Guide:How to make a fanon Dark Eldar Kabal

As requested by Tomj8937, I present to you a How-to guide which will help you to design your very own gang of sadistic murderers. It should be noted that the Dark Eldar fluff was altered quite considerably after the release of the 5th Edition Codex and that my how-to is based off of a mix of the old and the new fluff (so feel free to add anything I missed).A Shadow Before the Dawn 21:39, December 1, 2010 (UTC)

What are Kabals?
A Dark Eldar Kabal is group of Dark Eldar who are united under the leadership of an Archon. They plunder the galaxy for captives and resources in order to further their cause. They must constantly feed on souls in order stave off the predations of She Who Thirsts and will dedicate their existence to capturing prisoners, furthering their position in Dark Eldar society. There is a possibility that they will have Wych Cult; Haemonculus; Hellion (a new fluff seperate faction) or (with the new fluff) even Harlequin allies.

History
Prior to the Fall the Eldar had pleasure cults dedicated to the excesses and sensations which life offers. As time went by these Pleasure Cults decended into decadence and began to take part in ever more hedonistic forms of pleasure. Other Eldar would be ritualy murdered in order to feed the decadent desires of these Cults. It is these very cults that many Kabals can trace there ancestry from as the Pleasure Cults developed into the Kabals some time after the Fall, after fleeing into the Webway (in particular Commorragh)

So, was your Kabal formed from the remnants of a Pleasure Cult which contributed to the formation of Slaanesh? Was the Kabal founded at a later date? Is your Kabal a splinter off of another one? or was it formed from two or more old Kabals? Basically the possibilties are varied when it comes to deciding the origin of a Kabal. However, having it (directly) originating from a pre-fall Pleasure Cult is always a safe bet as it is established in the official canon that this is the origin of many Kabals.

What your Kabal has
When making a Kabal, these are the absolute basics: you can't make Kabal without them.

Archon
Its plain and simple: you can't have a Kabal without him. The Archon is the supreme leader of the Kabal and is both a societal and military leader of the Kabal. Try to include a detailed background on this particular character as he is key to the Kabal's continual existence. He may have survived from the fall, killed an Archon to get the position or just wormed his way to the top of the Kabal.

Kabalite Warriors
The backbone of a Kabal: the standard rank and file troops which form the bulk of the Kabal.

Base of Operations
Whether they are based on Commorragh, somewhere else within the Webway, an asteroid base etc. The Kabal will more often than not have a set base of operations. This may be in an important place (ie. an asteroid base situated in a system with an Imperial Hive World, so that they can harvest plenty of souls).

Leadership
Who else, other than your Archon, sits in a position of power within the Kabal?

They may even have different ranks distinct from other Kabals.

Allies, Enemies
Each Kabal will have its own niche in Dark Eldar society. They will make alliances with Succubi and trade souls to the Haemonculi but they will most definately end up with enemies within Commorragh.

The most common allies to a Kabal come in the form of the Wych Cults and the Haemonculi when they will trade prisoners to these allies for their service or they are fighting for a common goal. They will sometimes be aided by the speed loving Reaver Jetbikers, sky-boarding Hellions or even (with the new fluff) the enigmatic Eldar Harlequins Of course the very nature of this selfish race will gain their Kabal several enemies. Other Kabals will forever be their rivals, the Craftworld Eldar detest their fallen brethren and they will not be making any friends as they raid planets for prisoners (and resources).

Military
Every single Dark Eldar is a soldier in one form of another. Whether this is in the form of a Wych, a Warrior or a foul Wracks they will always be ready for a fight. They may also use Helions, Reavers, Ravagers, Mandrakes etc. The entire Kabal is made of soldiers. Being a civillian is not an option.

Colors and Livery
What is your Kabal's symbol? Its chosen colors?

Quotes
Imfamous for the "Pray they do not take you alive", the Dark Eldar have a reputation for being evil. Any quotes will most likely be detailing their cruel sadistic acts from the point of the Dark Eldaf or from the point of the unlucky victims.

Growth
Kabals will gain and lose members over time. You may decide on the number of members of the Kabal or just have it that it is fairly large.

Misc Info
Just some extra info that may help you in making a Kabal.

Exiles
Some Dark Eldar are even exiled from Commorragh for one reason or another. They will more likely than not be even more bitter than those native to Dark City. They will may be based in Realspace or the Webway in some kind of hidden base.

Pirates
Like their puritan kin, some Dark Eldar will resort to having pirate fleet instead of having a set base of operations. You could have a mobile Kabal that is always on the move if you based them off of this.