History Characters / TotalWarWarhammerTheDarkElves

* MechanicallyUnusualClass: In ''Warhammer II'' she was already unusual amongst the Dark Elfs for [[TheCorruption naturally spreading chaos corruption]] (which was actually an inconvenience when the game first released and she got confederated by other factions, but this was eventually patched). But in ''Warhammer III'' she was updated and now also has unique interactions with Slaanesh corruption and is even able to recruit Daemonettes.

* AxCrazy: Pretty much the entire race, with the [[ReligionOfEvil Cult of Khaine]] taking this UpToEleven. Their faction ability "Murderous Prowess" grants a huge offense buff, but only once enough casualties have been done, ''to either side''.

* FantasticRacism: While all elves are guilty of this to some degree, the Druchii take it UpToEleven, regarding the various non-elven races of the world as nothing more than slaves to serve their whims or vermin to exterminate. Even the other elven races are subject to their disdain; the High Elves they consider effete weaklings, while the Wood Elves are regarded as little more than primitive savages.

* TheHedonist: [[UpToEleven Good Sigmar.]] A worshipper of, depending on the version of the lore you subscribe to, either Atharti, the Elven goddess of pleasure and indulgence, or the Chaos God Slaanesh, the dark prince of pleasure. [[TakeAThirdOption Or perhaps both]]. Morathi will engage in any pleasure of the flesh, be it fine wine, rich food, sex with men and other women, [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence killing]], ''anything''. She even wanted to wait out the end of the world with her husband Anerion in one final, giant sex orgy, and even nearly had him convinced. Her in-game faction is even called "The Cult of Pleasure".

* AxCrazy: Even for a Witch Elf, whose kind already take the normal Dark Elf kill happiness UpToEleven, Hellebron is a ''crazed animal'' on the battlefield, butchering enemies with sadistic glee, and someone who's ready to snap at any second out of it. And unlike Morathi, [[FauxAffablyEvil who hides her murderous insanity behind a veer of politeness and sophistication]], Hellebron fully embraces this side of her.

fine marble glowing with a cold inner light

* MissionControl: She serves this function in the Dark Elf campaign.

** Battles of attrition. The Dark Elves are very reliant on finishing a fight quickly, getting into their Murderous Prowess as fast as possible to crush the foe since most of their units are not meant for prolonged combat. Though they deal heavy and rapid damage compared to most races, they struggle greatly against those units who survive the initial onslaught of carnage with their relatively low armor.

* AffablyEvil: Dark Elves are still Elves, and on the best of days [[NobleDemon some]] can be rather polite and even act on an ([[BlueAndOrangeMorality albeit twisted]]) sense of personal honor. That said, the majority will as quickly sacrifice people, souls, and their [[FauxAffablyEvil own ethics]] if works to their ends.
* AmbitionIsEvil: A faction-wide case. Each and every Dark Elf is aiming for the spot above them while simultaneously keeping an eye on their subordinates, and it's highly implied that Malekith [[MiseryBuildsCharacter designed this]] to weed out the weak and promote the strong. In-game, if you don't treat your commanders right with loot or prestige, they will rebel against you to get what they want.

* AmazonBrigade: The Witch Elves, or Brides of Khaine, a cult of blood-crazed warrior priestesses dedicated to the elven god of war and murder ((the male devotees join the ranks of Executioners or Assassins instead), and the Sisters of Slaughter, an order of gladiators dedicated to the god Eldrazor, the Lord of Blades. They represent some of the most murderously powerful light infantry in the game, but are completely lacking in armor.

* ArchEnemy: To the High Elves.
* ArtifactOfDoom: The Sword of Khaine (otherwise known as the Widowmaker and the Slayer of Gods), doubling as an EvilWeapon. The cursed blade was wielded by the AxCrazy Elven God of War Khaine, which he used to fell immeasurably amounts of people . To drive back the first incursion of Chaos, the first Elven king, Anerion, picked up the sword, which granted him power unimaginable...at the cost of turning him into an AxCrazy beserker. The May Patch added this in as an in-game mechanic, as it lets Dark Elf, Wood Elf or High Elf players build the Shrine of Khaine. After which, if ones ''very desperate'' (or incredibly stupid), gives the player an option to have one of their generals draw the infamous blade from the shrine, turning them into unimaginably powerful OneManArmy...[[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity at the cost of turning them insane, with truly horrible effects mounting on the campaign map the longer the wielder holds the weapon.]]

* AutomaticCrossbows: Dark Elf repeater crossbows, their signature ranged weapons. Called "Uraithen" (lit. "Death Rain") in their tongue. Darkshards lug around large, two handed variants (alongside protective Pavise shields), while Shades and Corsairs use smaller handcrossbows.

* {{BFS}}: The executioners of Har Ganeth, an order of elite holy warriors devoted to Khaine, are renowned for their use of the "Draich", a vicious two handed blade. Unlike many other Dark Elves the Executioners are notably not sadists, but cold and efficient killers who see it as a religious duty to kill their foes as quickly as possible. A variant of Shade is also armed with a greatsword.
* BlackKnight: Several of their high tier troops, such as the Black Guard and Cold One Knights, fit this trope to a tee. Being dark armoured elite warriors in service to an EvilOverlord.

* BloodBath: Something the matriarchs of the [[AmazonBrigade Brides of Khaine]] engage in once a year as part of a BloodMagic ritual to [[ImmortalityImmorality rejuvenate themselves]]. The process was first invented by [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Morathi]] and by witholding all but the most basic details of the ritual, thereby keeping the Witch Elves largely dependent on her, she has established no small degree of control over the Cult of Khaine.
* BloodKnight: All Dark Elves qualify to some extent, as Khaine -- [[WarGod a god of war and murder]] -- is the patron deity of their civilization. This is represented in game by a boost being given after they've been in battle long enough, relishing in both the slaughter of their foes, as well as their ''own forces''. The Cult of Khaine, or course, are the biggest offenders in this regard. More specifically, the Witch Elves are living weapons of mindless violence, cruelty and destruction, whilst the [[NobleDemon Executioners]], are colder and more reserved, but no less bloodthirsty.

* ChainmailBikini: The Brides of Khaine (AKA, the Witch Elves), whose combat armor seems to consist largely of a loincloth, a metal bikini, warpaint and above-the-knee boots. Of course considering they're blood crazed berserkers with next to no sense of self preservation any "armour" they wear is purely decorative in nature. Further, they ''like'' the way [[BloodSplatteredWarrior fresh blood feels as it splashes against their skin]]. Sorceresses tend to be similarly attired; though they [[SquishyWizard rarely involve themselves in physical combat]] to begin with. Other Dark Elf women, such as female Dreadlords, avert this trope however; typically dressing identically to their male counterparts in full plate armor and helmet.

* ACommanderIsYou: An ''Elitist/Generalist/Brute'' faction. Like their counterparts they have a versatile roster of high quality troops, though their soldiers, especially the high tier ones, tend to be less numerous than average. However, unlike the High Elves, they emphasize sheer force and aggression over espionage and defense. In addition their "Murderous Prowess" mechanic gives them a significant boost to their combat abilities once a certain number of units have been slain, encouraging offense over defense. Their campaign mechanics also encourage aggressive strategies, with the slavery system and numerous boosts to raiding and sacking allowing them to enhance their economy through RapePillageAndBurn.
* DarkActionGirl: The Dark Elves have by far the largest amount of dark, dangerous ladies, a large mix of both female heroes, lords, and units, such as the Witch Elves, Death Hags and female Dreadlords.

* DeadlyGaze: The Bloodwrack Medusa's ranged attack consists of a bolt energy fired from their eyes. In the lore the gaze of a Bloodwrack is said to cause the blood of a victim to be violently expelled from every pore. In game this is represented by a missile attack. These projectiles are some of the fastest in the game, faster than most artillery even, while also being nearly invisible.

* TheEmpire: A [[BloodKnight highly militant society]] with an economy [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil sustained by slave labour]], [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinist]] ideology, ambitions of territorial expansion and rule by an [[EvilOverLord all powerful autocratic tyrant]]. Naggaroth is one of the straightest examples in the entire setting.

** In lore, the High Elves are traditionalist, are known for their discipline and belief in all that is good. They also worship the Cadais, more benevolent Gods of Heavens. They are haughty in a way that makes them believe in their moral superiority. Finally they use the purest form of magic, High Magic. In contrast the Dark Elves only believe in strength and cunning, easily replacing the old and inadequate for better tools and they follow nothing but their cruel whims. As a result, they pray to the dark gods of the Cytharai for strength. They also use raw undiluted magic power in the form of Dark Magic.
** This also applies in game. Dark Elves have an universal rule named ''Murderous Prowess'' that directly contrasts the High Elves' ''Martial Prowess''.

* EvilSorcerer: An interesting case in that the vast majority of magical practitioners in Naggaroth are female, and males who practice dark magic (other than Malekith himself of course) are to be put to death or turned into [[FateWorseThanDeath Doomfire Warlocks]]. The reason for this is because Malekith has heard of a prophecy that he will be killed by a sorcerer "of male aspect", and believes that he is averting the prophecy by only permitting female dark elves to become sorceresses. Male sorcerers do exist, but they remain incognito for fear of the Witch-King's wrath.

** Anyone with the misfortune to be taken captive by the Druchii can be expect to be subjected to one of these. Death is the kindest fate they can bestow upon you. As for the Druchii themselves, men who are unlucky enough to be born with the innate gift to control the Winds of Magic are given one of the darkest fates in the setting; turned into Doomfire Warlocks, who will have their soul eventually stolen by [[GodOfEvil Slannesh]], after a lifetime of physical agony and torture.

* HarpingOnAboutHarpies: Like the Beastmen, the Dark Elves employ harpies in battle. They're a OneGenderRace of winged humanoids resembling elven women with batlike wings and cruel talons. Many lair in desolate islets and sea stacks and use their entrancing songs to lure sailors to their doom, but others perch among the towers of the Dark Elves' strongholds and follow their armies and fleets to war. The Dark Elves themselves consider the harpies to favored by Khaine, and greatly admire their bloodthirst and cruelty.

* HorseOfADifferentColour: The Dark Elves utilize raptor like reptiles known as "Cold Ones", or "Nauglir" in their own tongue, as mounts. Cold Ones are notoriously vicious and difficult to train so mastering one is a major status symbol in Druchii society. The Lizardmen also utilize the creatures, although theirs are a separate, jungle-dwelling breed.

* InterserviceRivalry: The three main core Dark Elves warrior types do not appreciate each other. The crossbow wielding Darkshards are looked down upon by the other two groups for not risking their lives in close quarters, but they pride themselves on their sharpshooting skills. Meanwhile the ConsummateProfessional spearmen Dreadspears have a TechnicianVsPerformer relationship against the BloodKnight sword-wielding Bleakswords.

* LadyOfBlackMagic: Thanks to the prophecy of Malekith's demise at the hands of a male sorcerer, only women are permitted to practice magic in Naggaroth (save for Malekith himself). These Sorceresses are notorious for using the ''Lore of Dark Magic'', based on using the corrupted raw Winds of Magic, also invoking daemonic entities to assist them, and other unpleasant rituals. They come in both hero and lord variants.

* MagicKnight: The Doomfire Warlocks. Haggard, decrepit and frighteningly pale figures, that appear as if they're horsemen of the apocalypse, and are what any Dark Elf male whose unlucky enough to be "blessed" with the gift to use magic eventually become. Their souls are forfeit to the Great Devourer, and so they desperately try to forestall their own horrible final fate by capturing the souls of others and offering them in place of their own. They ride gaunt, dark horses clad in barded plate, and many wear hideous black masks to hide their haunting visages. For the magic part, they have attack animations where they throw sprawling cones of purple flame towards their enemies, and have two spells bound to them. For the knight part, they're very fast, able to deal both magic and poison damage, and despite their lack of armour are able to take plenty of damage because they have a whopping forty percent ward save.
* MagicCauldron: One of the most unique Dark Elf weapons and magic tools are the Cult of Khaine’s ''Cauldrons of Blood''. Installed on a special altar, ''Cauldrons of Blood'' are powerful items for performing BloodMagic in the name of Khaine. In the lore, they are always full of blood without ever overflowing and through a BloodBath in them, they allow Death Hags to regain their youthful appearances. In game, they have several abilities buffing the Brides of Khaine, and can make enemy units enter into a frenzy.
* {{Medusa}}: Serpentine humanaoids known as Bloodwrack Medusae, who have served Morathi for thousands of years. In the lore, these were originally sorceresses who used magic to make themselves more beautiful than the goddess Atharti, who then cursed them for their hubris. In game, they work as a monstrous unit capable of not only delivering magical scream projectiles, but also able to ride Blodwrack Shrines to empower themselves and their allies. [[spoiler: A Medusa known as "the Oracle" is sought by Makelith to find a way to destabilize the Vortex, and appears in a cutscene, only to be ''murdered'' when it's no longer useful.]]

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Dark Elves actually [[InvokedTrope invoke this trope]] deliberately in their naming conventions. Druchii nobles will will usually assign themselves a suitably intimidating epithet, for instance "Soulflayer", as a form of boast, and are said to go to almost theatrical lengths to prove said boast. If the noble in question fails to live up to their self proclaimed title, however, they can expect nothing more than a gruesome death at the hands of their countrymen, typically in a manner ironically reminiscent of the title itself. These customs are actually reflected in game via the ability to assign various titles to your characters and receive boosts accordingly.

* RapePillageAndBurn: Very big on all three counts.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: Almost all Dark Elves are tall, dark, and handsome, a stark contrast to their [[PlentyOfBlondes fairer]], [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold generally nicer]] cousins.
* RageHelm: Most closed helmets are sculpted in the likeliness of a screaming face, most notably the Executioners’ helmet which resemble bone-bleached skulls. Likewise, the Sisters of Slaughter have grimacing golden masks.

* {{Sadist}}: One of their defining characteristics. You would be hard pressed to find a Dark Elf who isn't one. It says a lot that they have been called "the cruelest of all mortal races" in various ''Warhammer'' sourcebooks, considering the competition they have.
* ScaryImpracticalArmour: Dark Elf armour, particularly that of high ranking individuals, tends to emphasize intimidation over practicality. [[SpikesOfVillainy Spikes, blades]] and other such adornments are especially common.
* SeaMonster: The Druchii employ numerous oceanic monstrosities in addition to land bound creatures such as the Hydra. Most of these are utilized by Naggaroth's naval forces, often pulling black arks, but the nightmarish Kharibdyss is noteworthy due to it's ability to fight on land. Resembling a hideous amalgamation of hydra, Kraken and lamprey, these monstrosities dwell in the abyssal depths of Naggaroth's seas and are infamous for the effort required to both locate and subjugate one, to say nothing of their power and ferocity once goaded into battle. As such, they bring great wealth and prestige to any beastmaster able to acquire one. In game the Kharibdyss serves as a poisonous anti-large monster, but are more than capable of tearing through infantry formations as well.
* SinisterScimitar: In contrast to the Asur, who usually prefer straight bladed swords, the Druchii tend to favour curved, jagged blades.

* TheSocialDarwinist: Druchii society runs on this philosophy. In Naggaroth, if you aren't strong, ruthless and cunning you are dead.
* SpikesOfVillainy: Like the Warriors of Chaos the Dark Elves are very fond of these.

* BadBoss: Malekith does ''not'' tolerate failure or dissent from his underlings and is more than willing to inflict [[FateWorseThanDeath horrific]] punishments on servants who [[YouHaveFailedMe disappoint]] him. Or simply to ensure their complete cooperation, as seen by his blackmail of the sorceress Felicion. However, he is also said to be generous when rewarding success; but one can only stay on his good side for so long....

--->"Let the king approach the god, and have the god kneel! (...) Vaul will deign to bless my sword; he will marvel at my creation -- or I will destroy all of his!"

-->"I crave battle!"

* DeadlyGaze: Implied by the unique bound spell "Gaze of Malice".
* DragonRider: Malekith rides to war upon the Black Dragon named Seraphon, a particularly vicious and ill tempered creature even by the standards of her breed. It's said that upon hatching, her first act was attempting to destroy the eggs of her siblings. Malekith, impressed by her ruthlessness and savagery, took the young dragon as his own.
* TheDreaded: Malekith is unquestionably one of the single most feared beings in the setting, inspiring dread in anyone from Asur Princes to Chaos Warlords. It says a lot when you can keep a race of bloodthirsty psychopaths in line mostly through the sheer terror you inspire. Fittingly, in game he causes fear right off the bat, and terror once mounted on Seraphon.
* EliteArmy: Malekith's campaign skills grant a significant upkeep reduction to Black Guard, allowing him to amass an army of EliteMooks at greatly reduced cost.

* EvilSoundsDeep: Holy shit, does it ever.

* ManipulativeBastard: One of his specialities. It was largely due to the machinations of Malekith that the infamous [[ElvesVersusDwarves War of Vengeanance/War of the Beard]] began. By sending agents disguised as High Elves to ambush Dwarfen trade caravans he set the two races at each other's throats, ultimately culminating in one of the most destructive wars in ''Warhammer'' history. A war from which neither the Dwarfs or High Elves have ever fully recovered or forgiven each other for. [[LikeFatherLikeSon Like mother, like son]] after all.

->'''Voiced by:''' Natasha Little

Morathi has always had the taint of Chaos about her – She met with Malekith's father, Aenarion, when the Elven lord rescued her from a Chaos attack. Many believe that it was during her time as a captive that the insidious claws of the Dark Gods first crept in her soul. It was Morathi who founded the Cult of Pleasure on Ulthuan, which eventually led to bloody civil war and the cataclysm of the Sundering. Morathi was the first to perfect the Dark Art, opening up gateways to the realms of Chaos to steal vast and unimaginable powers. Combined with her stunning beauty and keen intellect, it is Morathi's magical abilities that allow her to hold sway over her enemies.

* AdaptationDistillation: Morathi's portrayal in this game features her pre-8th edition characterisation as an independent-yet-malevolent active force, but also brings back concepts of her character that were benched in previous editions for one reason or another: her worship of the Chaos God Slaanesh, the subtext of an incestuous relationship with her son, her and Malekith being on tense terms and occasionally being at each other's throats...

* TheArchmage: The greatest Druchii sorceress and one of the most powerful magic users in the world. Only Teclis, Nagash or the Slann can match or exceed her.
* AxCrazy: Possibly even ''more'' so than her son.

* TheCorrupter: Acted as this to Malekith, being one of the principle causes of his fall to evil. When he was alive she also served as this to Aenarion.

* CurbStompBattle: Fights a brief and very one sided WizardDuel against Felicion in the prequel short.

* DistractedByTheSexy: Extremely beautiful and seductive, even by elven standards. So much so that she even has a skill called "Enchanting Beauty" which weakens enemy troops in her vicinity out of the sheer desire her visage provokes.

* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Morathi's skin is almost unnaturally pale, likely as a result of her millennia long immersion in dark magic.

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Morathi's lair is usually in the tower of Ghrond, but instead her faction starts down in the Iron Peaks while Ghrond is controlled by a minor faction. This is given an in-game [[JustifiedTrope Justification]] in the FlavorText for her quest chain, which states Malekith has banished her from Naggaroth proper after a disagreement between the two.

* LadyOfBlackMagic: Nobody fits this better than Morathi in ''Warhammer''. An exceedingly ancient, powerful and beautiful sorceress who is as cruel and wicked as she is potent, and who utilizes some of the most corrupt and destructive forms of magic in the setting.

* MagikarpPower: Compared to the other Dark Elf legendary lords, who all start the game as capable fighters, Morathi takes a while to become truly powerful, starting the game with only one of her spells unlocked on top of being extremely vulnerable in close combat. By late game however she's not only a magical powerhouse but a remarkably durable and effective melee combatant thanks to a laundry list of resistances, items and various other effects.
* ManipulativeBastard: One of the premier examples in ''Warhammer Fantasy'', her entire existence has been based around scheming and manipulation. Appropriately many of her skills and bonuses reflect this, such as making hero actions 50% cheaper and starting with an additional +20 to diplomatic relations with other dark elf factions, thereby making it easier to sway them to your side.

* PoisonousFriend: Or lover in this case, but nevertheless she's been this to both her husband and son, bringing out all their darkest vices and dragging them down the path of darkness. Even when the world was about to come to an end, she convinced Aenarion to host unspeakable orgies of such depravity, instead of fighting back against the never ending tide of daemons. She succeeded with her son, and nearly did with her husband, if it wasn't for the best efforts of his best friend, Caledor, who inspired him to [[DeathEqualsRedemption die a hero]].

* RescueRomance: Fell in love with the warrior Aenarion after he rescued her from a Slaaneshi warband.

* VainSorceress: As vain as she is beautiful.

* WorldsMostBeautifulWoman: Her beauty is legendary. Only the Everqueens of the High Elves rival her in this regard.

* {{Foil}}: To Alarielle the Everqueen. Both are the highest religious authority in their respective societies, but apart from that the two contrast each other in essentially every way. Whereas Alarielle is a woman of peace, who only fights when necessary in defense of her home, Hellebron is a crazed BloodKnight who lives to wage war in the name of her god. Where Alarielle is a spellcaster who wields magics of life and light, Hellebron is a melee combatant of superlative skill and ferocity. While Alarielle is young and beautiful, Hellebron is old and haggard. And of course, Allarielle is the servant of Isha, and represents life, nature and healing, Hellebron is the world's foremost servant of Khaine, the bloody handed god of war and death.
** She is also a foil to Morathi. While Morathi is an eternally-youthful sorceress and the head of a borderline-illegal cult dedicated to [[SexGoddess Atharti]]/Slannesh, Hellebron is a warrior-priestess cursed with AgeWithoutYouth and the leader of a state-supported religion dedicated to [[WarGod Khaine]] (who, DependingOnTheWriter, is one-and-the-same as Khorne). Needless to say, Hellebron and Morathi ''do not get along''.

* HotWitch: Normally {{Downplayed}}, whilst she's elderly, she's still a good deal attractive, surprising considering she's a crone. Played ''very'' straight, when she emerges from her yearly blood baths, when she becomes [[https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/011/845/609/large/helder-almeida-dlc-10-event-5.jpg?1531741345 dead drop gorgeous]], with only Morathi being able to rival her beauty among the Dark Elves.

* IWasQuiteALooker: She was noted to have been extremely beautiful in her youth, but, thanks to Morathi witholding knowledge regarding blood magic, has been unable to keep her looks; save for short periods of time following a Death Night.

->'''Voiced by:''' Christopher Tester

* WorthyOpponent: Despite his immense hatred of his Ulthuan kin, he seems to have a grudging, but deep, respect for them as well, as much as a Dark Elf can. [[spoiler: One of the reasons why he's so angry at the Vampire Coast for hunting the Great Merwyrm is that they're interfering in their millennia long feud, which he feels is far beyond the Zombie pirates.]]

* BastardBastard: He's the illegitimate offspring of Vaulkhar Lurhan and Eldire the hag-sorceress, both pretty high people in Dark Elf society, and he's definitely a ''huge'' bastard. He is also very resentful of both his parents, even Eldire who loves him in a messed up way.

* BloodMagic: Tz'arkan, being a very powerful Keeper of Secrets, gives Malus access to this. His first spell is ''Reaper of Souls'', a direct damage LifeDrain that allows Tz'arkan to draw the life energy of everyone around him, and bring it into himself, and the second is ''Bloodstorm'', which is an AOE sphere of destruction around Malus that does a massive amount of damage, and gives Tz'arkan a large danage reduction in turn.

* BrotherSisterIncest: Oh boy. Malus's family is, simply put, ''fucked up beyond belief'' in this regard. He and pretty much every one of his half-brothers and sisters have intentions toward/is actively having an affair with one of their half- or full-blooded siblings. Malus himself has very complicated feelings towards his half-sister Nagaira, and they have carnal knowledge of each other. This isn't that uncommon in Dark Elf society, siblings (and parents) screw each other all the time. This sort of thing is generally accepted, if kept out of the public's view.

*
** CatchPhrase: One of the most famous and iconic in the series.
--->''"With hate, '''all''' things are possible."''

-->''"Shut up, Daemon!"''

-->'''Tz'arkan''': You ''need me'' Darkblade. Or will arrogant pride end this ''miserable'' existence?.
-->'''Malus''': ''Shut up Daemon!''.

->'''Voiced by:''' Bradley Clarkson

* EvilIsPetty: See TheRival.

* TheRival: To Lokhir Fellhart, at least in gameplay terms. Both are vying for control of Karond Kar, which is reflected in the fact that both gets a quest that allows them to confederate Karond Kar early, provided they collect enough slaves, ostensibly in a race to upstage the other.
** He's also considers himself this to '''Karl Franz''' of all people; he gets a quest to attack the Empire's capital city to put him in place for ''daring'' to gather exotic animals and house them in the royal zoo.

* TimeAbyss: Though you wouldn't know it by looking at her Morathi is ''the'' single oldest living mortal in the world, having been born in the days prior to the first great Chaos incursion.

** Doomfire Warplocks revolve entirely on this trope. Being male sorcerers, Malekith curses them and so Slaanesh has a direct grip on their souls. Directly feeling a Chaos God’s claw around their souls, the Doomfire Warplocks will do anything to stall Slaanesh, stealing others’ souls and making offerings to the Dark Prince to stave off their inevitable devouring.

* MasterPoisoner: Khainite Assassins are masters are creating and using poison through PoisonedWeapons but also secretly administering it inside of food. In-game one of their final unlocks is a powerful ability that lets them coat their weapons with this, doing a special, especially devastating, variant of poison towards single targets.

** This is the fate for any Dark Elf who falls in battle. After death, both elven souls are sent to Mirai (also called the Black Pit) where they becomes slaves to the Pale Queen, Ereth Khial. The only other option is being devoured by Slaanesh, the Chaos god of depravity. While High Elves mitigate this by binding their souls to the Waystones guarding their homeland and Wood Elves bind theirs to Athel Loren itself, the Dark Elves consider "preparing to die" to be the same as "planning to fail", and the prospect of damnation makes their troops doubly motivated to triumph.

Once, the Elves of Ulthuan were a single people, until their race was torn apart by one of the foulest betrayals in known history. After the death of the first Phoenix King, Aenarion the Defender, his son Malekith was passed over to succeed his father by the council of princes, in favour of Bel Shanaar. Though he outwardly abided by the decision, inside Malekith's heart a dark flame of resentment burned, fanned by the insidious whispers of his mother, the sorceress Morathi. From this denied birthright were the Druchii, or Dark Elves, spawned.

* DarthVaderClone: FallenHero? Check. MagicKnight? Check. [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport Crippling injuries]]? Check[[note]]Though Malekith's burning predates Vader[[/note]]. [[TinTyrant Full body armor]] with [[MalevolentMaskedMan a face-concealing mask]]? Check. [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Had a wife]] [[DespairEventHorizon but her death caused whatever good was left to vanish]] ? Check [[note]]8th edition added that Malekith had a wife named Allisara who tried to reconcile with him post-sundering and resurface what goodness he once had, but Morathi put a stop to that by ordering her assassination[[/note]]. [[EvilUncle A familial relationship to the heroes]]? Check. [[EvilSoundsDeep Incredibly deep voice]]? Check. The Dark Elves trailer makes this even more explicit by having him re-enact the airlock scene from ''Film/RogueOne''.

The society of the Druchii is one of cruelty, hatred and malice, where the strong thrive and the weak are ruthlessly culled. They are raiders and reavers of the highest degree, their Black Arks and corsair fleets plying the great waters of the world to despoil and enslave all before them as a tribute to their avaricious desires. Thousands are brought back to Naggaroth as slaves, condemned to a miserable existance of exhausting labor under the cruel whips of their overseers, or simply tortured and offered as ritual sacrifices to Khaine, the bloody-handed elven God of Murder.

In war, the Druchii are ferocious and bloodthirsty, a relentless shadow of death that consumes all who stand in their path. They favour highly aggresive shock tactics, seeking to inflict as much pain and misery as possible to quickly break the enemy's morale and capture any stragglers as slaves. Blood-drenched Witch Elves dance amongst the carnage slashing in frenzied abandon, ferocious War Hydras and Cold One Knights crash into the enemy ranks, and the black-hearted Sorceresses unleash dark and forbidden spells that strip flesh from bone and soul from body.

With malevolent eyes, the Dark Elves watch this dying world knowing that it is theirs to dominate, all upon it born to do nothing more than grovel at their feet. Yet, even if every other land were to bow to their rule, the Dark Elves will never be truly satisfied as long as their despised kin, the High Elves, endure. Thus do the Druchii of Naggaroth plot and wait, building up their strength upon the backs of slaves and plunder from from far-off lands. Soon, the day Ulthuan falls will finally arrive, and a vengeance thousands of years in the making will see its bloody conclusion.

With malevolent eyes, the Dark Elves watch this dying world knowing that it is theirs to dominate, all upon it born to do nothing more than grovel at their feet. Yet, even if every other land were to bow to their rule, the Dark Elves will never be truly satisfied as long as their despised kin, the High Elves, endure. Thus do the Druchii of Naggaroth plot and scheme, building up their strength upon the backs of slaves and plunder from from far-off lands. Soon, the day Ulthuan falls will finally arrive, and a vengeance thousands of years in the making will see its bloody conclusion.

With malevolent eyes, the Dark Elves watch this dying world knowing that it is theirs to dominate, all upon it born to do nothing more than grovel at their feet. Yet, even if every other land were to bow to their rule, the Dark Elves will never be truly satisfied as long as their hatred kin, the High Elves, endure. Thus do the Druchii of Naggaroth plot and scheme, building up their strength upon the backs of slaves and plunder from from far-off lands. Soon, the day Ulthuan falls will finally arrive, and a vengeance thousands of years in the making will see its bloody conclusion.

In war, the Druchii are ferocious and bloodthirsty, favouring highly aggresive shock tactics that seek to inflict as much pain and slaughter as possible and break the enemy's morale quickly, the better to capture any stragglers as slaves.

In war, the Druchii are as much of a dark mirror to their Asur brethren as in everything else. Whereas the High Elves are calm and precise, seeking balance and harmony, the Dark Elves are ferocious and bloodthirsty, hurling themselves at the foe with frenzied abandon to revel in the slaughter and inflict as much pain as possible. Tamed, ferocious monsters such as as Cold Ones and War Hydras march alongside their warriors, while the the nefarious Sorceresses of the Dark Convent unleash twisted, spiteful spells that strip flesh from bone and soul from body.

In war, the Druchii are as much of a dark mirror to their Asrai brethren as in everything else. Whereas the High Elves are calm and precise, seeking balance and harmony, the Dark Elves are ferocious and bloodthirsty, hurling themselves at the foe with frenzied abandon to revel in the slaughter and inflict as much pain as possible. Tamed, ferocious monsters such as as Cold Ones and War Hydras march alongside their warriors, while the the nefarious Sorceresses of the Dark Convent unleash twisted, spiteful spells that strip flesh from bone and soul from body.

With malevolent eyes, the Dark Elves watch this dying world knowing that it is theirs to dominate, all upon it born to do nothing more than grovel at their feet. Yet, even if every other land were to bow to their rule, the Dark Elves will never be satisfied as long as their hatred kin, the High Elves, endure. As the other elder races wane, the Dark Elves build their strength upon a constant stream of of slaves and plunder from far-off lands. Soon, the day Naggaroth rises and Ulthuan falls will arrive, and a vengeance thousands of years in the making will finally see its bloody conclusion.

In war, the Druchii are as much of a dark mirror to their Asrai brethren as in everything else. Where the High Elves are calm and stoic, prefering a measured and balanced approach to battle, the Dark Elves are ferocious and bloodthirsty, hurling themselves at the foe with frenzied abandon, seeking to inflict as much pain and slaughter as possible. Alongside the Druchii warriors march tamed, ferocious monsters such as Cold Ones and War Hydras, while the nefarious Sorceresses of the Dark Convent unleash twisted spells that strip flesh from bone and soul from body.

The Dark Elves, or the Druchii as they call themselves, and sometimes the Nagarrothi or the "Dark Ones", are one of the most ancient, powerful and sadistic of the three Elven civilizations. In the bleak, chilly lands of Naggaroth lies the Dark Elven kingdom of Malekith the Witch King, a realm born from the depths of malice and hate, a people who seek nothing more than to despoil a world they believe loathes their existence. With malevolent eyes, the Dark Elves watch this dying world, knowing it is their birthright to rule all that they survey and those that live upon it are born to do nothing more than to grovel at their feet. From this treachery were the Druchii, or Dark Elves, spawned, a people with hearts full of malice, cruelty and hate, seeking nothing more than to despoil and dominate a world they believe it is their birthright to rule.

They are raiders, reavers and heartless torturers of the highest degree, their desire being nothing more than to sow misery and pain to all that oppose them, for make no mistake, misery and pain is the very lifeblood of their existence. Thus do their Black Arks and Corsair Fleets ply the great waters of the world, raiding and enslaving all before them as a tribute to their own avaricious desires. Yet even should every other land bow to their rule, the Dark Elves know that they cannot claim their glorious inheritance whilst their hated brethren, the High Elves, endure.

Until that day finally dawns when the Isles of Ulthuan are theirs, the Dark Elves will continue their bloody quest as they always have. Great raiding fleets, their sails black against the night sky, bring woe and destruction to all the shores of the world, bearing terror and death to distant realms, often for no better reason than because there is no-one who can stand against them. With every year that passes, the power of Naggaroth ascends to greater heights, built upon the backs of slaves and fuelled by a constant stream of plunder from far-off lands. As the other elder races fade, the Dark Elves thrive, knowing that their hour has at last come. Stormclouds gather across the High Elf realms, and the Witch King's malevolent laughter echoes upon the wind. Naggaroth will rise, Ulthuan will fall, and a vengeance thousands of years in the making will finally see its bloody conclusion.

Introduced in ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'', the Dark Elves are playable in custom games, the Vortex Campaign, and Mortal Empires.

The society of the Druchii is one of cruelty, hatred and malice, where the strong thrive and the weak are ruthlessly culled. They are raiders and reavers of the highest degree, their Black Arks and corsair fleets plying the great waters of the world to despoil and enslave all before them as a tribute to their avaricious desires. Thousands are brought back to Naggaroth as slaves, condemned to a miserable existance of exhausting labor under the cruel whips of their overseers, or simply tortured and offered as ritual sacrifices to Khaine, the bloody-handed elven God of Murder

The society of the Druchii is one of cruelty, hatred and malice, where the strong thrive and the weak are ruthlessly culled. They are despoilers and reavers without equal, their Black Arks and corsair fleets plying the great waters of the world raiding and enslaving all before them as a tribute to their own avaricious desires. Thousands are brought back to Naggaroth as slaves, condemned to a miserable existance of exhausting labor under the cruel whips of their overseers, or simply tortured and offered as ritual sacrifices to Khaine, the bloody-handed elven God of Murder

The society of the Druchii is one of cruelty, hatred and malice, where the strong thrive and the weak are ruthlessly culled. They are raiders and reavers without equal, their Black Arks and great corsair fleets plying the great waters of the world to bring woe and ruination to all shores. Thousands of unfortunate souls are captured and taken back to Naggaroth every year as slaves, condemned to a miserable existance of exhausting labor under the cruel whips of their overseers, or simply tortured and offered as ritual sacrifices to Khaine, the bloody-handed God of Murder.

The society of the Druchii is one of cruelty, hatred and malice, where the strong thrive and the weak are ruthlessly culled. They are raiders and reavers without equal, their Black Arks and great corsair fleets plying the great waters of the world to bring woe and ruination to all shores. Thousands of unfortunate souls are captured and taken back to Naggaroth as slaves, condemned to a miserable, brief existance of exhausting labor under the cruel whips of their overseers, or simply offered as ritual sacrifices to Khaine, the bloody-handed God of Murder of the Dark Elves.

Once, the Elves of Ulthuan were a single people, until their race was torn apart by one of the foulest betrayals in history. After the death of the first Phoenix King, Aenarion the Defender, his only son Malekith was passed over to succeed his father by the council of princes, in favour of Bel Shanaar. Though he outwardly abided by the decision, inside Malekith's heart a dark flame of resentment burned, fanned by the insidious whispers of his mother, the sorceress Morathi. From this denied birthright were the Druchii, or Dark Elves, spawned.

Eventually, Malekith made his move, poisoning Bel Shanaar and attempting to take the throne. Thus began a civil war of cataclysmic proportions between Malekith's supporters and the rest of Ulthuan. At the height of this conflict, Malekith and his cabal of sorcerers attempted a terrible ritual to destabilize the Great Vortex and sink Ulthuan into the waves, but it backfired on them. Cast out and forced into exile, the Dark Elves fled across the sea and settled into the northern continent of the new world, a bleack and unforgiving land they named "Naggaroth", the Land of Chill.

Though he outwardly abided by the decision, inside Malekith's heart a dark flame of resentment over his denied birthright burned, fanned by the insidious whispers of his mother, the sorceress Morathi, until Malekith poisoned Bel Shanaar. From this treachery were the hateful Druchii, or Dark Elves, spawned.

the poisoning of Bel Shanaar, second Phoenix King, by Malekith, son of the first Phoenix King Aenarion the Defender, incensed over being passed over by the Council of Princes to succeed his father. From this treachery were the Druchii, or Dark Elves, spawned, a people with hearts full of malice, cruelty and hate, seeking nothing more than to despoil and dominate a world they believe it is their birthright to rule.

A civil war of cataclysmic proportions, known as the Sundering, followed Bel Shanaar's murder, fought between Malekith's supporters and the rest of Ulthuan. At the height of this conflict, Malekith and his cabal of sorcerers attempted a terrible ritual to destabilize the Great Vortex

After the death of Aenarion the Defender, first Phoenix King, the council of princes passed over his son Malekith, whom they saw as too impetuous, and instead chose Bel Shanaar to take the throne. Though he outwardly abided by the decision, a dark flame of resentment burned inside Malekith's heart, fanned by the insidious whispers of his mother, the sorceress Morathi. Eventually Malekith struck, poisoning Bel Shanaar and starting a cataclysmic civil war known as the Sundering. Thousands of Elves perished, and Ulthuan almost sunk into the waves, but eventually Malekith and his supporters were defeated and cast out, forced to flee to the land that would become Naggaroth.

The Dark Elves, or the Druchii as they call themselves, and sometimes the Nagarrothi or the "Dark Ones", are one of the most ancient, powerful and sadistic of the three Elven civilizations. In the bleak, chilly lands of Naggaroth lies the Dark Elven kingdom of Malekith the Witch King, a realm born from the depths of malice and hate, a people who seek nothing more than to despoil a world they believe loathes their existence. With malevolent eyes, the Dark Elves watch this dying world, knowing it is their birthright to rule all that they survey and those that live upon it are born to do nothing more than to grovel at their feet.

Once, the Elves of Ulthuan were a single people, until their race was torn apart by one of the foulest betrayals in history. After the death of the first Phoenix King, Aenarion the Defender, his only son Malekith was passed over to succeed his father by the council of princes, in favour of Bel Shanaar. Though he outwardly abided by the decision, inside Malekith's heart a dark flame of resentment burned, fanned by the insidious whispers of his mother, the sorceress Morathi. From this denied birthright would the Druchii, or Dark Elves, be spawned.