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Maiden World

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Maiden Worlds are the lush paradise worlds originally created by the Eldar before the Fall of their race. The creation involved seeding barren planets with life, gradually leading to their transformation into lush, life-supporting worlds. The seeding of worlds was part of a program of colonization which would take many thousands of years to reach fruition, and the result would only be seen by later generations of Eldar.[Needs Citation]

The development of a lifeless planet into a Maiden world was a slow one. The process was overseen by ancient Eldar Empire vessels known as Dominion ­Genesis. Simple bacteria were introduced to create a stable atmosphere first and gradually more complex organisms were added to stabilise the bio-system of the planet. Eventually, in the distant future the world would be ready to colonise by the Eldar. Once the process began it was fairly self-sustaining but took thousands of years to complete. These worlds are referred to by the Eldar as Lilaethan (Maiden worlds) after the Eldar goddess Lileath. They are often highly rich in resources and safe from illnesses as they were developed to resist harmful lifeforms. The Eldar consider these worlds their own, created by their forefathers for them to settle. As Eldar civilization neared its Fall, many groups among the Eldar denounced their decadent societies, abandoning their homeworlds in a series of migrations called the Exodus. These Exodites traveled far away from their collapsing civilization and settled the still barren Maiden worlds.[1]

The seeded worlds survived the Fall of the Eldar, and continued to develop on their own. In the Age of the Imperium these worlds are now verdant paradise worlds. Inevitably, many have been settled by non-Eldar races. Although these races may have lived on Maiden Worlds for thousands of years, the descendants of the colonists are considered invaders by Eldar. After the Fall, the Eldar began to settle the verdant worlds they created, sometimes finding their worlds already inhabited by other races. The "invaders" are given the choice of leaving or being exterminated. Even in cases where the colonists are feral savages with no means of leaving the planet, the Eldar have mercilessly followed through with the threat of extermination.[2]

Known Maiden Worlds

Planet name Segmentum Affiliation Population Notes
Alayran Unknown Eldar Unknown
Davinuus[9] Unknown Eldar/Imperium Unknown Eldar from the Craftworld Iyanden fought the forces of the Imperium to reclaim this Maiden World. A truce was reached and both sides joined forces when Tyranids were found on the planet. The truce ended with the Tyranids' defeat.[9]
Emele Segmentum Pacificus Imperium Unknown Also — Forbidden World
Eth-aelas Unknown Unknown Unknown The site of the destruction of the second tendril of Hive Fleet Naga.[5]
Ethero Unknown Eldar Unknown Was attacked by the tendril of Hive Fleet Kraken but saved by allied forces of Harlequins of the Masque of the Frozen Stars and Biel-Tan[11]
Equinox (former) Tempestus Imperium Unknown Now — Industrial World. Maiden World colonized by the Imperium. Formally known as a thriving civilized planet, now it has degenerated into a sodden crumbling nightmare, because of constant rainfall caused by the Imperium's abuse of the planet's ecosystem.[10]
Hannibal[2] Unknown Eldar Unknown
Iathglas Ultima Segmentum Eldar Unknown Site of a recent major council of the Eldar.[14]
Kal Eyath Unknown Eldar Unknown
Kiliak Unknown Eldar Unknown The site of a battle between Imperial xenologists and Craftworlds Biel-Tan and Ulthwé.[8]
Lethidia Unknown Dark Eldar Unknown Captured by the Dark Eldar and transported to Commorragh
Lilae'Fionnadh Unknown Imperium Unknown An ancient Maiden World lost to a warp storm during the Fall and later colonised by Human settlers with the world becoming known as Dread Pearl.[6]
Lilarsus (former) Ultima N/A Unknown Destroyed by the Tau Empire
Meridian (former) Unknown Imperium Unknown Now — Hive World
Morshanna (former) Unknown N/A Unknown Now — Dead World
Rasilena[12] Unknown Eldar Unknown The site of the Battle of Rasilena in 777.M34[12]
Shau-Yor Unknown None (Eldar former) Unknown Biomass was eaten by Tyranids
Talithia Unknown Eldar Unknown Former Imperium world
Tarsus (former) Unknown Eldar Unknown A Maiden World guarded by craftworld Ulthwé. After a meeting between Eldrad and Fulgrim went sour, Fulgrim ordered the world and others in the Perdus Region bombed with the life-eater virus.[3]
Torvendis (former) Unknown Chaos Unknown A sentient Maiden World at the very heart of the Maelstrom. After being tortured and driven insane by Chaos minions inhabiting it, it eventually destroyed itself as revenge against the Chaos gods who had imprisoned it and treasured it for so long.[4]
Twenty-Eight Four Unknown Unknown Unknown catalogued by the 28th Expedition Fleet. Left unmolested until after the meeting between Eldrad Ulthran and Fulgrim.[3]
Unnamed worlds in the Perdus Region Unknown Unknown Unknown They met the same fate as Tarsus, virus bombed with the life-eater virus by Fulgrim.[3]
Valedor (Duriel)
(former)
Unknown None None Also - former Cardinal World, now - destroyed
Veloria
(former)
Octarius Sector None None Contested between Orks and Tyranids[15]
Yrthal[13] Unknown former Imperium None human

Sources

Uncited


Worlds of the Galaxy
General Dead WorldDeath WorldDesert WorldIce WorldJungle WorldForest WorldOcean WorldDerelict WorldsChem WorldsMountain WorldRad World
Imperium Adeptus Astartes HomeworldAdeptus Astartes Breeding WorldAdeptus Astartes Recruiting WorldAdepta Sororitas Sanctuary WorldAgri WorldArchive WorldCardinal WorldCemetery WorldCivilised WorldFeral WorldFeudal WorldFrontier WorldForest WorldForge WorldFortress WorldHive WorldIndustrial WorldKnight WorldLabyrinth WorldMining WorldParadise WorldPenal WorldQuarantined WorldQuarry WorldRepository WorldResearch StationSentinel WorldShrine WorldSwamp WorldWar WorldHub-FortressPenitent WorldMerchant WorldSepulchre WorldRelic WorldBattery WorldWarden PlanetLumber WorldAbattoir WorldArboreal WorldColony WorldMenagerie WorldRefugee WorldWaste WorldAnchor WorldAstropathic Relay Station
Chaos Daemon WorldHell ForgeFallen Knight WorldCache World
Xenos Xenos WorldExodite WorldTomb WorldMaiden WorldCrone WorldOrk WorldTau SeptCraftworldKin WorldLarder World