In turn, as Slaanesh grew, its nascent dreams trickled into the minds of the Aeldari and fuelled their desires, pushing them ever onwards towards their eventual doom.Įventually, the Aeldari civilisation devolved into little more than pleasure cults dedicated to every act of physical, mental and spiritual fulfillment. The dormant Slaanesh fed upon the unchecked collective psyche of the Aeldari, drawing on their lusts and ambitions, their artistry and pursuit of excellence in all things. Created by one species' pure dedication to indulgence and excess, the first psychic motes of what would become Slaanesh began to coalesce. In the Immaterium, the collective psychic reflections of their indolence and amoral hedonism caused a new major Chaos power to stir, beginning in the 25th Millennium of the Terran calendar. Over several generations, this indolence and hedonism came to rule and pervert their souls.
Instead, they were able to dedicate their lives to whatever idle pursuits took their fancy. The capabilities of their highly advanced technology meant that the Aeldari did not need to labour or wage war. As their empire reached its zenith, the Aeldari became lost in their own decadence, for they experience sensation and emotion to a far greater degree than any other intelligent species of the galaxy. Slaanesh was given life by the immorality and hubris of the ancient Aeldari Empire. The singer striving for the most beautiful song or the warrior who seeks the perfect fighting techniques, both could be devotees of Slaanesh. Just as importantly, Slaanesh is also the god of perfection. Those who desire to indulge in the finest culinary delights, the most beautiful artworks, even the most sensual clothing, could all be amongst Slaanesh's disciples. But this is true in all things, not just carnal pleasures. Wherever mortals are ruled by their own unquenchable desires, the Dark Prince of Chaos is there in the shadows, whispering, tempting, and feasting on a banquet of souls. The daemonic armies of Slaanesh are known as the Legions of Excess. Its sacred number is six and the colours associated with Slaanesh are riotous purples, pinks and black. It is the god of obsession, the Master of Excess in All Things, from gluttony to lust to megalomania. Slaanesh is the Lord of Pleasure, the Dark God dedicated to the pursuit of earthly gratification and the overthrow of all decent behaviour, as well as hedonism and pleasure for its own sake. The name Slaanesh is a corruption of the Aeldari term Slaaneth ( Slaa meaning "ecstasy" or "pleasure" and Neth meaning "lord" or "prince" in the Aeldari Lexicon hence, the Prince of Pleasure), though ironically, the Aeldari refer to this foul entity only as Sai'lanthresh, "She Who Thirsts."
Slaanesh is the youngest of the four major Chaos Gods, having come to full sentience within the Immaterium only during the 30th Millennium. Lust, pride and self-indulgence are the hallmarks of all who follow it. Slaanesh, also known as the "Dark Prince," the "Prince of Pleasure," the "Lord of Excess," the "Perfect Prince," and "Prince of Chaos" in the Imperium of Man and "She Who Thirsts" among the Aeldari, is the Chaos God of pleasure, hedonism, excess and decadence.