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Is it possible (and are there records of) Eldar who get so stuck to their path, that nothing the Eldar of their Craftworld do will stop them going at it? Sort of like a Path Event Horizon?

I imagine an example would be a bunch of Eldar on the Path of the Warrior getting into a battle, and then failing to return to their Craftworld due to no longer being capable (or willing) to do so.

You just described Exarch's, Farseers and Bonesingers. These are Eldar who have trapped themselves on their path or chosen to focus solely on that path for the rest of their lives.

Cool. I take it they sometimes drag other Eldar down with them?

I think you're describing 2 different things. While Farseers, Exarchs etc have trapped themselves upon their chosen Path, they're still sane enough to return to the Craftworld peacefull and wait in seclusion unit needed (Exarchs in their temples and Farseers in meditation). I think most Eldar live too long and see too many things to be "unhinged"

As far as Eldar going "off the deep end", I can only think of Dark Eldar examples, like really eccentric Haemonculi or a particularly blood-thirsty Incubus

Exactly so. An Exarch may be unable to ever stop being a warrior, but that doesn't mean he'll abandon his craftworld, or start massacring his squad-mates, or whatever.

Dark Eldar have their obsessions as well, they're just less structured about it.

Incubi are essentially aspect warriors who don't even try to reach any end but the exarch-like focus on bladesmanship.

Haemonculi are (by human standards) 'off the deep end' but are smart and sane enough to be a major political force, as are Wych Cults, so I don't think that really applies. Comorragh is a sufficiently deadly environment that you can never afford to focus on one aspect of your life to the exclusion of all others.

Hmmm... You'd think that a race with so much going on in their heads would have a significant in-fluff problem with mental health, besides having too much or too little focus.

Eldar generally fear the whole event horizon stuff.
Warp travel without a Gellar field is not high on the list for obvious reasons.

Humans tend to fear going mad, but that hasn't stopped us before...

 Selym wrote:
Hmmm... You'd think that a race with so much going on in their heads would have a significant in-fluff problem with mental health, besides having too much or too little focus.

It's actually their long life span, heightened senses and overall "being better than humans" that allows them to maintain such a grip on sanity. Most Eldar are psychic to a small degree and the combined "energy" probably stops individuals from losing it (except in the case of the Fall, in which that combined energy created Slaanesh)

You could actually consider the Eldar habit of "obsession" to be a sort of mental illness. This obsession is what leads Exarchs and Farseers to be trapped on the Path. It also lead to the birth of Slaanesh.
Craftworders deal with this by creating the Path system to provide an outlet for those Eldar that need a particular focus, also to discipline the population and prevent another event like the Fall,

You'd think that a race with so much going on in their heads would have a significant in-fluff problem with mental health

Have you seen Drazhar, Kheradruakh and Urien Rakarth? Just because a Dark Eldar is a high-functioning individual doesn't mean he's remotely sane by human standards.

No, and I was implying that busier minds have a higher chance of going awry, rather than a lower one.

Corsairs might be the exception here. I mean the whole point is a rejection of the Craftworld Path system, or outcast Commorites.

It takes a special kind of crazy to use powerful Psychic abilities without the protection of Farseer runes when Slaanesh is looking over your shoulder.

On a related note, what is the path of the outcast? Is that anything related to going a bit mental?

The Path of the Outcast is basically those that leave the Craftworld. They might just want to see maiden worlds, or they might like the idea of a little excitement and become a Corsair, or they might just find Craftworld life too stifling. After all, they are super-advanced Space Amish.

Those who walk the path can visit the craftworld. But nobody would let their kids near them. They can count on the Craftworld for supplies, and typically the Craftworld can count on them for anything they can offer (Rangers, Corsair fleets, etc). They can leave the Path at any time (see: Yriel), and come back to the Craftworld, just as easly as a Banshee can become a Crafter.

Those who do walk the Path of the Outcast are watched closely, in case they might fall into the Dark Cities' web, or worse, start down the Path of Damnation. Which is something totally different.

Handy. Sorta like redeemable space gypsies who get hired out for kill-missions.

Except they don't steal your cutlery.


...usually...

I'm not sure thats entirely acurate. The problem with the Path of the Outcast is that it's a bit of a misnomer, Outcasts like the Rangers completely reject the Path system but generally retain ties to the Craftworld of their birth. It is after all a bit silly to suggest that someone who has rejected the Path System is on a Path still though Path of the Outcast is a cool name and is a good way to indicate that the Rangers are still connected to their Craftworld. I've also never read anything to suggest they are mistrusted.

Corsairs are a completely different society with no connection to the Path system at all, and should not be considered in such terms.

As for amish, that would be the Exodites and not the Craftworlders.

Path of the Outcast isn't really a misnomer. It applies to all Eldar who aren't on the Path of Damnation but aren't on the Craftworlds or Exodites hence they are Outcast. Fits Corsairs as well as Rangers seeing as some of them still have ties to the Craftworlds and some used to be Rangers.

locarno24 wrote:
Exactly so. An Exarch may be unable to ever stop being a warrior, but that doesn't mean he'll abandon his craftworld, or start massacring his squad-mates, or whatever.

Yeah they will spend their time practicing and getting better at being warrior. Also their mind will start to merge with previous owner of the exarchs suit until they cannot really be distinguished resulting in the ancient hero kind of being reborn. The exarch is less his former self and more of the ancient hero he/she merged with.

Exarchs are figures of fear and awe. Nobody can deny their skill but they are reminder of tragedy your path can lead to if you let it control you.

pm713 wrote:
Path of the Outcast isn't really a misnomer. It applies to all Eldar who aren't on the Path of Damnation but aren't on the Craftworlds or Exodites hence they are Outcast. Fits Corsairs as well as Rangers seeing as some of them still have ties to the Craftworlds and some used to be Rangers.

It certainly is a misnomer and is a singularly Craftworld way of looking at things. Rangers and Corsairs will consider themselves outcasts but will never see themsleves as being on a Path, that being the whole poitn of being an Outcast.

Path of the Outcast is like Religion status of None.

Those with no religion often say none is not a religion, whereas those with religion often see those with no religion have a religion of None.

Likewise, Corsairs and Rangers may or may not consider themselves to be on the Path of the Outcast, but those of the Craftworld on a different Path consider them to be on the Path of the Outcast.

A Corsair or Ranger could be from a Dark Eldar society or an Exodite world (in theory at least - a DE Ranger would be rare). Or possibly a community of Corsairs.

Back on the Unhinged part, the Path of Damnation is possibly related. But, at that point, CWE will kill them, certainly not invite them home.

As for what they are, they are certainly short lived. IIRC, IA has rules for someone starting down the Path of Damnation. But very quickly that turns into damnation. That I think would be Chaos Demons (Slaneshi, anything from Demonettes to a DP, most likely). But not for long - Slanesh devourd them quickly.

 Imateria wrote:

pm713 wrote:
Path of the Outcast isn't really a misnomer. It applies to all Eldar who aren't on the Path of Damnation but aren't on the Craftworlds or Exodites hence they are Outcast. Fits Corsairs as well as Rangers seeing as some of them still have ties to the Craftworlds and some used to be Rangers.

It certainly is a misnomer and is a singularly Craftworld way of looking at things. Rangers and Corsairs will consider themselves outcasts but will never see themsleves as being on a Path, that being the whole poitn of being an Outcast.

You're right they should use the much simpler term of "Not damned to Chaos but not a Craftworlder or Exodite". Much better than Outcast. Arguably they are on a path.

pm713 wrote:

Arguably they are on a path.

From the Craftworlders' point of view, yes they are on a Path. But the Craftworld society is conditioned to view every Eldar lifestyle as a "path".
Those that reject the Path, certainly do not view themselves as on a Path. They view themselves as existing, choosing a lifestyle that is not restricted by guidelines and taboos.
The Ranger is the "gateway" to this lifestyle, but stays tied to the Craftworld and can thus be considered the "path off of the path", or Outcast...from a CW pov.

Most Rangers eventually return to the Path system, but some go further down the rabbit hole, becoming Corsairs, or even becoming denizens of the Dark City. Dark Eldar laugh at the Path, only Incubi (who are basically Aspect warriors) consider themselves on a Path. And while even Dark Eldar can decide to walk the Path**, only Craftworlders view life in terms on a Path. Other Eldar just live they way they see fit.


**In "Path of the Warrior" it is revealed that one of the main character's Striking Scorpion squad mates was once an Incubi. He was defeated during a battle and rather than be killed, he asked to walk the Path, a request that no Craftworld Eldar would refuse. So they made him a Scorpion and he took a vow of silence.
-

 Imateria wrote:
I've also never read anything to suggest they are mistrusted..

mistrusted might be bit strong word.

"they are not welcome aboard craftworlds except briefly, for their minds are dangerously unbounded and attract predators from psychic realms of the warp. Daemons or other warp entities can home in to the mind of an outcast and lodge in the psycho supportive enviroment of the craftworld's wraithbone core.

So good reason to go "please do your business and leave ASAP".

Also they have danger of distracting young and inexperienced eldars from the path by their romantic tales of travel and freedom.

 Selym wrote:
Hmmm... You'd think that a race with so much going on in their heads would have a significant in-fluff problem with mental health, besides having too much or too little focus.

Well, their mental issues did give birth to a god of chaos and almost exterminated their entire species... I'd call that a significant problem.

tneva82 wrote:

 Imateria wrote:
I've also never read anything to suggest they are mistrusted..

mistrusted might be bit strong word.

"they are not welcome aboard craftworlds except briefly, for their minds are dangerously unbounded and attract predators from psychic realms of the warp. Daemons or other warp entities can home in to the mind of an outcast and lodge in the psycho supportive enviroment of the craftworld's wraithbone core.

So good reason to go "please do your business and leave ASAP".

Also they have danger of distracting young and inexperienced eldars from the path by their romantic tales of travel and freedom.

Where's that quote from?

I believe it's from the second edition Eldar codex.

Actually I think it's from one of the Path books

 Happyjew wrote:
I believe it's from the second edition Eldar codex.

Correct.

(not saying it can't be also found in the other book mentioned. I just don't have the other book so can't say for sure)

It's definitely not from the Path of the Eldar series, the prose fits far more a codex than a novel.

I think it's one of those things that has been retconned or just forgotten about in the 20 odd years since that codex came out. The aformentioned Path series does specifically state that Craftworld Eldar undergo training from a very early age to protect themselves psychicly from Daemonic attack, to the point where most Craftworlders Psychic abilities can be considered minimul at best (despit the huge Psychic potential they have as a racial trait). It actually points out that the early stages of Seer training is to strip away those defenses so that they can begin to make use of their abilities (whilst creating runes and other Psychic defenses to replace the removed ones).

Given that the majority of Rangers are of Craftworld birth it's pretty easy to see that they would share the same kind of psychic defenses against Daemons. That doesn't stop them from being seen as a bit strange though.

I imagine there's also the basic idea that someone telling stories about cool things in the Galaxy tempts younger Eldar away.