Fluff: Eldar Titans
Scribed by: Realm of Inisfail

Comment:  Here is some information we came across on the web.  It was from an unknown source on the web, which was then sourced back to the Realm of Inisfail.  Unfortunately, our many attempts at contacting the Realm of Inisfail have not been successful, hence the origins of this piece cannot be confirmed.  Please let us know if you know anything about the following fluff.

Most Eldar craftworlds have their own Titan forces whose crews work together with an Infinity Circuit. The Infinity Circuit is used in many forms by the Eldar, where other races would use computers and similar devices. Each Infinity Circuit is imprinted with the character and memories of a living Eldar through the process of ‘soul-grafting’ (Failleanam). The Eldar’s body is left as a mindless husk, but his thoughts live on in the Infinity Circuit . Soul-grafting is seen as the ultimate sacrifice that an Eldar can make for his people, and the ancestors and relatives who live on within Infinity Circuits are treated with great respect. They are revered and marked by the title of Tuisich-Novasmair, which Imperial sources normally translate as Lord-Phoenix.

The Infinity Circuit of an Eldar titan is normally mounted in the centre of the crew compartment, and takes the form of a large and intricately faceted piece of carrecenad, the ‘soul-stone’ which forms the basis of Infinity Circuit technology. Unlike their Human counterparts, the crew of an Eldar Titan is not physically connected to the machine; smaller chips of stone set in headbands allow the crew to meld psychically with the Infinity Circuit and the highly-sophisticated Mind Impulse Units it controls.

An Eldar Phantom crewman is immediately recognizable by the Spirit Stone he wears upon his forehead. Upon becoming a Titan crewman, a ceremonial band is wrapped around the Eldar's head; almost immediately, the band bonds to his skull and sends tendrils into his brain. The headband bears a small chunk of Spirit Stone taken from the Titan that the Eldar is to serve. Upon tarring his place in the cockpit, each crewman psychically links with the Titan using the fragment of the stone. In effect, the Titan and crew become a single entity. The band may only be removed upon the Eldar's death.

Like all Eldar, a Titan crewman bears a Spirit Stone on his chest that, upon his death, will preserve his spirit for a short time. The shape of this stone often reflects the symbol of the Eldar's clan: the Fir Lirithion, for instance, have heart-shaped stones.

Because of the close links that are required between the Titan's crewmembers and the Titan itself, it is usual for each crew to consist of Eldar from one family. This affords them a great deal of respect within the craftworld's hierarchy, as a family must be truly worthy to serve in a Titan clan.

When in battle, each crewman wears a close-fitting boiler suit that contains the life-support systems he needs. His boots are made of a slightly adhesive substance that is ideal for moving around the organic tubes and passageways that cris-cross the Titan. When outside the Titan, each Eldar wears either a jacket or a coat for warmth. Like the boiler suit itself, these topcoats bear the Titan's rune and victory symbols on the left shoulder, and the Eldar's clan symbol on the back.

The Phantom has a crew of four - three living Eldar and one Infinity Circuit. The Infinity Circuit is normally mounted in the centre of the crew compartment in the Titan's head, and the living crew -frequently blood-relatives of the Infinity Circuit - occupy couches around it. Unlike their Human counterparts, they do not have specific functions. Each crew member is equipped with a headband in which is set a fragment of the carrecenad stone; by means of this they merge their minds with the Infinity Circuit, forming a composite mind capable of handling multiple thoughts and actions. This mind is linked to the Phantom's mechanical systems by Mind Impulse Units which are far in advance of those used by the Imperium. The relationship between a Phantom's living crew and its Infinity Circuit is intimate and all-sharing; they know each other totally, and are marked by their ability to finish each other's sentences and thoughts out loud. In any other Eldar, this would be unthinkable presumption, but Titan crews are know for the closeness they develop and the eccentricities that arise from it. To Eldar outside the Titan Clans, they are almost a race apart.

Fir Lirithion (hearts armoured for battle)

The Fir Lirithion of the Iyanden Craftworld have a most unusual attitude towards combat. This Eldar clan are slow to ire and they never go willingly to war; yet they are , once on the field, among the most fearsome of all opponents. To the Fir Lirithion, war is a cancer to be eradicated. They strive to cut out the disease but leave the body unharmed; to this end they will go to inordinate lengths to purge their enemies of belligerent leaders while leaving the unwilling masses unharmed.

This tactic of course, relies on the idea that the masses will be routed upon the death of their leaders. As a consequence, the first time the Fir Lirithion found themselves fighting Orks, they suffered the biggest defeat of their long and glorious history. They struck at the Ork command post with a lightning strike, killing all of the tribe's leaders in one fell swoop. Expecting the Orks to fall apart without leadership, they did not expect the retaliation they received, and were taken by surprise. their losses were heavy that day.

Fir Lirithion are regarded is the surgeons of the battlefield by most observers. They have fought many highly effective campaigns, such as the route of a company of Emperor's Children on the moon of Balthon; a strike force of Phantoms went deep into the Valley of Envy and destroyed the traitors' command centre. The leaderless and battered Marines were forced to withdraw to a savage feral world in the outer system, where they were killed by a virulent plague that caused their Larraman's Organ to emit cells uncontrollably, terminally thickening their blood.

Fir Dinillainn (protectors of the fallen)

Since Imperial records began the Eldar Phantoms of the Saim-Hann Craftworld have been known as the Fir Dinillainn - the Protectors of the Fallen. Yet on their own time scale, this name is but a recent acquisition earned by an act of outstanding courage and selfless service to another clan many thousands of years ago. Lord Amthillon, leader at the time, sacrificed a third of his force to protect the dying warriors of the Fir Lirithion Clan - his companions in the field - so that their spirit stones could be retrieved. By that single act of self sacrifice the Fir Lirillyon - the Knights of Purpose were renamed. the Fir Dinillainn. Since that day the Phantoms of the Saim-Hann Craftworld have astonished even Imperial forces with their selfless heroism

Fir Farillecassion (watchers over ancient wrongs)

It is widely-rumored among the few Eldar unaware of the truth that the true location of the Black Library - said to hold the Eldar codices that concern themselves with the worship of Chaos and tell of the Eldar's downfall - must be the Biel-Tan Craftworld. Although this is certainly untrue, the Phantoms of Biel-Tan do display an unparalleled hatred of Chaos. The driving force behind this hatred is a feverent wish that no other race should suffer the terrible downfall that befell the Eldar.

Inquisitor Trant tells of his journey to Truan IX to destroy a Khornate coven. However, Trant arrived too late - upon reaching the surface he found that virtually the entire population had been wiped out. In the rubble of the western continent's capital city he found a half-burnt banner bearing the symbols of the Fir Farillecassion - the Phantoms of Biel-Tan. They had arrived before him.

Fir Iolarion (eagles born of fire)

The Fir Iolarion - Eagles Born of Fire - were almost completely destroyed four centuries ago when they lost control of the warp gates onboard their Craftworld, Lugannath, allowing the Daemons of the warp to enter and attack them. For many years the clan drifted helplessly in space while they labored to make the necessary repairs; stranded, and with their numbers severely depleted by the creatures in their midst, they were reduced to being one of the weakest Eldar clans.

Over time however, thanks only to their own unrelenting and steadfast efforts, they have not only regained the power they once had, but have exceeded it tenfold. their almost total obliteration is now regarded by their leaders as a baptism of fire.

In the months after their warp gate accident, the Iyanden Craftworld sent Eldar troops to nearby systems to gather materials for repairs. On the Ork world of Gragnar they found a lake of liquid copper vital to the destabilization of their warp gates. Although their operations to drain the lake were constantly hampered by attacks from Ork Gargants, the presence of the Fir Iolarion Phantoms meant that they were able to get the metal they required without sustaining heavy losses.