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Hello.

I'm far from an expert on WH40K lore (Main books being the Cain novels and the Rogue Trader RPG) but I have a question about the Eldar and Dark Eldar.

The central question is are they technically still the same race?

- If they are can a Dark Eldar to become an Eldar ? i.e: Had enough of Hedonism, debauchery and join a craftworld?

- Can an Eldar become a Dark Eldar? Decide torture and similar 'kinks' are fun and join the DE in their webway city (as an actual member and not as an amusing torture victim)?

- Can Dark Eldar and Eldar breed with each other? if so what happens to the child?

Other questions:

- How much do other factions know of the difference between Dark Eldar and Eldar?

- If a Dark Eldar force raids an Imperium / Tau world do the races blame the Eldar as well?

Isn't it heavily implied that Drazhar, the leader of the Incubi, is actually a Phoenix Lord?

The "Path of" novels and the novel Valedor all deal with this.

The one example of interbreeding I can think of was raised on a craftworld and the fact of his lineage was kept a secret. He eventually became a corsair prince before returning to take up the mantle of his craftworld lineage.

The knowledge of differentiation varies tremendously. There's plenty of confusion between the two by other races, humans especially. Xenos experts know the differences but your average world that gets raided by Dark Eldar slavers every other decade are going to blame the Eldar in general. So yes, all Eldar get blamed for the actions of one group or the other.

Yes they can, just as Craftworld Eldar can become Dark Eldar.

There are examples such as the Path of the Warrior novel which has a reformed Incubus character as a Striking Scorpion. In the Dark Eldar novels by Andy Chambers there is an Eldar Ranger that starts becoming like the Dark Eldar and starts experiencing the soul draining thirst, which he does not like. His exact fate is unknown but he is last seen leaving Commorragh presumably to either return to the Craftworlds or to become a Corsair.

The Corsairs are the intermediate stage between the Craftworld Eldar and Dark Eldar. The Path of the Outcast novel by Gav Thorpe has an Eldar Corsair that used to be a Dark Eldar Kabalite. She experiences no soul drain, though we do not seem to see her with any spirit stone either.

There are however differences that any newcomer to either society would have to deal with. For example, the Dark Eldar are supposedly more physically honed than the Craftworld Eldar but at the expense of having atrophied psychic abilities. I do not mean just overt psychic powers but the innate empathic senses and psychic abilities that other Eldar have (such as being able to operate psychic triggers). This again is a factor in the Dark Eldar novels by Andy Chambers, as the ex-Ranger character is able to sense things that regular Dark Eldar cannot because they are virtually psychically blind. Similarly, the Harlequin character Motley is able to easily see through Vect's body double because although physically and behaviorally identical to Vect, the double lacked Vect's sheer force of will. This absence was instantly detectable to the Harlequin's psychic senses.

The central question is are they technically still the same race?

Yes they are the same race.

- If they are can a Dark Eldar to become an Eldar ? i.e: Had enough of Hedonism, debauchery and join a craftworld?

Dark Eldar can join the Craftworlders but it’s not easy, it’s a lot easier to fall then it is to get back up. Normally if they have grown tired of their former lives they’ll leave and join a corsairs group as its much easier than going cold turkey.

- Can anl Eldar become a Dark Eldar? Decide torture and similar 'kinks' are fun and join the DE in their webway city (as an actual member and not as an amusing torture victim)?

Yes but they normally become rangers first then if that’s not enough excitement for them they’ll join the Corsairs before finally taking the final plunge into depravity by becoming one of the Dark Eldar.

- Can Dark Eldar and Eldar breed with each other? if so what happens to the child?

Depends on the parents really but I would probably say that they would be bought up on one of the Craftworlds.

- How much do other factions know of the difference between Dark Eldar and Eldar?

Most don’t bother to find out; one filthy xeno is the same as any other. Surprisingly the traitor forces within the eye seem to have a better grasp on the differences between the two then those outside.

- If a Dark Eldar force raids an Imperium / Tau world do the races blame the Eldar as well?

Simple answer to this is yes, yes they would.

The Craftworld Eldar seem to be as purity obsessed as the Imperium. But the Dark Eldar, they even employ human mercenaries. If your good at killing and betraying others you have a place among them.

Thanks for the answers guys. I am going to have to try to read book the "Path Of..." books and see if I can find more on these guys who made the switch.