Most of the well-known heroes from Warhammer are not shining beacons of light, but at best, less sadistic individuals in a brutal world. However, one of them has risen to become one of the most important figures of the High Elves, even though he behaves like a vengeful berserker. The problem: You need him.
In Warhammer, there is no “good” and “evil”, everyone exists somewhere in the gray area and it’s mostly about whose views you can best identify with (or who has the coolest models).
This applies to both the dystopian Warhammer 40,000 as well as the original Warhammer Fantasy. At least in the latter, the boundaries are a bit clearer, especially for factions like the High Elves. They are practically the guardians of order in Warhammer Fantasy and the – towards the end – greatest opponents of Chaos, which wants to engulf the world.
However, right there is a hero of the “good”, who acts more like a champion of Chaos or the “dark” forces. Prince Aislinn is a leader of the High Elves and the Admiral of the Lothern Sea Guard, the elite fighters of the people at sea.
Although Aislinn is technically just fulfilling his duties, he employs such questionable methods that even a king reluctantly tolerates him.
Brilliant Tactician and Brutal Avenger
In his career, Aislinn has achieved numerous great successes, including victories against large fleets of the nasty, rat-like Skaven and even a successful assault on a Black Ark of the Dark Elves – which are essentially floating, heavily fortified cities.
Originally, his task was simply to protect the coasts of the Elven realm of Ulthuan, especially against raiders from the north. Yes, the “Vikings” in Warhammer are quite big fans of Chaos… However, he has slightly overdone it:
After pursuing a pirate all the way to the human city of Marienburg, he broadly attacked it with fog magic and everything available to him – despite Marienburg being an important trading partner for the High Elves as a city of the Empire.
Alliances are not really Aislinn’s thing. Whenever a human or dwarf insults him, intentionally or accidentally, he challenges them to a duel and the prince has not lost yet. He hates Halflings even more, although nobody really knows why.
A Living Avatar of the Sea God?
- Aislinn’s arsenal includes not only the elite warriors of the High Elves but also unique mages capable of casting fog and storm magic.
- Furthermore, Aislinn commands, as one of the few High Elves, special beasts, the Merwyrm: gigantic sea dragons without wings and with long bodies.
- After his hours-long duel against the Dark Elf Lokhir Devilheart, in which Aislinn was defeated, he sank in the sea and later awoke on a beach without any memories.
- Many see Aislinn because of all these traits as the Herald of the Sea God Mathlann.
You can play his armies and Aislinn himself with the DLC Tides of Torment in Total War: Warhammer 3.
The Villain the World Needs – and Probably Deserves
Aislinn’s actions, especially as with Marienburg, are not looked upon favorably by the nobility and rulers of the High Elves. The attack is seen as an unjustified war and Aislinn’s measures are often too drastic.
Nevertheless, he is tolerated by the king because the realm needs strong warriors like him – and urgently. By the “End Times”, meaning the time when the world of Warhammer actually perishes, Aislinn is one of the reasons why that does not happen faster.
While Archaon the Ever Chosen, the greatest champion of Chaos of all time, devastates the world, Aislinn ensures that the tribes of Norsca are losing leaders and armies in droves. He holds off reinforcements like few others.
In the end, however, this does not help and the Old World is still destroyed, although this does not end the story itself. For after the world’s destruction, some mortals manage to survive and flee to a new world. This is the world that you now know as Age of Sigmar: What is actually the difference between Warhammer 40,000, Fantasy, and Age of Sigmar? The 3 worlds of Warhammer explained simply
