Topic: 'Dark' Eldar vs. Slaanesh

[Dralith]

look, i know this is an old old type question:
But I've never quite got it straight in my head how the DE avoid the predations of Slaanesh.
Surely they aren't so absorbed in gettin high and killin some stuff that they don't bother about everlasting conscious torture in the maw of Her-what-is-thirsty?

[Irandrura]

In one interpretation, that's the Soul Thirst. It goes like this -

Slaanesh drains the souls of Dark Eldar. It's not instant, but a slow drain on the sides. This is why they Dark Eldar are 'so absorbed in gettin high and killin some stuff' - they have to be. When a Dark Eldar consumes a soul it goes towards filling the gap in their own souls. The codex alludes to this on page 42 - 'their own survival [depends] upon the extremity of the grievous deeds they perform.' Also, the constant pleasure-fuelled slaughter creates emotions that Slaanesh feeds upon, thus sating She Who Thirsts and sparing the Dark Eldar... at least until next time.

It's a different approach. The Craftworlders are fixed upon actually denying Slaanesh, but the Dark Eldar just want to survive for a bit longer. They don't have to outrun the tiger, only their friend - they let others die and be tormented to save themselves. It's rather short-sighted, but the Dark Eldar aren't the type of people to worry about consequences all that much. An endless delaying tactic is good enough for them.

Still, it seems to work. Asdrubael Vect was alive during the Fall and he's still up and kicking. That's more than Eldrad Ulthran can say. Maybe their way is better.

[Rasmus]

And that is just what they happen. They fall prey to her when they die. They are hiding in their webway-city, and some prolong their lives by drinking others' souls, but they all fall to She-Who-Thirsts in the end

[Dralith]

guts. I guess secretly they're all really scared little puppies then.


hmmm, another thing... when Khaine fragmented, and part of his essence went to every craftworld...
Any chance there's an avatar at the heart of commoragh aswell? 'twould be very damn strange but in a way it makes sense. I don't see why the subconscious shards of an essentially destroyed god would ignore them just cos they were still 'evil', or whatever. Wouldn't they just home in on any concentrations of Eldar consciousness?
(also raising the possibility of avatars on exodite worlds)

[Irandrura]

And that is just what they happen. They fall prey to her when they die.

And so their plan is to never die! 

hmmm, another thing... when Khaine fragmented, and part of his essence went to every craftworld...
Any chance there's an avatar at the heart of commoragh aswell? 'twould be very damn strange but in a way it makes sense. I don't see why the subconscious shards of an essentially destroyed god would ignore them just cos they were still 'evil', or whatever. Wouldn't they just home in on any concentrations of Eldar consciousness?
(also raising the possibility of avatars on exodite worlds)

That's something I should know about... I just don't.

There aren't any Avatars on Exodite Worlds. No Avatars of Khaine, at any rate, some people like to give them Avatars of Kurnous. I don't think there would be an Avatar in Commorragh either, though the idea is intriguing.

Why? Okay, suppose Khaine doesn't 'just home in on any concentrations of Eldar conscicousness', but specifically homes in on groups of Eldar feeling specific emotions? He's a Warp entity, they feed on emotions, it's logical enough that the shards of Khaine would instinctively gravitate to the source of those emotions. Craftworlders were the only ones creating those emotions. The Dark Eldar were too self-indulgent, and they fed Slaanesh. The Exodites had no thoughts of war - indeed, one could say that the entire point of the Exodus was to avoid war. Their violent thoughts go to Kurnous, hunting rather than war.

[Endymion]

Going along with what Irandrura says, Khaine is supposed to be the embodiment of those parts of the Eldar consciousness that had not been overrun and corrupted by Slaanesh. Speaking socially, the vast majority of the Eldar were like the current Dark Eldar, and had devoted themselves purely to their own indulgence. The portion of the group consciousness that endured would have been focused around those die-hard conversative Eldar who refused to really participate. No doubt when this portion of their beliefs was crystallised into the material plane, it would have done so at locations where those contributing were gathered. Namely, the Craftworlds.

The idea of Avatars of Kurnous is sort of interesting. I don't recall anything in the fluff that forwards the idea, and I always thought that only Khaine and the Laughing God survived. But I like the idea that the Exodites have protected (or even created) their own Avatars, because it gives some interesting facet of hope to the whole situation. Plus, gigantic huntings gods are cool.