Ynnead and Cegorach vs Tzeentch and Slaanesh.

Let me just say right off the bat that this isn't a question of who wins.

This is a question of which god is the opposite/equivalent of the other and that also applies to their followers. Sorry if this is a bit of a ramble. So we have 4 Eldar Gods and 4 Chaos Gods. Khaine and Khorne and Isha and Nurgle are pretty obvious parallels to each other, but the rest of the gods are a bit more ambiguous.

It would seem that Tzeentch and Cegorach are parallels to each other (and the Trickster from C'tan). They are trickster gods who manipulate others, their notable champions are Sylandri Veilwalker and the Changeling and they both also have massive libraries (Cegorach's Black Library and the Hidden Library) as well as a connection to crystals (Cegorach gave Lady Malys a crystal heart and Tzeentch has the Crystal Labyrinth).

But is the trickster aspect the main thing for Tzeentch? Or is he primarily a god of psychic power and...fate? Then his closest equivalent would be Morai-Heg, but she is dead, and we have Ynnead.

Let's talk about him in more detail. Apparently he is the anti-Slaanesh god (and also his twin, to some extent). Ynnead is generally an anti-Chaos god and he is anathema to them.

At their fore was the Yncarne, a revenant creature so inimical to Chaos that the stuff of the Empyrean could not slow it. Even the Gods of Chaos did not look upon the creature directly; the incarnation of Ynnead's essence was so anathema to them they could not truly perceive it

Because Chaos is excess. And Slaanesh is the most Chaos god of all, because he is the god of excess.

This is due, in part, to the fact that all the Chaos Gods embody the excess for which Slaanesh is known: Khorne with his bloodlust, Tzeentch with his scheming, and Nurgle with his spreading of plague. Each is an obsession that Dark Prince can turn to his will with merely a whispered promise. Lurking deep within the psyche of each of his brothers is the suspicion that the influence of the Dark Prince is rapidly growing, and that Slaanesh will perhaps one day eclipse them all in strength

So it's pretty obvious why Slaanesh and Ynnead are opposites, but then they're not equivalents, are they? And Tzeentch has no equivalent because Morai-heg is dead. But Ynnead is closely related to Morai-heg, in a sense he's her heir.

The Eldar Farseers were originally the oracles of Morai-Heg until Eldrad changed the system of the Path of the Seer. Eldrad, the greatest of the Farseers, was the one who first sensed the unborn Ynnead and decided to awaken him, using the crystal statues of the Farseers to link the power with all the Infinite Paths. It didn't work, and now they need the 5 swords, which are also known as the 5 fingers of Morai-Heg. In White Dwarf, it is even mentioned that Ynnead is the consort of Morai-Heg and the banshees are his daughters, not Khaine's daughters.

According to myth, Morai-Heg was the consort of Kaelis Vara'lanthian (or the 'death god yet to be') and he become a father for her 'daughters' - the Banshees.

And the Eldar wraith constructs, who, when connected with Ynnead, become as fast as the living, have a close connection with Morai-Heg.

The Eldar call the act of separating the spirit from its body "Cutting of the Crone's Cord", for in Eldar lore a strand ties the soul of a being to its material form. Tradition has it that only the Crone Goddess Morai-Heg herself has the right to sever this connection, for a mortal doing so is merely playing god.

So while Ynnead himself may not be a god of fate, he is at least connected to Morai-Heg. She cuts the Eldar's life thread, and Ynnead takes the soul. This is how it would have been, if not for the birth of Slaanesh.

We also see the rivalry of their champions. Yvraine is obviously most focused on destroying Slaanesh, but she is also now Ahriman's sworn enemy, having thwarted his plans twice. Craftworld Eldar are also the main rivals of the forces of Tzeentch, as both factions focus on manipulation of fate and psychic power.

There is no force in the galaxy that can manipulate the future as the Aeldari can, yet they are not alone in their ability to do so. The Dark Gods too have servants that can weave the skeins of fate, foremost amongst them the sorcerous minions of Tzeentch. When battle with such foes is joined, the victor alone will be able to twist destiny to their own designs.

Why do I mention Craftworld in a discussion of Ynnead? Because let's be honest, of all the branches of the Eldar, they are the closest to Ynnead. Jain Zar embodies an aspect of the Banshee, daughter of Morai-heg and Ynnead. The Eldar themselves constantly use Wraith Constructs(which are a bit reminiscent of Rubric Marines), which as I noted above become stronger if they swear allegiance to Ynnead. And it was Eldrad, greatest of the Farseers, who awakened Ynnead through his connection to the Infinite Circuits that exist within every Craftworld. Anyone can become an Ynnari, but the Harlequins (servants of Cegorach), Drukhari (who are closer to Khaine), and Exodites (who worship Isha) have far less connection to this god than the Asuryani.

While the Harlequins and the servants of Slaanesh are all about speed and agility. We have an example of a Solitaire who beat a Mask in a dance and an example of a Solitaire who beat a Keeper of Secrets 1 on 1 and it was so superhumanly fast that even the other Eldar couldn't keep up with them.

Their psychic powers are also similar as the Harlequins and the Daemons of Slaanesh use illusions and hypnosis or otherwise try to trick the enemy's mind. The Masque of Slaanesh bends enemies to her will with she dance, the Keepers of Secrets seduce mortals into serving Slaanesh, while the Harlequins can confuse the minds of their enemies into fighting for them (at least one Masque does just that).

Many people focus on Tzeentch being the Great Deceiver, but it is Slaanesh and his servants who can mess with your mind to corrupt you.

So while Ynnead is the anti-Slaanesh and Cegorach is the equivalent of Tzeentch, their followers do not represent the same thing as their gods. Craftworld and the servants of Tzeentch are pure psychic power and fate manipulation, while the Harlequins and servants of Slaanesh are about speed and illusion.

The Eldar no longer have a god of fate, but I would say that in a very indirect and distant sense, it is Ynnead who are the heirs of Morai-Heg and the primary opponent of Tzeentch.

Thoughts?