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Rokugnar
"Making assumptions about the Eldar in general is a very dangerous prospect. It is easy to fall into the trap of assuming that because there are so few left that those few must share every detail of their culture with all the others. This is simply not true, as my predecessor found out when he visited these Eldar and caused such an offense that he was ejected from the craftworld. Literally. I was able to arrange a visit of my own some hundred years later on the strength of my reputation, and spent more time making observations before making any assumptions. By doing so, I was able to figure out the Rokugnar's peculiar brand of Eldar honor and become, if not exactly welcomed, at least slightly accepted amongst them." -Inquisitor Czorak, "Report on Xenos of the Galactic Fringe".
History
The Eldar of the Rokugnar Craftworld exist, as most Eldar, on the blade's edge between survival and extinction. The current Rokugnar Eldar are the descendants of seven Exodite tribes that left Eldar space prior to the Fall, settling on a cluster of Maiden worlds far from what eventually collapsed into the Eye of Terror. When the Fall occured, the seven tribes lost all contact with the remainder of their race and, assuming they were the last Eldar in the galaxy, made arrangements for mutual defense and an eventual return to the galaxy at large.
After several millenia of peace on their worlds the seven tribes had once again established the rudiments of a spacefaring civilization, though one with barely fifty thousand beings across the seven worlds. Their military forces were somewhat lacking, however, as they had concentrated largely on building ships and laying the foundations for a new craftworld (named Rokugnar after their own word for the star cluster they had settled in) orbiting a barren world in one of their systems. Unfortunately a huge force of unknown ships entered their star cluster, and aggressively began to bear down upon their worlds.
Fearing an invasion, the Eldar of the seven tribes left their worlds behind and retreated to the craftworld, which had become ready for flight. Volunteers stayed behind on each of the worlds, waiting to provide news should an invasion actually occur. On the craftworld, the members of the seven tribes, who had come to refer to themselves as [i]clans[/i], began to settle into assigned roles that reflected the unique skills and attitudes developed on each of their own worlds, and waited for word from those left behind.
When word came it was sporadic, but one thing was clear: the seven worlds were being wiped of life by giants in enormous suits of garish armor sporting spikes, tendrils, claws and other fearful devices. Daemons were driven before them, their forms a mockery of Eldar beauty, slaughtering any that were in their way. No other specifics were received, and the volunteers were assumed to have been wiped out.
The seven clans of the Rokugnar Craftworld engaged the giant ship's warp engines and left their homes behind.
Basis for the Army Background
The Roguknar Craftworld is based upon the real-world role-playing and trading card game world "Legend of the Five Rings".
Similar to the seven clans of Rokugan, the forces of the craftworld are organized into seven distinct "clans", named after mythical beasts of lore (on the craftworld, at least) that reflect the attitudes, talents and philosophies of the clan members. Each of the seven clans are made up of survivors from one of the seven Maiden Worlds; the distinct environments of these worlds helped to define the unique perspectives of each of the clans.
If you're familiar with the L5R game world, the craftworld is most based upon the world around the time of the Clan War, leading up to the second Day of Thunder (basically, the time period of the card game's first major arc, and the first couple editions of the RPG).
Clans of the Rokugnar Eldar
"Apparently unique amongst the Eldar, the Rokugnar place less emphasis on the way of the Aspect and more upon the defined roles of members of the various clans. While in practice this causes little difference (especially upon the battlefield where the Emperor's forces would care little for the philosophy of the enemy), it can present some interesting and potentially dangerous interactions for the visitor." -Inquisitor Czorak, "Report on Xenos of the Galactic Fringe".
The Rokugnar Eldar are divided into seven clans, each responsible for some aspect of the Craftworld's operation and for fulfillment of certain roles upon the battlefield. It is difficult to say whether the roles were assigned because a clan acted a certain way, or vice-versa, but regardless of the reasons this is the reality of the craftworld today. The Rokugnar know of the way of the Aspect Shrines that other craftworlds follow (they have interacted with other Eldar since their flight from the cluster) and have found that their own predilections for choosing a way of battle must have come from some racial memory, for it is very similar to that which other craftworlds use.
Crab Clan: The Makers
The Crab are responsible for construction of ships, vehicles, and weapons. They are the undisputed masters of Wraithbone on the Craftworld, creating the finest armor and developing new advances in firepower. Due to their role as maintainers of weapons and vehicles, Crab members make up the bulk of Guardian squads when the craftworld takes to the field: they are the most familiar with the weaponry and are best able to bring them to bear.
The love of firepower has led the clan leadership to create an elite force of long-ranged weaponmasters, and their mastery of Wraithbone allows them to create massive constructs of the material that they imbue with the spirits of their greatest heroes.
The Crab Clan colors are dark blue and blood red.
Dark Reapers squad "Great Wall":
Wraithlord Hida Yakamo, veteran of the Liberation of Alderus Beta:
Crane Clan: The Artisans
Perfect detail on a work of art, music that reaches into the heights and depths of the soul, a perfect strike with a sword: these are the ideals of the Crane. The artisans of Rokugnar, the Crane aspire to perfection in each action they perform, whether adding filigree to a tall sculpture, aligning the flows on an enormous fountain, or blasting an enemy with a shuriken catapult.
The clan's skill with even the simplest weaponry, being able to get the most out of anything they use, has led to them being chosen for the most basic but flexible battlefield roles.
The Crane's colors are light blue and white.
Dragon Clan: Keepers of the Forge
The Rokugnar don't use much metal; most of their weaponry and construction consists of wraithbone. What little they do use is exclusively worked by the masters of the Dragon. The clan creates fixtures, statuary, and the internal workings of high-temperature weapons such as the fusion gun. The clan is also responsible for guiding many of the rituals followed by the craftworld, including the inauguration of clan leadership and the rarely used Summoning of the Avatar.
The Dragon's colors are Green, Red, and Gold.
Lion Clan: Logistics and Tactics
Consummate students of battle, the members of the Lion clan are the craftworld's master tacticians and strategists. Responsible not only for battle planning but also logistics, the Lion work with the craftworld's scouts (usually Unicorn or Crab) to locate planets with resources and determine the best ways to ensure safe harvesting of those resources. On the battlefield, the Lions are often represented by a tactical commander (an Autarch) and by the elite, all-female shock troop: the Banshee.
The Lion clan's colors are Brown and Gold.
Below: Autarch Toturi, the "Black General", formerly of the Lion Clan (very rarely, elite members of some clans are granted leave to study with other clans for purposes of battlefield enrichment; this Autarch has spent time with the Scorpion and Dragon, taking away valuable experience and learning the use of their specialized equipment).
Phoenix Clan: Masters of Magic
Scorpion Clan: Guardians of Secrets
Unicorn Clan: The Pilots and Traders
Confirmed Sightings