Is it possible for Eldar to fall?

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**Cheese Elemental**

I can't find any mention of this anywhere in the fluff. Can an Eldar fall to the path of violence and depravity and thereby become a Dark Eldar? Or was it just a one-off thing when the Dark Eldar managed to escape Slaanesh's birth and subsequent soul-feasting?

**IvanTih**

Striking scorpion's first Phoenix lord had fell to the chaos.

**Emperors Faithful**

Yes, many craftworld Eldar often find their 'path' too restrictive.

Some run off looking for adventure and such, and become either rangers or pirates. (And what happens then is up to them.)

Some work off their youthful stress and return to the Craftworld. Others get killed. While a few, I don't know how many, would enjoy thier life without restrictions a little too much.

(Whether the DE would welcome these rouges to Commoragh is a whole other story)

**DogOfWar**

No matter how graceful, you're bound to trip over something eventually.

Wait, what was the question?

DoW

**gardeth**

I can easily see some of the more vicious eldar pirate captains being welcome at a Dark Eldar port. Especially if they bring slaves.

**Emperors Faithful**

gardeth wrote:I can easily see some of the more vicious eldar pirate captains being welcome at a Dark Eldar port. Especially if they bring slaves.

And booze. And drugs. Especially;

C-C-C-COCAAAAAAAIIINNNNE!!!

What? What did you think they used for combat drugs?

**Morgrim**

Not that, they avoid Slaanesh.

**Orkeosaurus**

They can fall, although I don't think this usually brings them into contact with the Dark Eldar.

They just become crazed corsairs or something.

**Manchu**

Orkeo is correct. Eldar don't work like Space Marines. Another example would be a Craftworld Eldar getting stuck on some feral planet. He would not become an Exodite.

**Emperors Faithful**

I guess the corsair would have to FIND Commoragh in the first place, and who's to say the DE would leap at the opportunity to stab some distant cousins in the back?

I suppose you're right. But if said crazed corsair was to loot, dress, fight and enslave like a DE, does it count?

**Manchu**

You have the right idea there, EF. DE would not accept Craftworld Eldar into their society. I'm sure they would rather murder even malicious, depraved, BDSM Craftworld Eldar than ever treat them as insiders.

**Emperors Faithful**

But would they really care?
I mean, if the guy offered a large enough tribute to an Archaon in order to join his Kabal.
Remember, they're not two different races. So they may treat a Craftworld Eldar who scorns his own people with a modicum of respect.

**Orkeosaurus**

I recall the Eldar and Dark Eldar no longer being equal to each other; the Dark Eldar are too corrupted by the fall to ever go to the Craftworlder's paths. They are consumed while alive instead of just in death, so they need to go to extremes to save themselves. (This also being the reason they can't use spirit stones to save themselves.)

If this is true then a corsair would never truly fit in with the Dark Eldar, although I suppose he could work with them if the Dark Eldar thought it would be to their advantage.

**Emperors Faithful**

I know that a DE would probably not (maybe impossibly) be able to join a Craftworld, but surely the opposite isn't true. The only difference between the two is that the Craftworlds walk a strict path.

I wonder, if a corsair joined the De would he be subject to the same thirsts as them?

**Manchu**

It is just as impossible for a Craftworld Eldar to become a DE, even if he or she is an evil sadist, as it is for a DE to become a Craftworld Eldar.

**Emperors Faithful**

Why is that?
Why would the DE care?

**Manchu**

To answer your question with a question: Why would Craftworld Eldar reject a DE who acted in a disciplined and solicitous manner?

**Emperors Faithful**

I think it's mainly becuase Craftworlds are so tight-knit. Even regarding other Craftworlds with a degree of suspicion, or at times open hostility.

And besides, I believe that DE are too close to Slaanesh for a Craftworld Eldar to be comfortable around. They remind them of the fall. And also, they simply wouldn't trust them.

However, if the DE was truly repentant (unlikely)...I don't know.

DE I believe are more casual.

"You a Craftworld Eldar? That's not cool."
"You got slaves? Then it's cool. Welcome to Commoragh."

**Manchu**

I doubt they would ever trust a Craftworlder. And, besides, it would make more sense for them to feed the Craftworlder's soul to Slaanesh.

**Emperors Faithful**

1) They don't trust anyone regardless. Not themselves. Or thier pets. Or thier own left hand.

2)IF it was a lone Craftworlder, then yes. A Kabal would leap at the opportunity to enslave and torture them.
However, if this Craftworlder had a whole Corsair fleet behind him AND brought slaves and other goodies as tribute, a Kabal might be more interested.
Either they would tear them apart straight away, or they would work something out.

**Manchu**

More likely they would pretend to work something out and then catch them off guard so as to capture them and kill them in the most excruciating manner possible.

And, yes, DE trust no one BUT they are at least comfortable operating with one another because they all know the rules, as it were. Even if an outsider could learn to navigate their incredibly dangerous culture I don't think they would allow it.

I also think you're forgetting that any Eldar corsair would have virtually no reason to want to join a Kabal. Even a fallen Craftworlder is sure to despise Dark Eldar. Unlike good guys (and neutral guys), bad guys don't like each other and are much more likely to fight amongst themselves rather than work together much less join one another's culture/race.

**Emperors Faithful**

Manchu wrote:More likely they would pretend to work something out and then catch them off guard so as to capture them and kill them in the most excruciating manner possible.

Sounds like he's been accepted into the DE clan then.

And you're right, though a Corsair may want to work something out so he has a refuge from Imperials or other Eldar hunting him down.

I still think it could happen, but it's obviously not a common-place occurence.

**Ketara**

I disagree. The DE view the craftworld Eldar as stuck up prudish cousins who are unable to recognise the reality of the world, and who refuse to give in to their real natures. The DE would view a corrupt Eldar the same way they would any other DE. After all, there's no genetic differences, stick a regular Eldar in spikes, get him addicted to thirty different depravities, and voila! Dark Eldar.

**Emperors Faithful**

Exactly! However, I do wonder how the transistion from Souls Stones to killing people for thier souls would happen.

**gardeth**

Solataires are welcome on craftworlds (at least for a short period of time) and they are "redeemed" Dark Eldar.

**Orkeosaurus**

Emperors Faithful wrote:However, I do wonder how the transistion from Souls Stones to killing people for thier souls would happen.

I don't know that it would.

Unless, I dunno, the corsair became a Slaanesh worshiper and then decided he didn't want to but was already so corrupted that his soul will be sucked away until his death.

gardeth wrote:Solataires are welcome on craftworlds (at least for a short period of time) and they are "redeemed" Dark Eldar.

Solataires are redeemed Dark Eldar? Where did you hear that?

**Ketara**

I doubt they would abandon their soul stones. It's an alternative way to having your soul eaten even if you die.

However, I find it entirely plausible you could have a group of Eldar corsairs falling so far into debauchery that for all intents and purposes, they are Dark Eldar. The regular Dark Eldar would have no problem working alongside such people, but they'd treat them the way they treat any other Eldar in their society, with ruthlessness, suspicion, and mistrust.

It reminds me of the time the Eldar got hold of a Imperial Governor who had killed a bunch of Eldar so he could wear their spirit stones. They sent him over to Commoragh, where they treated a man with such affront with the cruelty he deserved. Two thousand years later, his soul is still screaming in agony.

**Emperors Faithful**

@gardeth and Orkeo: I don't know much about solitaires, but it's solid fluff that Harlequin troupes occasionally visit Commoragh and put on displays there, like any other coven of eldar.

**Orkeosaurus**

Oh, I know that. The Harlequins are respected by the whole race.

My understanding of the Solitaires was that they gave their soul to Slaanesh when they assumed her part in The Great Dance (unless the Laughing God can trick her into giving it up). I hadn't heard that they were particularly related to the Dark Eldar though.

**Manchu**

Same species means nothing. After being born and bred in the US of A, can I turn into a Korean? How about French? How about if I put on a beret and drink some wine?