Eldrad Ulthran
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In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, Eldrad Ulthran was the mightiest and most ancient of the Farseers of the Eldar Craftworld of Ulthwé. Among Eldrad's accomplishments are supposedly: igniting the Second War for Armageddon so as to spare the lives of ten thousand Eldar,[1] igniting the Sanapan Scouring, the Mortis Annihilation and the Third Coming of Orian, as well as warning the Emperor of Horus's treachery[1] and warning the Eldar of Iyanden of the coming of the Tyranids.[1] The veracity of these accomplishments are often debated, as they are usually derived from work by Inquisitor Czevak (which he himself admits strays into the realm of paranoia) and the rantings of a tortured Eldar Ranger. It should also be noted that, of these battles, only the Second War for Armageddon is ever described in detail.
Eldrad is thought to have perished during the Eye of Terror campaign, when he was caught upon a Blackstone Fortress, or Talisman of Vaul, that he was trying to stop from destroying the vitally important Imperial world of Cadia - which was covered in ancient monoliths that calmed the raging warp storms of the Eye of Terror and (presumably) kept them from spreading. As he attempted to commune with and stop the corrupted spirit of the Fortress, the Farseer learned no random power had corrupted the machine; the deed had been done by Slaanesh himself. In vain, Eldrad tried to disengage. His soul was dragged screaming into the dark core of the fortress. Its current whereabouts are unknown. [2]
Since the fourth edition Eldrad can be fielded in any Eldar army, he has very effective psychic powers and acts like a farseer.
[edit] Eldrad's Fate
The current whereabouts of Eldrad Ulthran, or rather his soul, are unknown, though it is speculated that he has been taken by Slaanesh, and now suffers unearthly torments in the Warp. Whether or not he can be rescued, or if he has actually been captured at all, is unknown. It should be emphasised, however that no Eldar yet has ever escaped Slaanesh's grasp once caught in it, save for a few exceptionally lucky Solitaires of the Harlequins.
The new Codex: Eldar (November 2006) has Eldrad Ulthran as a special character along with the Phoenix Lords and Prince Yriel, the Autarch of Iyanden. The representation of Eldrad Ulthran is as an "historic" character, yet ends with the faintest flicker of hope concerning his future, because 'all but a handful of his waystones [each containing a fragment of Eldrad's consciousness] became lifeless and dull' ; for, if even one remains bright, then Eldrad endures within the corrupted Talisman of Vaul.