of other races, often veterans of centuries of warfare. Majestic monsters and beasts bolstering the elven ranks, from giant eagles and white lions to phoenixes and even mighty dragons. Cadres of elite warriors widely known and feared grace the lines; like the White Lions of Chrace with their trademark enchanted greataxes that can cleave plate armour and never need sharpening, or the Swordmasters of Hoeth and their greatswords they wield with the grace of a cheerleader with a baton, or the Sisters of Avelorn who fire armour-thwarting arrows that burn with an arcane flame. You might even be unfortunate enough to see the legendary Phoenix Guard, the personal guard of the Shrine of Asuryan, whose knowledge of past and future events including the exact nature and moment of their deaths make them utterly fearless and unbreakable even for a race who go to battle with supreme confidence and bravery anyway. And of course, it's practically unheard of for an Asur warhost to march to war without at least one spellcaster of fearsome power in tow! When the Asur march to war, it's quite a thing.
• BFS: Wielded by the Swordmasters of Hoeth... which seem to resemble zweihanders in some works. In other works they're pretty much standard-sized longswords which are already big as-is. In any case, the swords count as Great Weapons.
• Born in the Saddle: The Reavers from the Kingdom of Ellyrion. It's a location famous for its wide rolling plains and sparse woodlands, where young elves learn to ride almost from the time they've learned to walk, and the riders will raise their own horses from foals, forming a strong bond of mutual trust before ever mounting them. In war, the Reavers act as outriders for High Elf armies on the march and light cavalry to harass enemy flanks and run them down when they break. They're extremely protective of their steeds — it's a common saying among other Elves that it's better to harm an Ellyrian's brother than his horse. Druchii raiders often attack Ellyrion to steal wild horses for their own herds, which the Ellyrians resist viciously — few crimes are more appallingly vile to them than horse theft, and considerably worse is that the Dark Elves viciously abuse and torture the horses that they steal.
• Brought Down to Badass: The Dragon Princes must be content with riding warhorses. Originally, Caledor was the most influential kingdom of Ulthuan purely because of their plentiful Dragons which they rode to war. Sadly for the Dragon Princes, the Dragons have now great difficulties waking up so the Princes were downgraded from Dragon Rider to mere heavy cavalry, which is still quite good by anyone's standard.
• Civil War: The Elven civil war began when Malekith, the son of the Elven saviour Aenarion, assassinated the Phoenix King and attempted to install himself as the Elven ruler and has continued, on and off, for more than four thousand years. The conflict has caused incalculable suffering, split the Elven race in two, began the sinking of the isle of Ulthuan and has weakened some of the defences against the forces of the Dark Gods.
• Conscription: The High Elves have a long tradition of the Citizen Levy where all young males are subject to being drafted into Ulthuan's armies on an as-needed basis. Each family is provided with spear, bow and armor, which is passed down from father to son and each bearer is expected to keep his equipment in fighting condition and be proficient in its use. In this way the High Elves can field a professional-quality army in larger numbers than their limited population would suggest.
• Cool Crown: The Phoenix King possess a crown named the Phoenix Crown, symbol of his kingship. The first crown is said to have been made of ingots and gems coming from all of Ulthuan, making it a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Alas the Dwarfs took it and a replacement was forged, which was seemingly so elaborate it took one hundred years to do so.
• Cool Helmet: Ubiquitous in the army. All High Elf helmets have a recognizable long and dome-like shape going twice the height of the head, giving the Elves ample space to ornate the helmets with jewels, gravures, feathers, panaches and whatnot.
• Cool Horse: Elven Steeds are perhaps the best horse units of the game with a better Movement 9 for all of them instead of the usual 8. In lore the horses have also a higher intellect and are more than mere obedient beasts but loyal partners to their riders.
• Cultured Badass: The Maiden Guard, and the Handmaidens in particular, are expected to emulate the Everqueen in her role as a paragon of everything elvenkind should strive to be. Thus, besides being deadly warriors and fearless guardians of Avelorn's holy and tainted places, they also pursue spiritual refinement and are accomplished artists.
• Dark Is Not Evil: The Shadow Warriors are secretive stealthy Elven warriors specialized in guerrilla and all underhanded tricks. Yet they still fight for Ulthuan and hate the Dark Elves with a passion.
• Deconstructive Parody: Of various elven tropes and clichés established by Tolkien and his writings. The Asur are a Long-Lived and Inhumanly Beautiful Race of people who are incredibly talented at everything from warfare to magic and the arts, with a competent government headed by a wise and politically savvy king backed by three of the most powerful individuals in the world: his wife Alarielle the Everqueen, the High Priestess of the goddess Isha and a powerful sorceress in her own right; Tyrion, the Champion of the Everqueen and a mighty Warrior Prince; and Teclis, Tyrion's brother and the High Loremaster of the Order of Loremasters, a genius archmage of incredible wit and magical talent. They're also a race of petty egomaniacs who treat all the other races as stupid, hut-dwelling barbarians with few intellectual and even fewer moral merits. The War of the Beard was started largely by the arrogant pride of the Phoenix King Caledor II and it cost the High Elves many of their wisest leaders and greatest heroes, most of their military strength and civilian population, nearly all of their colonies, and an irreplaceable magical artefact or three. In the modern day they aren't much better; Ulthuani politics is a Decadent Court that hamstrings the efforts of the competent people who are supposed to be in charge, their constant condescension pisses off everyone who works with them, High Elven agents and merchants travelling in the Old World alone or at least without sufficient security detail risk being battered and lynched by superstitious racists who get tired of their Cultural Posturing, and Alarielle, Tyrion and Teclis are nearly always too busy putting out fires at home or starting drama between themselves to do much to help poor Finubar lead his people. Even at the nadir of their power and fortune Ulthuan is still possibly the world's foremost superpower, but the High Elves are more often than not a non-factor to the wider world unless shit really hits the fan. In fact they're even more of a race in terminal decline than the Dwarfs are, because they will not stop squabbling amongst themselves for long enough to fix any of their myriad political problems or even just repopulate their depleted numbers. They are sliding inevitably towards extinction and they have alienated many people who could help them out of their rut (and they might be too proud to accept that help even if it were offered).
• Dissonant Serenity: The Phoenix Guard are often unnerving to their enemies in battle because of this. Their voicelessness makes them eerily quiet in combat and their foreknowledge of the moment and manner of their own death makes them completely fearless and perpetually calm.
• Divine Right of Kings: The elected kings of the Asur must pass unharmed through the Flame of Asuryan, their god, to be judged worthy of rule. While he appears to largely accept the choice and the ceremony has not prevented the coronation of kings who are reckless, feckless, or otherwise poor stewards of the country, this is not an empty ritual and, when Malekith murdered his way to the throne, he barely managed to throw himself back out of the fire, hideously burned.
• Dragon Knight: The Dragon Princes of Caledor are a heavy cavalry unit that, since they lack dragons as of late, compensate by wearing really ornate and dragon-themed armor both for them and the horses. The helmets in particular are forged to resemble dragon heads or have dragon wings sprouting out of them.
• Dragon Rider: In days pas this used to be a major source of High Elf strength but most dragons have fallen asleep and can only be woken with great difficulty. Nowadays, only a scant few Princes and Archmages can ride one.
• Dying Race: They're frequently said to be a dwindling people although this is apparently relative. They routinely absorb casualties that would bleed the Empire white in the fiction. The fact that the human nations are mostly 15th-17th century societies (with some more advanced islands like the Altdorf-Nuln corridor) while the High Elves barely even need to devote labor to agriculture due to their magic explains most of this, as that'd logically let them field a much larger percentage of their population for war.
• Elective Monarchy: The Phoenix Kings are elected from the various Princes of Ulthuan.
• Elemental Personalities: Dragon Mages, the High Elves' fire wizards, are impulsive and aggressive as a rule, far more than is typically for the Asura.
• Elite Army:
  • Despite their decline in population, the Elves have some of the most powerful armies of the world thanks to their sheer excellence in all skills pertaining to war. Every single High Elf is a decent fighter by necessity (see Conscription) and the specialist warriors they field are some of the bravest and most skilled around, their longevity greatly helping in that regard. One rule that is pretty much universal to them is Martial Prowess, allowing one further rank than the usual to fight as to demonstrate that their phalanxes are better coordinated.
  • Standing out even among High Elves is the Lothern Sea Guard and their commanders, the Sea Helms, who guard the only sea entrance inside the ring of Ulthuan and thus the inner kingdoms. Not having the flashier units of other provinces, they nonetheless possess an ironclad discipline allowing them to be effective inland and at sea. The Sea Helms possess a rule named Naval Discipline allowing a unit to reform immediately upon being charged to better optimize the fighting.
• Enchanted Forest: Ulthuan contains two prominent but distinct examples:
  • Avelorn: Located in the northernmost of the Inner Kingdoms, Avelorn is the oldest kingdom in Ulthuan and the origin of all elven civilization. It's a literally magical place, enchanted in the most joyful ways, with many magical and fey creatures living beneath its canopy. The residents are almost all nomadic, traveling the forest and making pavilion camps, and artists, poets, and lovers are drawn here. Its mores are libertine, love and joy are shared freely, and it's generally understood that the rules of decorum around most of Ulthuan don't apply in Avelorn. The Everqueen makes her court here, traveling around the forest with her Handmaidens and entourage.
  • Chrace: In the northeastern most Outer Kingdom of Ulthuan, Chrace is a much more foreboding place, full of tall old growth forests and prowled by dangerous predators and occasional shades. Its location puts it in the path of Dark Elf invaders, and the residents of Chrace are known for being vigilant and self-reliant by necessity. However, the wood shaped and cut from here is valuable, as are the pelts are of many creatures who dwell here, such as the white lions from whom the Phoenix King's cadre of Chrace-born bodyguards take their names and cloaks.
• Energy Bow: The Sisters of Avelorn do not shoot regular arrows but bolts of flame borne out of Isha’s power shaped like arrows that burn the enemy. As a result, they get Flaming Attack and inflict a penalty to armor save hit on the attacked model from the destructive force of the arrows.
• Expy: They have quite a few similarities with the Melniboneans, being a race of elves with pointy helmets who live isolated on a large island and use dragons as their ultimate fighting units. However, the High Elves are definetely on the side of good while the Melniboneans' cruelty and decadence are taken by the Dark Elves.
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
  • Generally, Asur society is a mix of the Ancient Greeks (more specifically being the cultured and educated but still very badass Athenians to the Dark Elves' warlike and positively Darwinian Spartans) and the Byzantines with a little bit of Edo period Japan (foreigners are forbidden to set foot on Ulthuan, except for certain designated ports) and a whole lot of Tolkien's Quendi for flavor.
  • As a thalassocratic island nation that once owned a globe-spanning empire and now owns only a few far-flung colonial outposts, but still maintains a powerful navy and air force and remains a major player politically and militarily in world affairs, the High Elves also have distinct parallels with the British Empire. Though the Greeks also established overseas colonies and a powerful navy, and had several periods of being a very powerful empire that then declined into much weaker forms.
• Fantasy Pantheon: Two of them. The Elven gods are divided into the Cadai the gods of the heavens and the Cytharai the gods of the underworld. All in all there are fourty four of them. The most important ones include:
  • Asuryan, the Creator: The Top God of the Cadai. The Elves believe that he has been shaping their destiny since the beginning of time. The Phoenix King is considered to be his mortal representative.
  • Isha, the Mother: The Hera to Asuryan's Zeus. It was her who taught the Elves to love and respect nature. The Everqueen is considered to be her mortal representative.
  • Lilieath, the Maiden: Goddess of Divination. Mother of Isha and wife of Asuryan. She's also the Lady of the Lake.
  • Kurnous, the Hunter: God of the hunt and wild beasts. He is the spirit of untamed wilderness, and the husband of Isha. Together, they represent both the feral aggression and the motherly fertility of nature. The Elves of Avelorn and Ellyrion consider him their primary god, rather than Asuryan.
  • Hoeth, the Wise: God of Wisdom and Knowledge. He began the Elves' famous magical tradition. He has no actual priesthood, as the mages of the White Tower are his clergy. Religion is very literally magic.
• Fantastic Race Weapon Affinity: The High Elves favor the use of spears — ranks of spearmen defended by great tower shields form the backbone of their armies — and also proficient archers and boast a number of strong ranged units.
• Fantastic Racism: The Asur consider themselves to be the absolute pinnacle of civilization and make no bones about it, and non-Elven foreigners are barred from setting foot in Ulthuan outside of specific ports. The way they see it, the Druchii are repulsive degenerates, the Asrai are backwoods hicks who need to learn to mind their betters, the Dawi are reactionary, crude and petty, the various nations of Men are a pack of barbarians with few intellectual and fewer moral merits, the Lizardmen are a shadow long past its prime, and nobody else is really worth the effort of thinking about.
• The Federation: Much like the Empire, the High Elves run on an Elective Monarchy with each of Ulthuan's ten constituent kingdoms ruled by their various princes, one of whom is chosen by the others to become the Phoenix King.
• Fictional Flag: Each High Elven kingdom uses iconography derived from some notable trait or tradition, such as Chrace's white lion head to represent its wild lions, Caledor's coiling dragon in honor of its Dragon Riders, or Ellyrion's white horse head to represent its equestrian traditions.
• Flying Car: Flying chariot in this case. The Lothern Skycutter is an airborne chariot pulled by a Great Eagle and supported by magic, allowing two Lothern Sea Guards to fire at targets from above.
• Foreseeing My Death: The Phoenix Guard are shown how and when they will die, which makes them fearless. In game the Phoenix Guard have the Witness to Destiny rule giving them a 4+ ward save to represent their Plot Armor since a given battle may or may not be a Phoenix Guard's time to die.
• Fragile Speedster: As a whole the Elves are this. Even the occasional human commander gets Toughness 4 but elves don’t have that luxury. However, they move faster, have a better initiative and all of them get Always Strikes First.
• Gate Guardian: The sea-dragon Amanar guards port of Lothern, the primary marine gate into Ulthuan, and rises to its defense during times of particularly dire need.
• Giant Flyer: Elves make ample use of Dragons, Phoenixes, Great Eagles, Griffons, Roc Birds and other flying beasts to maneuver above the battlefield and rain down death on their enemies. No other faction has access to such an array of flying units.
• Gold-Colored Superiority: High Elves spare no expense on gold plating their armors, helmets, chainmail, weapons and various accessories to flaunt their superiority in the enemy’s face.
• Good Is Not Nice: While the High Elves are certainly noble, overall good-hearted beings, they are still major assholes to anyone who isn't them.
• Good Wears White: Downplayed. Although the High Elves' choice of clothing is white and while they are genuinely on the side of good, they can be quite dismissive and hostile towards other races.
• Horse Archer: The Ellyrian Reavers who serve as scouts, messengers and monster hunters.
• An Ice Person: The oldest phoenixes known as Frostheart Phoenix have had their flames cool to such low temperatures that their former fiery power have turned to ice instead. The Blizzard Aura rule forces Always Strikes Last and a strength penalty to all units near a Cryophoenix.
• Implausible Fencing Powers: Swordmasters of Hoeth are known to be able to deflect arrows in flight, cutting them out of the air as they fall into their formation. Of course this does not make them immune to arrows but it does limit the damage that they can cause. Their Deflect Shots rules gives them a slight ward save against nonmagical projectiles.
• Infinity +1 Sword: The Widowmaker, or Sword of Khaine, is a terribly powerful sword said to be a splinter of Khaine’s own sword. Central to Aenarion the Defender’s story, it allowed him to cut swathes of daemons with ease, but it also an Artifact of Doom that corrupted not only Aenarion, but a good chunk of the Elves from Nagarythe with him too. It is thankfully not available in the game proper but the End Times, we learn more about its powers; every successful hit with the Widowmaker wounds automatically with a Multiple Wounds bonus and it ignores armor saves as well as boosting its bearer’s stats in Strength and Toughness to Champion of Chaos level. Finally, it is so powerful nothing in game, be it spells or special rules, can destroy it.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Their main hat; yes they're pricks (who isn't?), but they have the world's safety in mind. While the High Elves pretty much look down on the lesser races and also mainly fight for themselves, the Asur have the safety of their world in mind. The Dragon Princes of Caledor take it even further, being such haughty snotty jerks in general that even the other High Elves are deeply annoyed. Yet in battle a Dragon Prince won't think twice about risking his life to save the humblest among the footsoldiers.
• Knight In Shining Armour: The Silver Helms, essentially the Elven knights. Some Imperial scholars have speculated that the human martial tradition of knighthood may have been inspired by early tribal human societies witnessing the Silver Helms.
• Lady Land: The Gaean Vale, a volcanic island just off the southern coast of Avelorn, is sacred to Isha, mother goddess of the Elves. The magic of creation flows free and wild there, with her oracles tending shrines on the slopes and other acolytes who attend the place. Because the place is so sacred to Isha, sapient males are not allowed to set foot on it on pain of death and any ship with men on it will be warned off with a *Twang* Hello from its attendants. Any woman who wishes to visit must either take a rowboat from a ship anchored offshore or swim the last bit of the way. Every Asur woman is expected to make a pilgrimage to this island at least once in her life.
• Lazy Dragon: The Dragons of Ulthuan have been hit by a mysterious stupor which makes them really sleepy and hard to wake. Only weeks of praying and chanting ancient Caledorian songs can wake them up, and some Dragons are too deep in their slumber to ever wake again.
• Ley Line: The Hive Elves built many waystones across Ulthuan generations ago during a great surge of magic from the Chaos wastes in the north. This turned Ulthuan into a magical "anchor" around which the Winds of Magic would swirl in a controlled manner, adding order to what was otherwise a chaotic source of destructive arcane energy across the world. Disturbing any of these carefully placed stones can have disastrous effects on the Winds of Magic, potentially ripping Ulthuan apart with the unbalanced power.
• Light Is Good: The High Elves are some of the most enthusiastic enemies of Chaos and their armies stroll battlefields in bright white garb for the most part.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: No Elf would be caught having hair that does not reach his shoulder. In fact long hair is also seen as a sign of martial skill, strength and overall nobility.
• Mage Tower: The famed tower of Hoeth, half a mile high and guarded by many illusory spells that cause those who approach it with deadly intent to be turned around, shelters the greatest repository of magical knowledge in the world. The Loremasters of Hoeth studying within it are the greatest mages of Ulthuan although they do not necessarily wield magic for battle. It doesn't follow the standard laws of physics, with it's height being impossible without magic, containing a library larger than the tower could physically encompass, and having doors one may enter on the ground level on one side that exit to upper floors on the other side.
• Magic Knight: The Loremasters of Hoeth are no mere mages but also master swordsmen, having Weapon Skill 6 as well as a level 2 Wizard level which explicitly doesn’t reflect their overall mastery of magic at all but how much they deigned to practice combat spells. Indeed, their pursuit of knowledge in all its forms has led to them mastering both swordsmanship and magic, their intellect being such that they find both easy.
• Master Swordsman: The Swordmasters of Hoeth, duh. They have a Weapon Skill worthy of a Lord unit from lesser races and their Deflect Shots rule represents how they can cut down arrows fired at them.
• McNinja: The Shadow Warriors, stealth experts from the province of Naggarythe. Living in the province most frequently the target of Dark Elf raids and invasions tends to result in individuals skilled at moving quickly and staying out of sight.
• Medieval Stasis: The Elves do not have much in the way of pure technology despite millennia of existence. Their most complex machine is the reaper bolt thrower in fact and the Elves mainly perfected the science behind their existing tools instead of inventing new ones. That said, when magic enables a civilization to create things that even technology wouldn’t be able to reproduce, there is little incentive to go down new and innovative paths.
• Merchant City: Lothern, the southernmost city in Ulthuan in the kingdom of Eataine. It sits at the only strait giving aquatic access between Ulthuan's inner sea and the wider ocean. This has turned it into Ulthuan's most major sea port, and most of the goods that flow into and out of Ulthuan go through Lothern. It's also the only city in Ulthuan to have a substantial non-Elf permanent population, as many mercantile interests from other nations keep guild offices and warehouses there along with secondary industries and a transient sailing population. This has turned it into one of the wealthiest cities in the world, and its strategic importance and fortifications against sea invasions make it a bit of a Citadel City as well.
• Mithril: Ithilmar ("Sky Silver"), an equivalent Fantasy Metal, the only known deposits of which are on Ulthuan. Described as being as strong as steel but lighter, more flexible and a joy to work. Most High Elf armor and weapons are made from more common metals, but the more elaborate armor worn by the nobility uses Ithilmar extensively in its construction. Mechanically this is reflected by High Elf units who wear "heavy" armor are not slowed down the way heavy steel armor does for other factions.
• Nemean Skinning: The White Lions wear the skin of a white lion. It's not just for show either, their Lion Cloaks add a +2 bonus to their Armour Save against shooting attacks.
• Only the Worthy May Pass: A Phoenix King may be elected by his fellow nobles but he must step into the sacred Flame of Asuryan to be judged for kingship by his god. A worthy king will emerge unscathed but as Malekith’s story shows, anyone who do not meet the standards will be burned down to a crisp, suffering untold pain for a lifetime. The End Times reveal that since Malekith all kings have pretty much cheated their way out of the trial through protective spells, the real trial involved being heavily burned but then reformed by the flame.
• Our Dragons Are Different: The dragons of the Caledorian mountains are ancient, wise beings and close allies of the elves, and split into three classes by age — Sun Dragons are the youngest, weakest and most hot-blooded, Moon Dragons older and more sedate, and Star Dragons are incredibly rare, immensely powerful elders. They also spend most of their time asleep for unclear reasons — the oldest ones are also the hardest to rouse — and view the dragons of the Old World in a similar light to how the Asur view humans.
• Our Elves Are Different: The Asur fit the High Elves archetype just right with them being an ancient dwindling empire that is better than humans at everything (craftmanship, magic and fighting) except checking their ego when they need to. They also downplay the usual elven association with archery and light weapons — they do have those, but also use greatswords, axes, halberds and heavy armor.
• Our Gryphons Are Different: Elven Griffons are smaller and weaker than the Empire equivalent but slightly more agile.
• The Phoenix:
  • Phoenixes are available to the High Elf army as monstrous units, and come in two kinds — the Flamespyre Phoenix, which is young and fiery and can come back from the dead in a shower of flames, and the ancient, much tougher Frostheart Phoenix, which trails ice and chill rather than flames, and has lived so long it is no longer able to rebirth itself. There are also Arcane Phoenixes, described in the Monstrous Arcanum, a much rarer variant with rainbow-colored feathers, swallow-like tails and the Flamespyre's ability to rebirth itself, which are believed to be companions of Asuryan himself and only appear in the material world as omens of imminent catastrophes and a hope of rebirth afterwards.
  • The phoenix is also the symbol of Asuryan, the king of the elven gods, hence the king of the High Elves being known as the Phoenix King and the guards of Asuryan's temple being the Phoenix Guard.
  • Phoenix feathers can also be used to create a talisman that can resurrect its bearer if they're killed, although the talisman itself is consumed in the process.
• Pillar of Light: At the center of the Inner Sea rages the Great Vortex, an enormous vortex of magic which vacuums the magic winds out of the world so that the Daemons of Chaos may never invade the entire world in full force again.
• Planet of Hats: Most of the ten kingdoms of Ulthuan do something to play around with the elf archetype:
  • Eataine: Trade and Cosmopolitanism. Oldest and wealthiest of the Asur realms, and Lothern remains the only port on Ulthuan that non-Asur are allowed to visit, making it a centre for world trade.
  • Avelorn: Nature Hero. All elves originate from Avelorn, and it is where the Everqueen resides and so arguably is the safest place in the world (and the closest thing in the Warhammer world to the classic elf stereotype). Most of Avelorn's population are poets, artists and mages who live blissful, nomadic lives in verdant forests.
  • Ellyrion: Cavalry. Much of Ellyrion is plain and steppe where horses with the lifespans of elves thunder and stampede from dawn to dusk. By tradition, Ellyrion's people are raised from a young age on horseback, skilled in the use of spear and bow. It is home to the famed Ellyrian Reavers.
  • Caledor: Dragons. Caledor is a mountainous realm where mighty dragons slumber in the peaks, named for the famed Asur king Caledor Dragontamer. In previous ages Caledor's Dragon Princes were widely respected and feared, but now the dragons sleep and their power has waned.
  • Saphery: Wizardry. Magical energy flows strongly through Saphery, and as such magic flows through the blood of the local elves. They are wizards without peer, and elves from all over Ulthuan travel to the Tower of Hoeth to study the arcane arts.
  • Yvresse: Decline. Once, Yvresse was a mighty and prosperous kingdom, and Tor Yvresse (the kingdom's one major city) was grand as any of the elven cities of old. Since the Daemonic incursions and the WAAAGH! of Grom the Paunch, much of Yvresse was devastated, and now many of the city's handsome mansions and gleaming amphitheatres lie vacant and silent.
  • Cothique: Sailing. A coastal realm populated by seafolk hardened by bitter winds and Norscan raids. Toughened and stubborn, Cothique elves patrol the oceans and seas of the world, drawing maps and attacking any hostile forces and sea monsters they encounter.
  • Chrace: Grim warriors. Chrace stands at the forefront of Druchii and Norscan raids and is populated by monstrous creatures corrupted by Chaos. Every settlement in Chrace is fortified, and its people live ever under the shadow of battle. Home to the fearsome white lions, and the legendary regiment the White Lions who guard the Phoenix King.
  • Tiranoc: Proud warriors. Much of Tiranoc was sunk in the Sundering and has not recovered, and its people often wage war from either a traditional chariot or a Skycutter. Disciplined and mobile, yet also wild and maritime, Tiranoci elves are adept at fighting on land or at sea.
  • Shadowlands: Dark elf hunters. Formerly known as Nargarythe, the homeland of Malekith and most of the Dark Elves, the Shadowlands are now home to bitter Ulthuan loyalists who are little different from their Druchii kin. Most of the population are Shadow Warriors, raised from captured Dark Elf children and babies and trained in the arts of stealth, assassination, and guerilla warfare; they are brutal in their tactics, and they never, never take any Druchii prisoners.
• Playing with Fire: Dragon Mages of Caledor do not pursue the path of High Magic but instead devote themselves to being wizards in the Lore of Fire and being quite aggressive with it. This is represented by a neat bonus to casting attempt but an inability to receive bonuses for dispelling any enemy spell. Moreover, the Flamespyre Phoenixes are engulfed in flames and will use that to their advantage. Wake of Fire makes Flamespyre Phoenixes hurt any unit they fly over by virtue of the remaining flaming trail behind them falling upon the foe.
• Praetorian Guard: Two of them, one for each of Ulthuan's most important rulers. The White Lions guard the Phoenix King ever since a party of woodsmen saved Caledor the First from an assassin, while the Everqueen is guarded by her hundred Handmaidens.
• The Proud Elite: Dragon Princes are known for their excessive haughtiness to the point "Dragon Prince" has become a common slang meaning someone excessively prideful.
• Retcon: At one point, there was a fourth Elven subrace, the Sea Elves, who lived in Ulthuan's Outer Kingdoms while the High Elves inhabited the Inner Kingdoms. Eventually, though, they were Retconned into a subculture of High Elves native to the more navally inclined kingdoms and cities such as Eataine and Yvresse.
• Roc Birds: The coastline of Eataine is populated by the Swiftfeather Rocs, blue-feathered raptors about the same size as the giant eagles found elsewhere in the world. They're among the various species of giant flyers allied to the elves, and in times of war are employed as both advance scouts and to pull the airborne Skycutter Chariots.
• Sea Serpents: The High Elves, and the kingdom of Lothern in particular, are allied with the merwyrms or sea dragons, finned and serpentine relatives of land dragons (although also provided with stubby limbs that let them move on land) which live in the ocean.
• The Speechless: The Phoenix Guard, whose stoic silence in combat is so eerie to their foes that they cause Fear in opponents. The Phoenix Guards have in fact sworn an oath of silence so that they will never reveal the secrets of the future that are inscribed inside the temple of Asuryan.
• State Sec: Swordsmasters double as elite infantry and Secret Police.
• Sword and Sorcerer: Present in both High Elf characters and their roster. Tyrion is the heavily-armored Sword, while his brother Teclis is the Glass Cannon Sorcerer. It's also the case with the Swordmasters and their charges, the Mages of the White Tower.
• A Thicket of Spears: The traditional melee weapon of the High Elf militia is the spear, with which Asur militiamen are trained to present a near-impenetrable wall of spikes to the enemy. This is represented in-game by High Elf Spearmen being able to fight with extra ranks.
• Tree Vessel: Downplayed. Each ship in their navy is formed from a single enormous tree, carefully planted and attended by elven wizards channeling Ghyran, magically forming it into the needed shape over hundreds of years before uprooting it and moving it into a drydock for finishing. The hull is a hollow trunk and the masts are carefully shaped branches, its own sap wrung out to form a tough and tight outer seal.
• Undying Loyalty: The great white lions of Chrace are unflinchingly loyal to their pride, putting their bonds to their kin above everything else, and will go to immense lengths to bring vengeance to those who harm their pride-mates. This is something a wizard seeking to magically bind them has to keep in mind. Once the magic inevitably wears off, the lions are more than capable of tearing a wizard limb from limb to avenge companions who died in their service, but if the wizard manages to be accepted into the pride then the lions will remain at their side long after the spells fail and fight to the death in their defense.
• Utility Magic: The Asur have been practicing the arcane arts far longer than man has known how to write, and use them for mundane tasks that humans would rarely trust their own wizards to perform. It is through this magic that High Elves build their soaring, seemingly impossibly slender towers and manage to have abundant harvests despite cultivating very little farmland.
• Weak, but Skilled: The High Elves do not impress with their natural Strength and Toughness stats but have impressive Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill as a whole, plus several other rules to represent how much "better" they are.
• White Magic: Elven (and Slann) High Magic is the "least corrupt" form of magic and draws upon the full spectrum of the Winds of Magic. It is considered one of the best lores to use thanks to its versatility and extremely useful signature spell Drain Magic, that can either weaken an enemy's sorcerer or end any magical effect on allies.

The Illustrious Defenders of Ulthuan

Tyrion

Prince Tyrion, Defender of Ulthuan

Champion of Ulthuan

"Our beautiful land is besieged on all sides, but we resist the like our fathers did before us. We will emerge victorious and more intractable than ever to these turbulent times when our corrupt brothers come to ravage our shores. We are the Asur, the son of Aenarion and Ulthuan shall never fall."

The Defender of Ulthuan and Champion of the Everqueen, Prince Tyrion is widely regarded as the High Elves' greatest living warrior, with some claiming him to be Aenarion the Defender reborn.

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• The Ace: In all martial matters. Tyrion is one of the greatest swordsmen alive as well as an accomplished commander and strategist.
• Armor of Invincibility: Tyrion wears the Dragon Armour of Aenarion, an exquisite armor of such quality it gives him a 1+ Armour save and 4+ Ward save.
• Berserk Button: Tyrion, who's already The Berserker has two; the nobles' snobbish attitude and making fun of his brother or friends.
• Big Brother Instinct: Fiercely protective of his younger brother.
• Bling of War: The Dragon Armour of Aenarion is ornate even by Elven standards.
• Blood Knight: A heroic example but one nonetheless. Tyrion loves to fight and largely considers his martial prowess to be his only worthwhile skill, a fact is he aware of and concerned about at times.
• Bodyguard Crush: Tyrion and Alarielle are lovers despite Alarielle being the Phoenix King’s consort and Tyrion being only her champion on paper.
• The Champion: His official position is as the champion of Alarielle the Radiant, Everqueen of Ulthuan. From a broader perspective, he counts as one for all of Ulthuan.
• Characterization Marches On: Tyrion used to be fairly charismatic, now he's a blunt Brutally Honest berserker.
• Cool Horse: His steed Malhandir, a mighty stallion said to be descended from Korhandir, the legendary father of horses. It is the fastest horse in the game with Movement 10, and in lore is stated to effortlessly evade the strikes of larger, less agile monsters.
• Cool Sword: Tyrion’s sword is the Sunfang, a Flaming Sword forged by Caledor Dragontamer to smite Daemons and which contains some essence of the Sun itself. Its attacks are resolved with +3 Strength and it can unleash a neat Sword Beam too.
• Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: The deed which cemented his rise to fame was the defeat of the infamous Keeper of Secrets N'kari mightiest of Slaanesh's daemons, a feat which he and his brother achieved while still underage. The twins have battled N'kari on a least one other occasion since then and that too ended in defeat for the daemon.
• Generation Xerox: Is said to greatly resemble his famed ancestor Aenarion, to the point where some believe him to be Aenarion reborn. This resemblances shocks Morathi to the point she seemingly falls in love with him.
• Genius Ditz: Tyrion is a natural genius in single combat and military engagement. Not so much at anything else...
• The Hero: To the High Elves, as evidenced by his title "Defender of Ulthuan". Unlike his brother however, he typically extends his heroism only to Ulthuan and seems little concerned with the fate of the other races. As the greatest hope of Ulthuan, his Inspiring Presence bubble is 18’’ wide.
• Heroic Lineage: As previously stated, he and his brother are direct descendants of the first Phoenix King Aenarion.
• Hot-Blooded: Tyrion has a tendency to be impulsive, passionate and often reckless.
• Master Swordsman: His skill with a sword is preternatural, even by Elven standards. With Weapon Skill 9, there is almost no one to match him in battle among mortals.
• No Social Skills: Downplayed. While Tyrion is certainly capable of turning on the charm he is an honest and straightforward elf at heart, and has little patience for the pomp and ceremony most Asur hold as sacred.
• One-Man Army: Tyrion is stated to have defeated a Skaven Army alone, with only Malhandir for a mount.
• Power Crystal: Tyrion possesses the Heart of Avelorn, a magic ruby connecting him to Alarielle and which will protect him from death at the cost of their love. If he is slain, on a 2+ roll dice, Tyrion will be Back from the Dead.
• Replacement Goldfish: Tyrion is seen as this to Aenarion by Morathi.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: Tyrion very much represents the ideal Elven Warrior-Prince, being a masterful swordsman, a charismatic leader and an accomplished tactician. In addition he is also charming, good looking and in peak physical condition. His brother Teclis by contrast is a sickly cripple who has long endured scorn from his fellow elves, despite being an immensely powerful mage.
• Smart People Play Chess: Tyrion mastered chess from an early age, though he couldn't say exactly how he became so good at it, just that he had an eye for seeing the unfolding patterns in a match. This apparently is part of the same intuitive grasp of martial strategy that Aenarion himself once had, and a mark of where life would take him.
• Sword Beam: A variant. In addition to being an Flaming Sword Sunfang can also project blasts of fire.
• The Un-Favourite: In marked contrast to how they're received by Elven society at large, the twin's father Arathion has always seemed to favor Teclis over Tyrion, mainly due to how alike the two are.
• World's Best Warrior: He is definitely in the running at the very least and his Weapon Skill 9 for his model attests of his exceptional prowess.

Teclis

Teclis of the White Tower

The Sharp Tongued Mage

"The Realms of Man must not fall. Our fate is intertwined with theirs, and if they fall, so too do we. For this reason, I taught their first masters of magic, and for this reason, we must not abandon Men, despite their barbarous ways."

Twin brother of Tyrion. Teclis, caustic-tongued and frail-bodied, is perhaps the mightiest mage amongst all of the High Elves, founder of the Imperial Colleges of Magic after the Great War Against Chaos.

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• The Ace: In all matters relating to magic. As a youth and with minimal training, he was already able to cast highly advanced spells almost instinctively.
• All of the Other Reindeer: During his youth Teclis often endured the scorn of his fellow elves on account of his physical frailty. While this has left him with some understandable bitterness, it also instilled in him a sense of compassion for those most Asur would consider beneath them.
• Arch-Enemy: To Malekith the Witch-King himself. Out of all the living Warhammer characters it's Teclis who has earned his ire (and grudging respect) the most, after he defeated the dark elf king in a Wizard Duel at The Battle of Finuval Plain.
• The Archmage: Regarded as likely the greatest natural sorcerer of his age, even standing up to sorcerers with millennia more of experience. In game Teclis is a natural Level 4 (up to Level 5 with the Moon Staff) and doesn't generate spells normally. He can either be a Loremaster in High Magic or know one spell of his choice in each of the eight basic lores. That's how great he is.
• Badass Bookworm: As a High Elven loremaster he is the embodiment of this trope.
• The Chessmaster: A mostly benevolent example.
• Cool Crown: Teclis wears the War Crown of Saphery, a helm decorated with a distinctive crescent moon and which imbues him with such magical power that he is considered a level 5 Wizard. In lore, it's protective enchantments guard the mage who wears it against the predations of Chaos, allowing them to channel more power than would be otherwise be safe for a mortal to grasp without being overwhelmed by it.
• Cool Sword: In spite of his frailty he still carries a blade, known only as the Sword of Teclis. He forged the weapon himself in a sort of self-enforced Rite of Passage, in order to prove his skills as an enchanter. Teclis rarely actually uses it in combat, which is a shame since it wounds on 2+ dice rolls and ignores Armour, making it very powerful and just a step down from the famed Runefangs. Teclis based the enchantments he built into it on the notes he took while studying Sunfang, and it duplicates some of Sunfang's ability to magically be where the wielder needs it to be, compensating for Teclis' own lack of extensive training with weapons.
• Deadpan Snarker: Renowned for his sharp tongue and cutting wit.
• Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: As noted above, Teclis, at that point a fairly young (by Elven standards) elf, managed to defeat Malekith himself, a nearly 7000 year old walking nightmare who can take down greater daemons with ease. Admittedly, Teclis managed to achieve victory via exploiting his enemy's Achilles' Heel (using a spell to ignite the fires of Asuryan which still smouldered within the Witch-King's body) but this does nothing to diminish a remarkable accomplishment, and demonstrated Teclis' razor sharp intellect in the process. In addition, he and Tyrion have also defeated the greater daemon N'kari on multiple occasions.
• Expy: Of Elric of Melnibone, except much nicer with more emphasis on the hero instead of the anti... mostly.
• Genius Cripple: Teclis is so frail he can't even walk under his own power without magical assistance. Fortunately, he's also one of the greatest wizards who's ever lived.
• Handicapped Badass: As a result of Aenarion's curse, although he is an extraordinarily powerful mage, Teclis is sickly and frail and has to regularly drink special elixirs in order to even stand up.
• In the Blood: Teclis shares Aenarion's Curse with his brother. In his case it's affected his body instead of his mind.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Teclis' sharp tongue is one of his most famous traits, causing him to often be regarded as rude and discourteous. However, he is also one of the few High Elves to genuinely give a damn about races other than his own, even treating humans and dwarfs with a modicum of respect and courtesy. He also taught the men of the Empire how to safely wield magic, founding the Imperial Colleges of Magic in the process.
• Limited-Use Magical Device: Teclis carries with him the Moon Staff of Lileath and the Scroll of Hoeth, the latter being an Anti-Magic artefact that can automatically dispel once and makes the user forget the spell that was thrown.
• Magic Knight: Teclis is one of the most powerful spellcasters in the World, but he's also capable of killing people with his sword. Technically. It's entirely the sword's enchantments that make this possible, however, as it compensates for his abysmal strength and also depends on his totally average skills as a fighter.
• Magic Staff: Teclis’ Moon Staff of Lileath, a relic left to the Elves by the goddess of the Moon Lileath, adds a dice to every spellcasting attempt for one turn of Teclies’ choosing.
• Mystical High Collar: His robes sport an impressive high collar.
• Parental Favoritism: When he and Tyrion were growing up, their father Arathion seemed to favor Teclis over his brother. This was mostly due to the strong resemblance between them, with Arathion being a scholarly mage like Teclis would one day become. Not to mention the fact that the sickly Teclis simply needed more care, whereas Tyrion seemed to have everything come easily to him.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: His brother is a powerful and charismatic warrior-general, Teclis is a physically frail, sharp-tongued archmage.
• Squishy Wizard: Even more so than most spellcasters, thanks to his infirmity. His stats reflect this by giving him a paltry Strength and Toughness 2, as much as a Goblin.
• Sword and Sorcerer: The sorcerer to Tyrion's sword.
• Training the Gift of Magic: Something he engaged upon when he taught men of The Empire the rudiments of magic during The Great War Against Chaos centuries ago. He in fact founded Altdorf's Colleges of Magic so that humans could teach other humans how to wield The Winds of Magic safely. This was considered a radically dangerous idea by his fellow High Elves, given human's short life span and unpredictable character, but Teclis considered it necessary that the younger race be trained so they could serve as a secondary bulwark against Chaos.

Eltharion

Eltharion the Grim, Prince of Yvresse

Tor Yvresse will never fall while I live!

Warden of Tor Yvresse, Eltharion is the lord of that domain, responsible for hurling back the Waaagh! of the infamous Goblin Warlord known as Grom the Paunch, and commands respect as the first Elven general ever to take the High Elves to war against the Dark Elves in their own territory, leading the first war on Naggaroth itself.

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• Ancestral Weapon: His family blade, Fangsword.
• Came Back Strong: He was fatally wounded during the attack on Naggarond by a poisoned blade, and almost died on the return trip home. The spirit of his father pulled him from the grip of death, leaving him with Fangsword, letting him use its power to stop Grom.
• Cool Helmet: Eltharion wears a golden helmet decorated with deployed eagle wings, the Helm of Yvresse. It adds a bonus to Armour save and grants a 5+ Ward save.
• Cool Sword: He wields the Fangsword granting a +2 Strength for matter of resolving wounds, and which ignore Armor saves.
• Didn't Think This Through: Eltharion tried to exterminate the Greenskins of the Badlands once, but in doing so forgot how much of a Blood Knight their entire race is. It only served to attract more Orcs to fight this one Elf and his lads who could give “a propa’ fight”.
• Dressing as the Enemy: How he was able to successfully attack the city of Naggarond. His troops used the attire of slain Dark Elves to send troops in to open the gate up.
• Fantastic Racism: Due to Grom the Paunch and his horde ravaging his ancestral lands and slaughtering his family, Eltharion hates all greenskins with a passion far greater than any other member of his race. This is represented in-game by Eltharion having the Hatred (Orcs & Goblins) rule, giving him bonuses when fighting against greenskins.
• Four-Star Badass: Eltharion is extremely renowned as a general, he’s been the mastermind behind the Asur’s first open raid on Naggarond which was successful, he repelled the WAAAGH! Grom and then took the battle to the Badlands to scour it from Greenskins. In fact, he was so renowned that the Greenskins consider him to be the the only "Pointy Ear" that is a Worthy Opponent.
• It's Personal: Hates Orcs and Goblins, especially Grom the Paunch. The Blood Oath rule gives him a +1 bonus to Hit Grom.
• Knight in Sour Armour: Seeing his homeland ravaged by the Greenskins turned Eltharion into a bitter and cynical elf. He still fights for good despite this, and overall is a rough but noble person.
• Magic Knight: Due to the Talisman of Hoeth, which makes Eltharion a level 2 Wizard.
• Our Gryphons Are Different: Rides the Griffon Stormwing.

Alarielle

Alarielle the Radiant, Everqueen of Ulthuan

The current Everqueen and high priestess of Isha, and normally runs the civilian and cultural parts of Ulthuan society. However, in recent times she has been taking to the battlefield, something that is regarded as a terrible omen.

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• Action Mom: In a literal sense, as she has at least one daughter, and also in a metaphorical sense as she's considered the semi-mortal representative of the Elven mother goddess Isha and thus the symbolic mother to all living elves.
• Blow That Horn: Alarielle's presence enables her army to take the Horn of Isha to battle, which will grant an attack bonus to the bearer's unit for one turn.
• Body Guard Babes: The Everqueen is protected and attended at all times by her Handmaidens, a cadre of women who've been accepted into her service. Selection requires demonstration of extensive skill or talent, which includes combat but also several other possible categories such as dancers and artists. It's a high honor to be accepted into their ranks, as such individuals are supposed to represent the pinicale of Elven excellence and beauty.
• Cool Crown: Alarielle wears the Star of Avelorn, a diadem made of ithilmar embedded with a single radiant gem said to contain a star. It makes Alarielle an even better Combat Medic since she can give back a lost wound to a nearby character per turn.
• Fertile Feet: Flowers are said to blossom where she treads.
• Fisher King: Her magic is tied to the magic that suffuses all of Ulthuan itself. When she is healthy and happy, Ulthuan will be bathed in magical summers. If she is hurt or sad, the land itself will mourn, becoming overcast and dreary.
• Friend to All Living Things: Well, with some obvious exceptions; Dark Elves and Chaos worshipers for instance.
• Good Is Not Soft: Don't be fooled, threaten Ulthuan and she won't hesitate to strike you down.
• Good Hurts Evil: Daemons die from her mere presence, and her touch has the ability to kill outright any creature from the "Forces of Destruction" category. Her Chaos Bane rule makes it so all Daemonic units suffer D6 Strength 4 hits. Moreover, Touch of the Everqueen grants her the Heroic Killing Blow rule against the forces of Destruction.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Golden-haired, and one of the noblest characters in the setting.
• The Heart: Alarielle is the avatar of Isha on Ulthuan, and since Isha is the Mother goddess, Alarielle is mostly expected to give spiritual support. Her Boon of Isha rule makes the unit she’s in immune to Fear and Terror to represent the courage her presence inspires.
• The High Queen: Regal, benevolent, beautiful and powerful.
• In the Blood: Unlike the Phoenix King, the Everqueen is an inherited position, each the daughter of the prior Everqueen and the beneficiary of her vast magical powers.
• Legacy Character: There's a distinction to be made between Alarielle the woman and The Everqueen. The former is a mortal, child of an unbroken line, and the later is a semi-divine persona who is passed down along that line. Each firstborn daughter of the prior Everqueen adopts that title, persona, and the powers that come with it, in turn.
• Light Is Good: A straight example. Alarielle wears a light blue/white robe, signifying her status as the avatar of the mother goddess Isha and protector of Ulthuan’s hearts.
• Magic Staff: Alarielle wields the Stave of Avelorn, allowing her to reattempt to cast a spell that was dispelled or cancelled before in the same turn.
• Polyamory: She's "married" to a couple of different elves at the same time. They all mostly get along.
• The Power of Love: A simple touch from her can dispel all of a Chaos Champion's dark gifts and even when his patron god forces ALL of his power into said champion, none of them will work as long as she's still touching him. And the Everqueen's power does manifest from an unbreakable sense of love on her part, even toward her most bitter enemy, as she magically casts out the corruption and cruelty that grips them. Unfortunately for the champion she "saves" in this way, the gods of Chaos are jealous and the mortal shell tends to not to survive the titanic divine forces that war inside of them...
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: The first Everqueen to actually take to the battlefield and lead armies and she was even in command of the High Elves at Finuval Plain. Some elves however consider the Everqueen, typically not a military position, going to war to be an ill omen.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Isha is supposedly the Mother Goddess and her avatar Alarielle is thus expected to remain in a passive supportive role while others make war. However, Alarielle will walk the battlefield to directly fight the forces of Chaos and heal her subjects where it is needed the most.
• Tomboyish Ponytail: Alarielle wears a large and long ponytail and is not coincidentally a Lady of War who walks the battlefield and fights the enemies of Ulthuan head-on.
• Universally Beloved Leader: To the point that the rumor of the Everqueen's capture was enough to cause a collective Despair Event Horizon among the Asur.
• White Mage: Wields Qhaysh, Ghyran and Hysh, the three most benevolent lores of magic.

Alith Anar

Alith Anar the Shadow King, Prince of Nagarythe

"By what right do you enter these lands without the permission of Alith Anar, lord of house Anar, Shadow King of Nagarythe? If you come to treat with me, hear my oath to the dead. Nothing is forgotten, nothing is forgiven!"

The last king of Nagarythe, the former homeland of the Dark Elves, it was Alith Anar who was chosen to lead his people after Malekith the Accursed fled to the west. Driven by his hatred of the Druchii, the Shadow King led a brutal war of vengeance against those Dark Elves who dared to remain in Nagarythe, culminating in the famous Battle of Griffon Pass, where seven hundred Druchii were captured alive and then nailed to the white cliffs high above the pass until their bones rotted and fell to litter the pass's floor.

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• Anti-Hero: He's essentially a Dark Elf who only preys on Dark Elves.
• Aloof Archer: A master archer, Alith Anar is a cool, almost cold and aloof Elf who prefers to remain unseen until the time is right to shoot his enemies through the chest.
• Casting a Shadow: The Stone of Midnight, an artefact created by Morathi (and which Alith Anar stole right under her nose) casts a shadow around Alith Anar. It grants him a 4+ Ward Save and causes a penalty upon enemies trying to shoot him.
• Cool Crown: The Shadow Crown grants Alith Anar and his unit the Swiftstride rule.
• Dark Is Not Evil: He's a grim, shadowy figure to say the very least, and almost as brutal as the Druchii themselves. That said, if you don't happen to be a Dark Elf he has no quarrel with you.
• Doomed Hometown: The Dark Elves destroyed his family's mansion, and of course later the Sundering decimated all of Nagarythe.
• Expy: His history, design, and psychology take a lot of cues from Shevarash the Black Archer, a minor Forgotten Realms elven deity of vengeance. They're both ancient elves from a Doomed Hometown who pledged eternal vengeance against the Dark Elves/Drow that destroyed their homes and became mythical boogeymen to the entire race as a result. Both are grim, dour, and humorless, are legendary archers, are associated with shadows and darkness, tend to be seen as being Necessarily Evil by their High Elven comrades, tend to encourage Pay Evil unto Evil and Terror Hero tactics, and seem to keep popping up long after they should have died. They both even prefer black arrows.
• Foil: To Grombrindal. Both were very close to Malekith (Alith was his blood relative, Snorri Whitebeard was his best friend), and both cheated death to have their vengeance on him. They're both mysterious wandering warriors that are motivated as much by revenge as by their desire to protect their people. The biggest difference is that Grombrindal appears among armies to aid in their defense, while Alith Anar leads his own personal army into Naggaroth to take the fight to his foes. Also, Alith is a Stealth Expert while Grombrindal, tendency to pop up all over the place not withstanding, is anything but stealthy.
• Hunter of His Own Kind: Alith Anar hunts the Dark Elves, former Nagarythes like him. He is extremely cruel in his quest for revenge, having for instance nailed down hundred of Dark Elves to a cliff and let them die there.
• It's Personal: With the Druchii, and Malekith in particular. He has Hatred of Dark Elves to represent his personal history.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: He strongly endorses this mentality.
• Sacred Bow and Arrows: The Moon Bow, granted to Alith Anar by Lileath herself, is in fact less his bow and more like his personal ballista with 36'' in range, Strength 7 Multiple Wounds and Quick to Fire bolts that ignore armor saves.
• Stealth Expert: He infiltrated Naggaroth, disguised himself to have a dance with Morathi herself who was fooled, and managed to steal artefacts from her then escaped her assassins. Indeed, he is the stealth expert among High Elves.
• Time Abyss: He was around to see the original Sundering and is still alive and kicking over 5000 years later, having long since outlasted the already impressive elven lifespan. No one quite knows how he managed to survive this long in terms of both a elf's lifespan and his millenias-spanning vendetta.
• You Killed My Father: The Dark Elves killed his family.

Imrik

Imrik, Prince of Caledor

"I walk through the dreaming halls and I feel the change in the wind, the rhythm of their slumber. I see omens, Minaithnir tells me that he too feels his brethren swimming towards consciousness. I dwell in hope and I dwell in fear. Hope, that my dragon brothers and sisters shall shake off their grand slumber to rise again and that once more all the lords of Caledor will ride to battle on the backs of dragons as of old. And fear, that if we do, when we do it will be our last ride."

Prince Imrik is sprung from one of the noblest lines of Ulthuan. His blood is that of kings, and that of Caledor Dragontamer — the very greatest of heroes. Yet Imrik is also the last of his line; though he knows it not, his fate is intertwined with that of his entire race.

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• Dragon Rider: He rides the mighty dragon Minaithnir.
• Famous Ancestor: He's a direct descendant of Caledor the Conqueror, an ancient Phoenix King.
• Fatal Flaw: Pride; this is a common flaw among Caledorians, who are considered arrogant even by High Elven standards.
• Last of His Kind: Imrik is the last of the line of Caledor I.

Finubar

Finubar the Seafarer, Phoenix King of Ulthuan

Prince of Eataine and latest in the line of the Phoenix Kings.

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• Bold Explorer: In his younger days, Finubar made a career out of traveling the world via ship, making lots of diplomatic and trade contacts. It was these which helped his case to be elected Phoenix King.
• Cool Sword: He wields a gently curved and gold-embossed sword made in Ind, a reward in his youth from rescuing the daughter of one of Ind's kings.
• The Good King: A decent and effective ruler by all accounts. His reign has so far been characterized by a vast expansion in Ulthuan's international trade, which has brought great wealth to a nation that otherwise threatened to go into decline due to shortfalls in it's own taxable population base.
• Minor Major Character: As king of Ulthuan, Finubar is a major figure in the game of world politics. Despite this, he's never been a playable character and generally tends to take a back seat in the lore as well. This is because he's primarily a politician, with his skills as a warrior and general being average at best.
• Non-Action Guy: Finubar doesn't usually lead his armies into battle, preferring to send his generals instead. He has occasionally taken to the field personally when Ulthuan itself has been invaded, but mostly as a show of solidarity with it's defenders to keep their morale up, delegating actual command duties to trusted competents.
• Spotlight-Stealing Squad: At least for the chapter dedicated to his predecessor, Bel-Hathor. Most of the accounts of Bel-Hathor's reign are dedicated to Finubar's adventures.

Korhil

Korhil, Captain of the White Lions

The current Captain of the White Lions. Korhil earned fame when as a youth, he sought and slew the mighty Chracian white lion known as Charandis, a mutant that had slain dozens of previous hunters. This caused him to be one of the youngest elves ever to be accepted into the ranks of the White Lions.

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• The Big Guy: Famed for his great stature and physical strength. Not only does he have Strength 4 (which is pretty common among the higher ups all things considered), he is stated to have wrestled a White Lion and choked it to death.
• Dual Wielding: He dual-wields really big axes.
• Nemean Skinning: Wears the pelt of the great lion Charandis, which, in an obvious nod to the trope namer, was said to be impervious to weapons. The Pelt of Charandis grants +1 point for close combat and +2 for shooting attacks in his Armor save, and makes him immune to poisoned attacks.
• Shout-Out: His slaying of the great lion Charandis is an obvious one to the first labour of Heracles.

Caradryan

Caradryan, Captain of the Phoenix Guard

The current Captain of the Phoenix Guard, said to have the keenest senses of any elf ever. Rides into battle atop his faithful Phoenix, Ashtari, a bond that has lasted long enough that the Phoenix has cooled into a Frostheart Phoenix.

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• Heel–Faith Turn: He was an arrogant brat and would have committed his greatest act of disrespect by looking into the forbidden temple of Asuryan, if said act wasn't meant to open him to the truth of Asuryan, making him the sternest and most loyal of servants.
• Heroic Mime: Asuryan orders him to take a vow of silence after he becomes a Phoenix Guard.
• Horse of a Different Color: Caradryan may use his Frostheart Phoenix Ashtari as a mount in battle.
• Mark of the Supernatural: He has the Rune of Asuryan glowing on his forehead.
• Royal Brat: Had this attitude before he entered the Chamber of Days.
• Seers: Either by reading the prophecies of Asuryan or by standing atop the walls of his shrine to observe Ulthuan and meditate, Caradryan is now the most knowledgeable seer of the Elves.
• The Silent Bob: Like all Phoenix Guard, he does not speak, having taken a vow of silence enforced by a god. However, as their captain he has more cause to communicate with others than most Phoenix Guard, and has mastered the art of getting his point across without saying a word. Apparently his biting sarcasm tends to come through clearly without him ever having to vocalize his intent.
• Taking You with Me: If Caradryan is slain in a battle then Asuryan becomes pissed and inflicts D3 wounds that cannot be Armour saved on the unit or model responsible for that, taking a little tithe of soul with him for killing Caradryan before his appointed hour.

Historical Figures

Aenarion

Aenarion the Defender

"Upon the isle beneath the fight, wise mages cast their spells And Daemon minions howled in anguish, cursed to eternal hell. And on this day we bow our heads to he who world did save, Aenarion the Proud Defender, Aenarion Ever Brave."

The greatest Elf warrior who ever lived and the first Phoenix King. Aenarion led the Elves against the original Chaos Incursion, and alongside Caledor Dragontamer was largely responsible for preventing the end of the world. He continues to loom large in elven culture in the present day, and both the Asur and the Druchii view themselves as the true inheritors of his legacy.

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• Dragon Rider: He rode Indraugnir, greatest of all dragons.
• Founder of the Kingdom: He established the position of the Phoenix King and the united Ulthani kingdom that exists to the present day. He also founded the kingdom of Nagarythe in particular, which served as his own personal fief, and is consequently seen by the Dark Elves as the founder of their own culture.
• Hereditary Curse: The source of one, begun when he drew the Widowmaker, the Sword of Khaine. He needed its power, but he, his descendants, and to a lesser extent all elves, would forever exist under the shadow of its influence.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: Except the Sword of Khaine is an Artifact of Doom.
• Heroic Sacrifice: He attempted to sacrifice himself to Asuryon to save Ulthuan from the daemon invasion. He became the Phoenix King instead.
• The Lost Lenore: He changed after the death of his wife Astarielle and his children, although his children were revealed to be alive.
• Never Found the Body: After defeating four Greater Daemons and saving Ulthuan, exhausted, Aenarion had his dragon Indraugnir fly him back to the Blighted Isle, where the dragon collapsed and died. Aenarion was last seen returning the Widowmaker back to its pedestal before disappearing. His body was never found.
• Posthumous Character: He's long dead, having fallen in battle at the end of the Incursion of Chaos, and is mostly defined by his legacy and his usage of the Widowmaker.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: A king who fought Chaos.
• Second Love: Averted: his relationship with Morathi is largely implied to have been one of lust; he thought Morathi beautiful, but it's implied a combination of the Sword of Khaine's influence and his awareness of Morathi's true nature kept Aenarion from ever truly loving her. He thought of it as more of a "mad passion" instead, finding some measure of relief in her arms from the grief he felt at the lost of his first wife and some respite from the hopelessness of the unenviable impossible situation he found himself in.
• Self-Immolation: He sacrificed himself in the Flame of Asuryan only to emerge with superpowers. Since then this has been the way a new Phoenix King is chosen.
• Tragic Hero: He destroyed himself in his quest to defeat Chaos and sowed the seeds of civil war by fathering Malekith, the future Witch-King.

Caledor Dragontamer

The first Elf to tame dragons.

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• The Archmage: He was unquestionably one of the most powerful mages who ever lived.
• Dragon Rider: He was the first of the Dragon Princes, and began the tradition of Elven heroes riding dragons.
• Egopolis: His descendants renamed their kingdom Caledor after the war against Chaos.
• Founder of the Kingdom: He founded the kingdom that he named after himself.
• Our Ghosts Are Different: The process of creating the Vortex was lethal to both Caledor and the fellow mages who joined him in the ritual. However, the same magic which created the Vortex also anchored their souls to it. They now exist as disembodied spirts forever performing the rituals which keep the Vortex stable. On rare occasions, Caledor may manifest as a spectral vision to the magically sensitive, when he is desperate enough to make the attempt and can briefly spare enough attention enough to do so.
• Time Abyss: He and his mages are now forever trapped in a vortex to maintain the spell that drains Chaotic power from the world.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Aenarion. They were friends initially, but a combination of Aenarion drawing the Sword of Khaine and Morathi's influence over her husband drove Caledor away.
• Ultimate Blacksmith: Of the magical-item forging variety. He forged and enchanted Aenarion's armor and his sword Sunfang. They were made at a time magic was surging through the world and the kind of enchantments placed on them wouldn't be possible in later eras. They are said to be some of the most subtle and elegant enchantments that elves have ever produced.

Bel Shanaar

Bel Shanaar the Explorer

A Prince of Tiranoc, Bel Shanaar was a distinguished hero in the War against Chaos and became the first Elf elected to the Phoenix Crown.

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• Frame-Up: He was framed as a member of the Cult of Excess by Malekith, who poisoned him and then planted evidence indicating Bel Shanaar's involvement in the cult, allowing Malekith to pass the murder off as a suicide to escape persecution.
• The Good King: Deconstructed, as his reign was long and brought wealth to Ulthuan... Which led to Chaos returning to the island in the form of the Cults of Excess.
• Inadequate Inheritor: The crux of why Malekith and Morathi had him killed; they didn't think him worthy of succeeding Aenarion.
• It's Personal: Though he hid it well for a long time, Malekith hated Bel Shanaar for taking the throne that Aenarion had promised his son. Malekith also resented Bel Shanaar taking credit for the alliance between the Elves and Dwarves that Malekith negotiated.
• Long-Lived: His was the longest reign of all the Phoenix Kings.
• Out of Focus: He's by far the least characterised of the Phoenix Kings, mostly because he was an able king ruling over a noneventful Golden Age and was overshadowed historically by Malekith.
• The Straight Man: He was chosen as a voice of reason, rather than Malekith.

Caledor I

Caledor I the Conqueror

A Prince of Caledor, Caledor I was elected Phoenix King when the civil war with the Dark Elves first broke out and oversaw The Sundering, the event that saw the Dark Elves abandon Ulthuan and the ruin of Nagarythe.

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• Arch-Enemy: To Malekith; to this day he likely ranks as the Witch King's bitterest foe.
• Badass in Distress: Dark Elf assassins once tried to kill him but he was saved by Chracian woodsmen. Those woodsmen became the first of the White Lions.
• Blunt "Yes": When Morathi was charged with treason, she asked which prince wished to be known as the slayer of Aenarion's queen. Caledor said he would and was only stopped by Malekith.
• Better to Die than Be Killed: His ship was overrun by Dark Elf corsairs and Caledor drowned himself rather than surrender.
• Dead Guy Junior: He took his regal name after his grandfather, Caledor Dragontamer. His birth name was Imrik.
• Dragon Rider: Rode the great dragon Maedrethnir.
• Everyone Has Standards: He refused to draw the Sword of Khaine, even if it would have given him the power to destroy Malekith, knowing the Sword was too dangerous to be unleashed.
• Four-Star Badass: Known as the greatest of the High Elf warrior kings, and was able to unite a shattered Ulthuan against Malekith.
• Posthumous Character: Long dead by present day.
• The Quiet One: Extremely taciturn, he listened in silence when told of Malekith's betrayal, and when asked what should be done, he answered "War."

Caledor II

Caledor II the Warrior

The son and heir of Caledor the conqueror. Caledor the Second, called the Warrior, was elected Phoenix King after the former's death in the hope that he would prove a worthy successor to his famous father. Unfortunately, it swiftly became apparent that the younger Caledor possessed few of his father's virtues, save martial prowess. Arrogant, pompous and lazy, Caledor preferred to spend his days engaged in leisurely pursuits than actually bothering to rule his kingdom. His most notorious act was sparking the War of Vengeance by shaving the beards of a group of Dwarfen ambassadors, an act which was later compounded further when he personally slew prince Snorri Halfhand, the son of then Dwarfen High King Gortek Starbreaker, in single combat. Ultimately, Caledor met his end at the climax of the war, slain in combat with Gotrek Starbreaker.

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• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: He attempted to beg for his life when King Gotrek Starbreaker was about to kill him in their duel. Gotrek killed him anyway.
• Arch-Enemy: He was bitter foes with the Dwarf king Gotrek Starbreaker, whose ambassadors he humiliated and whom he publicly mocked, driving the two to war.
• "Ass" in Ambassador: Caledor II committed perhaps the worst diplomatic incident in the entirety of the history of Warhammer by publicly humiliating the Dwarfs' ambassadors, having their precious beards shaved, and then taunting their High King. Any of those three pettily dickish actions would have been a cause for a war, let alone with any other faction less serious about honor than the Dwarfs, and of course this started terrible war (in which Caledor died) and eternal animosity between two races that should have been allies.
• Asshole Victim: He certainly became this in the eyes of the Dwarfs for cultural and generally valid grievances. By the end of the War of Vengeance all but the most stubborn and prideful High Elves acknowledged that his idiotic, reckless and stupid behavior had brought untold and completely unnecessary suffering to the High Elves, and acknowledged that when he died he had it coming.
• Authority Equals Ass Kicking: For all his many faults, he was a deadly warrior on the battlefield. While he may have been no match for Gotrek Starbreaker, he certainly slew many other Dwarven heroes over the course of the war.
• Embarrassing Nickname: Not that Caledor is in any position to care, but as the most hated Elf ever by the Dwarfs, they have given him several unflattering nicknames, from "Oathbreaker", which is the worst thing a Dwarf may call someone, to the more amusingly humiliating ones like "Princess" or "the Frightened of Loud Noises".
• Fantastic Racism: Towards dwarfs, whom he referred to as "pigs" among other things.
• Hated by All: Reviled by the modern High Elves as one of the worst leaders the High Elves have ever had, if not the worst. His horrible handling of relations with the Dwarfs led to a catastrophic war that Vestigial Empire permanently crippled both races and cost a powerful ally in each other, leaving the entire Warhammer world ill-equipped to deal with real threats such as the Dark Elves, Greenskins, Skaven and Chaos.
• Jerkass: Big time. Caledor II seemed to embody all the worst traits of the Asur and none of their virtues.
• Last of His Kind: He is the last king to wear the first Phoenix Crown, before his death and its resulting seizure by the Dwarfs.
• Poor Communication Kills: If he had spent even a few minutes listening to the Dwarf ambassadors it would have been obvious Malekith was framing him with a simple False Flag Operation since the Dwarfs weren't aware of the Civil War between the Dark Elves and High Elves. Learning this would have not only prevented the whole War of Vengeance but would have resulted in the Dark Elves' destruction by a High Elf and Dwarf alliance. But Malekith knew Caledor II wouldn't listen.
• Posthumous Character: Died at the climax of the War of the Beard, thousands of years prior to the present day.
• Pride: Few exemplify the elvish predisposition for pride and arrogance like he did.
• Royal Brat: When he was a child.
• Sketchy Successor:
  • His father led the high elves through the most difficult period of their history, the civil war with dark elves, secured their homeland, resisted the temptations of the Sword of Khaine, made strategic decisions that are still important to Ulthuan in the present, a great general, great warrior, and great king. Caledor II had basically none of his father's virtues except for being a great warrior — and ultimately he fell short even there, slain in single combat by Gotrek Starbreaker.
  • His rule proved so ruinous that he permanently discredited the idea of bloodline succession for the Phoenix Throne. While later kings' chosen successors have been elected, no sons of Phoenix Kings have ever been after Caledor.
• Too Dumb to Live: Did you really think that begging for mercy from someone whose language doesn't even have a word for forgiveness was a good idea, especially after killing his son?
• Unwitting Pawn: Malekith played both him like a fiddle order to instigate the War of Vengeance and weaken the High Elves. It worked perfectly.

Caradryel

Caradryel the Peacemaker

A Prince of Yvresse, Caradryel was chosen to succeed Caledor II following the latter's death and the Fourth Council. With the Dark Elves invading Ulthuan, Caradryel ordered the recall of all forces from the colonies, effectively abandoning the colonies in the Old World. He also initiated a system of rotating forces to the border fortresses of Ulthuan, ensuring a regular garrison that would always be fresh and near to full strength.

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• Brutal Honesty: When faced with staunch opposition to his plan of abandoning the colonies and the Phoenix Crown, Caradryel replied simply that he would rather lose the crown than the realm and, if any of the colonists wanted protection, they would best seek it at home.
• End of an Era: It was during his reign that the Dragons began to drift off into longer and deeper slumber and the High Elf empire withdrew to Ulthuan.
• Foil: Caradryel was the complete opposite to his predecessor — an unremarkable warrior, but a capable ruler and administrator.
• Peaceful in Death: The first Phoenix King to die peacefully in his sleep.
• Pragmatic Hero: He gave up the War of Vengeance to spare any further Elven lives from unnecessary deaths and to focus on the bigger threat.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Caradryel knew he would be incapable as a general, so he came to rely on his eventual successor, Tethlis of Caledor, to lead his armies.

Tethlis

Tethlis the Slayer

A Prince of Caledor, Tethlis was chosen by the Fifth Council to succeed Caradryel as Phoenix King, while the wars with the Dark Elves continued to rage. Tethlis had already distinguished himself as a great general, having lifted the siege of the fortress of Griffon Gate. He had also learned the value of preparation and organisation from his predecessor, and his reign saw a painstaking series of military reforms. His wars with the Dark Elves proved to be largely successful, driving the Dark Elves out of Ulthuan and crippling them for over a millennium.

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• Arch-Enemy: To the Dark Elves; he was determined to eradicate them forever.
• For Want Of A Nail: He might have succeeded in his goals had the Dragons not begun their long slumber.
• Four-Star Badass: His military reforms and tactics led to the Dark Elves being driven from Ulthuan.
• He Who Fights Monsters: Many of his generals felt his brutality and viciousness towards dealing with the Dark Elves made Tethlis little better than their enemies.
• It's Personal: Tethlis's hatred for the Dark Elves was codified when they had killed his family during their raids.
• Never Found the Body: Regardless of how Tethlis died, his body was never recovered from the Blighted Isle.
• Pet the Dog: He recovered the armour Aenarion had worn during his final battle on the Blighted Isle and sent it to his living descendants.
• "Rashomon"-Style: There is still discussion as to how he died, with the only accepted conclusion being that it took place at the Altar of Khaine:
  • One possibility is that he had dismissed his bodyguard to contemplate the Widowmaker, when a Dark Elf assassin suddenly jumped out and killed him.
  • Another was that he was so eager to destroy the Dark Elves that he tried to unsheathe the Widowmaker and wield it himself. Fearing that the consequences of Aenarion's actions would be repeated by Tethlis, the Phoenix King's bodyguard cut him down themselves.
• The Strategist: Tethlis never fielded an army or fought a battle without being sure he could win.

Bel-Korhadris

Bel-Korhadris the Scholar-King

Chosen to succeed Tethlis, Bel-Korhadris of Saphery oversaw the reconstruction of various towns and cities destroyed during the Dark Elf invasions. He also oversaw the hunting of the various monsters of the Annulii Mountains that saw Tethlis's wars as an opportunity to prey on undefended settlements. Perhaps his greatest contribution, however, would be the construction of the White Tower of Hoeth and the founding of the Order of Loremasters.

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• The Archmage: He was a wizard prince of Saphery, which has magic as its hat.
• Benevolent Mage Ruler: He was said to have ruled wisely and well.
• The Good King: His reign is remembered as the start of a second golden age for the High Elves.
• King in the Mountain: It is said that his spirit haunts the crypts beneath the White Tower, and occasionally aids scholars that are searching for something.
• Our Founder: He established the Order of Loremasters, a collective of scholars and sorcerers.

Aethis

Aethis the Poet

A prince of Saphery, Aethis's reign led to the creation of many great artistic works, from creation plays to animated portraits to a five hundred-feet-tall Griffon being carved from the mountain above the Griffon Gate fortress. Aethis' reign was a time of complacency, with martial pursuits forgotten and cast aside.

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• History Repeats: Just as they did in the reign of Bel Shanaar, the Cult of Excess spread again in Aethis' time. This time, the Swordmasters of Hoeth were able to investigate the cult.
• Horrible Judge of Character: Aethis was assassinated by his trusted Chancellor, who was revealed to be a Dark Elf spy.
• Muggle Born of Mages: Possible. No mention is given of him possessing magical powers or talents, which any Sapherian prince would be expected to have.
• Non-Action Guy: Aethis's reign oversaw the downsizing of Ulthuan's armies and navies, and martial pursuits gave way to courtly intrigue.
• "Rashomon"-Style: The accounts of his death differ in the High Elf and Dark Elf army books. In the former, he was stabbed in the heart with a poisoned dagger when his Chancellor was exposed as a druchii spy and chose to fight rather than come quietly. In the latter, he was strangled by a silk scarf.
• We Have Become Complacent: His reign is largely remembered for the High Elves frittering away their military traditions in favour of the arts, allowing the Dark Elves to both gain a foothold in Ulthuan with their spies, and build up their armies in secret for a return to hostilities.

Morvael

Morvael the Impetuous

The High Loremaster of Hoeth during Aethis' reign, Morvael of Yvresse was chosen by the Eighth Council to succeed the assassinated Phoenix King. With the threat of the Dark Elves returned, Morvael immediately ordered an attack on Naggaroth, to disastrous effect. Following the subsequent Dark Elf invasion of Ulthuan, Morvael appointed Mentheus of Caledor, on whom he came to depend upon for his counsel and friendship to lead his armies, which he replenished by organising a system of troop levies which still exists to this day, all the while hunting down Dark Elf spies and devotees of the Cult of Pleasure.

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• Determined Defeatist: Morvael was sensitive and given to despair by the duties of leading Ulthuan in another war against the Dark Elves, recuperating the losses he had incurred in his failed attack and executing the spies that the Swordmasters arrested. None of this stopped him from doing his duty.
• Driven to Madness: A combination of his guilt over the disastrous attack on Naggaroth, his horror at the catastrophic death toll of the war and nightmares inflicted on him by the Witch King's sorcery drove him over the edge into suicidal depression.
• Driven to Suicide: News of the death of Mentheus led Morvael to abdicate the throne and walk into the sacred flame of Asuryan, to burn to death.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: His first act as King was to order a punitive attack on Naggaroth in retaliation for Aethis's murder. His order saw most of Ulthuan's military massacred as it tried to land and left Ulthuan wide open to a full-scale invasion by the Dark Elves.
• Once Done, Never Forgotten: His epithet, the Impetuous, comes from his hasty failed invasion of Naggaroth.
• The Peter Principle: He was a learned elf and his time as High Loremaster led to the discovery of many important details about the Cult of Excess in Aethis's reign. However, he had little real experience of governing the realm or leading an army.
• Tragic Mistake: His order to attack Naggaroth was based on intelligence from Aethis's reign that the Dark Elves were on the verge of extinction and Malekith was dead; Morvael had believed it would have been an easy victory. After the attack's disastrous failure, it turned out that intelligence had been provided by Dark Elf spies in Aethis's court; Malekith had allowed such rumours to flourish to let him rebuild his armies in secret.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: He was the highly-strung sensitive guy to Mentheus's manly man.
• Younger Than They Look: The weight of his responsibilities left him stoop-shouldered and prematurely aged.

Bel-Hathor

Bel-Hathor the Sage

Chosen by the Ninth Council to succeed Morvael, Bel-Hathor of Saphery oversaw the reconstruction of Ulthuan's infrastructure following the Dark Elf invasions. His reign also led to alliances made with the Bretonnians and the Sigmarite Empire.

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• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Like many Sapherian princes, he was seen as eccentric, and so his courtiers believed him to be manipulable. He proved instead to be remarkably strong-willed.
• Pragmatic Hero: His most notable action was to refuse any and all attempts to coerce him into ordering an invasion of Naggaroth. He agreed it would be easy to destroy the Dark Elves after the defeat of their invasion, but refused because the high cost of life from such a campaign would guarantee the Asur's extinction as well.
• Out of Focus: Most of the accounts of his reign are given to the exploits of his successor, Finubar.
• Peaceful in Death: Bel-Hathor died peacefully of old age, something of a rarity among the Phoenix Kings.
• Unexpected Successor: He wasn't the first choice to be Phoenix King, but the obvious choice, Mentheus, was killed in the final battle to drive the Dark Elves from Ulthuan.

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