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Apparently, the Drukhari survived Slaanesh's birth-feast by being sheltered in Commorragh, in the Webway. Instead of being immediately devoured, theirs souls are now being slowly drained.

I'm not clear on whether this is a location-based thing or a race-based thing, though. If it's location-based, it would mean that any Eldar is safe from Slaanesh in the short term (but being soul-drained) as long as he or she remains in Commorragh, but becomes fully vulnerable again when venturing in realspace. If it's a race-based thing, it means that all of the original Fall-era Commorragh dwellers and their descendants (and only them) are now subject to the slow soul-drain, regardless of where they reside.

Does the fluff provide clarification on this?

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Apologies if I've misunderstood the question. My understanding is that:

i) Being in the Webway saved the Aeldari there from being nommed by She Who Thirsts.
ii) Drukhari are being drained because they are not protected by being on a Path.
iii) The rate of 'drain' is lower in the Webway, and aging is much slower.
iv) Being in the Webway does not protect an Aeldari from having their soul taken by SWT upon their death.

 harlokin wrote:
i) Being in the Webway saved the Aeldari there from being nommed by She Who Thirsts.
ii) Drukhari are being drained because they are not protected by being on a Path.
iii) The rate of 'drain' is lower in the Webway, and aging is much slower.
iv) Being in the Webway does not protect an Aeldari from having their soul taken by SWT upon their death.

That pretty much answers it, thank you. Especially point iv).

It certainly explains why the Drukhari have become experts at prolonging their own lives, as well as their slaves' lives (it's better to keep slaves alive than to have to replace them all the time via risky realspace raids). You still have to wonder why they don't use spirit-stones, though. Or whether they have any kind of long-term plan; some of them have joined Yvraine, but Vect himself seems opposed to the Ynnari, for reasons that remain unclear to me.

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Spirit Stones are in very short supply, and are extremely hazardous to acquire. As I understand it, one of the big reasons that Asuryani reproduce so slowly is that they simply don't have enough Spirit Stones. I don't know whether Spirit Stones also might require some sort of psychic attunement, which the Drukhari would now be incapable of.

Drukhari can also draw some sustenance just from watching gladiatorial contests, death races, etc. It's why the Wyches are so important to their society.

Dark Eldar can 100% use spirit stones, Path of the Warrior has a former Incubus using one.

Opposing Yvraine makes sense for Vect because he's all about maintaining his power which Yvraine threatens and generally not wanting to join the Ynnari makes a lot of sense to me considering they give you a pretty bad deal all things considered.

DE don't use spirit stones because they're incredibly hard to get and also because that would imply their life of torturing everyone is somehow flawed.
DE never had to torture people, they just want to.

pm713 wrote:
DE don't use spirit stones because they're incredibly hard to get and also because that would imply their life of torturing everyone is somehow flawed.

I kind of disagree with the second part.

The Drukhari engage in the torture to counter their hunger; it is an 'alternative' to being self-controlled and on a Path. The Spirit Stone is irrelevant to the lifestyle chosen, it is simply an insurance policy for the soul. An Asuryani on a Path, but without a Spirit Stone, is no more protected from having their soul devoured upon death by SWT, than a Drukhari behaving like a dick.

That said the Drukhari might see it as a mark of their 'strength' that they eschew Spirit Stones, even if they could get hold of them in any numbers, which they can't.

The Dark Eldar also spurn spirit stones because they are seen as signs of being fearful and weak, for the same reason that in one of their Codices it is said that antidotes to poisons were frowned upon as indicative of weakness. In such a cutthroat society, any perceived signs of weakness would be a signal for one's enemies to pounce. Spirit stones are the spiritual equivalent of being stuck in a tiny solitary confinement cell, and thus anathema to the ideals of the Dark Eldar, who generally believe in doing/experiencing what they want, whenever they want, with no constraints to their freedom. They deride the Craftworlders as milksops.

 harlokin wrote:
Apologies if I've misunderstood the question. My understanding is that:

i) Being in the Webway saved the Aeldari there from being nommed by She Who Thirsts.
ii) Drukhari are being drained because they are not protected by being on a Path.
iii) The rate of 'drain' is lower in the Webway, and aging is much slower.
iv) Being in the Webway does not protect an Aeldari from having their soul taken by SWT upon their death.

i) the webway is warded against daemons so it makes sense that slannesh can't easily reach in there. The Cegorachi harlequins were also hiding in the webway, although they promised their souls to Cegorach instead for protection
ii) Drukhari are being drained because they don't have soul stones. The path is a psychological protection, not a soul protection (well not directly, a healthier psyche reduces the chance of falling to chaos so it protects your soul indirectly)

iv) this one is interesting because it seems like it would at least some degree given all the previous points. My thinking is that it would of course be more horrific - your soul is trapped inside an endless maze doomed to wander as it is slowly leeched through the webway by Slannesh, the natural consequence for being inside an imperfect shelter....

Iracundus wrote:The Dark Eldar also spurn spirit stones because they are seen as signs of being fearful and weak, for the same reason that in one of their Codices it is said that antidotes to poisons were frowned upon as indicative of weakness. In such a cutthroat society, any perceived signs of weakness would be a signal for one's enemies to pounce. Spirit stones are the spiritual equivalent of being stuck in a tiny solitary confinement cell, and thus anathema to the ideals of the Dark Eldar, who generally believe in doing/experiencing what they want, whenever they want, with no constraints to their freedom. They deride the Craftworlders as milksops.

Exactly. No need to wear an eternal prison cell devoid of stimulation if you're too awesome to die. What's that? You're not awesome enough to live forever? Then I guess I can take you right now, weakling!

Death is only a concern if you're both weak enough to be killed and dumb enough not to arrange your own resurrection.

pm713 wrote:
Death is only a concern if you're both weak enough to be killed and dumb enough not to arrange your own resurrection.

True words to live by

 harlokin wrote:

pm713 wrote:
Death is only a concern if you're both weak enough to be killed and dumb enough not to arrange your own resurrection.

True words to live by

And then die by. And then live by again!

Wyldhunt wrote:

 harlokin wrote:

pm713 wrote:
Death is only a concern if you're both weak enough to be killed and dumb enough not to arrange your own resurrection.

True words to live by

And then die by. And then live by again!

The Dark Eldar are basically eldar gamers stuck in their favourite game and respawning forever. Like Log Horizon.