Esne was the goddess of envy among the Old Gods, the deities worshiped by the people of the planet Zakuul prior to Valkorion's ascension to Immortal Emperor. One of the four children of Izax and Scyva, Esne was the twin sister of Aivela, the goddess of passion, and Esne's greed and hatred of her sister led her to test the faithful and weed out the weak from among them by inciting jealous and envy. The phrase "Eyes of Esne" was a common metaphor for jealousy among the people of Zakuul.
Esne originated as an experimental Iokath titanic wardroid superweapon, built by an ancient, but highly advanced people. She, along with her five brothers and sisters, were tested on several unsuspecting worlds, leading to over ten trillion casualties, one of the worlds being Zakuul, which is why Esne was worshiped there.