Janriss Ulthuan originally hailed from the Craftworld El’doryyn. Like most El’doryyn Eldar, she was content with the craftworld’s decisions to stay out of matters of the galaxy. She lived a long and full life, tending towards the paths of artistic expression. When the council of seers made the decision to re-enter the galaxy and enter the Pegasus Gulf, Janriss was surprised, but was ready to support her craftworld. She, like many others, felt the call to war, and was called to the Path of the Dark Reaper. She participated in many of the skirmishes against the Dark Angels chapter of Space Marines en-route to the Pegasus Gulf, and was deployed to Ulyssia.
Despite her craftworld’s success on Ulysiaa, the lack of transparency from the Council of Seers, and the drastic change in attitude of the craftworld was begining to weigh on her. She was not alone in this concern, and soon found a large number of other Eldar who also disagreed with the Craftworld’s new direction. When the Craftworld continued on its warlike path, Janriss and her fellow dissenters decided it was enough. One night, her and her disenfranchised companions stole a ship and left the Craftworld.
+++++
Alarms began to sound in the hangar control room. The technician working at the station interfaced with the wraithbone lattice, and a viewscreen came to life. It showed the image of a group of Eldar boarding a ship.
“Seer Tal’rhim! Hangar bay 32a is reporting a disturbance. It appears someone is stealing one of our ships!”
“I know,” Tal’rhim, the farseer in charge of this section, replied.
“But… You’re just going to let them leave, Seer?”
“Indeed, for they will return on day, when we have most need of them.”
+++++
Having escaped the Craftworld, Janriss soon herself lost. The Eldar who fled had no plan or direction, and were set to wander the stars, in hope of some day coming in contact with someone who could guide them. They feared they would be doomed to drift forever, for El’doryyn had so few outcasts that it was unlikely they would meet another Eldar. In their moments of despair Janriss took control of the band, giving them direction. Fate had led her to this point, and she had decided she would lead her companions to safety. They were now hers to protect. These outcasts would go on to found the Corsair fleet called The Dawnbringers, and they would make Janriss Ulthuan their Princess.
She gained the nickname Janriss “Voidstrider” for her ability to seemingly travel quickly across the gulf. Due in part to her natural skill in plying the twisting webway, but also because the backwater worlds of the Pegasus Gulf both knew that Eldar were not capable of warp travel, yet were ignorant of the webway. The tales of timely interventions and sudden appearances gave her a legendary status across the gulf. Rumours and whispers of “The Voidstrider” soon brought excitement, hope, and later, fear.
After many years away from the rigid discipline of the Craftworld and its path system, Janriss began to feel the grating call of Slannesh. Like all Eldar, she was subject to the Soulfright; the agony of the soul as She Who Thirsts watches over her prey. It is no easy task for an Eldar to ignore the peril of their immortal soul, and each deals with it in their own way. Janriss, in the heat of battle, found that the call of Slannesh was lessened. And so the outcast who left the craftworld because of its turn to war, found that she needed war to keep the Soulfright at bay. Over the years, Janriss became more and more bloodthirsty – resorting to violence to get her way even when it was not necessary, needlessly throwing her fleet into conflict, taking instead of trading. Her new obsession began to change her fleet.
Despite this, Janriss still has a fond place in her heart for her Craftworld, and has come to its aid on many occaisions. She will not suffer slights against El’doryyn, and is fiercely protective of it.
