An Alternate Look at the Craftworld Eldar

[Karak Norn Clansman]

On 6/22/2024 at 11:57 PM, Kage2020 said:

@Karak Norn Clansman --- I'm thinking of tweaking my interpretation of the Eldar and, for once, delving a bit deeper into the "magic species" or 40k-as-pure-Tolkienesque-fantasy vibe. I'm just wondering how far too take it and whether to ignore some of the more obvious "wargame balance" aspects (e.g. Wraithsight).

 

A quick correction on some previous terms. I think that using the example of the Court of the Young King (Khaine), I might rename "Clans" as "Courts". A part of this is reading more into the myths of Ireland and Britain and stilling liberally from the Tuatha de Danaan. So, Eldar now may belong to a Court rather than a Clan, thus getting rid of the kin-based confusion that normally results from the term's use.

 

I'm also thinking of ditching the focus on wraithbone as technology and going with the more fantasy version of "psychoplastic". There are going to be a huge amount of implications about the ability to be able to summon and shape "ether" (warp snot ;) ) but, heck, it might be fun. Heh, it makes the Eldar even more bat-&$#@ insanely powerful when you extend the arguments.

 

Rather than taking the (terrible) Xenology information on the Eldar that felt like a total cop-out, I do like the notion that the Eldar might be post-physical beings. Just thinking about the implications in that and why it doesn't just allow---given the ability of the Eldar to clone---to just churn out new Eldar using the recently dead.

 

And there's another thing: the ancestors. I really liked the interpretation that was originally put forth in the Harlequin article (WD105? 115? I forget) that the Ancestor Spirits were actively engaged in Craftworld Eldar society. Some of this is brought out in the idea of the three controlling Councils. Hmmn... Stealing from the Edenist habitats might be useful, i.e. while they still feel a connection with the universe, the Eldar are distinct consciousness that can be drawn out with ease. The eldest spirits, however, choose to merge themselves with the Craftworld consciousness that ultimately becomes part of the Eternal Matrix.

 

Hmmn. Pondering. Thoughts welcome on all things Eldar.

 

Intriguing ideas and direction! My tastes have always been broad, welcoming both hard science fiction and fantasy space opera, and willing to mix both where others might have seen it an atonal form of schizophrenic storytelling and worldbuilding. Personally, both a Tolkien-esque direction and a reasonably harder science fiction direction works just as well in my eyes, but the more fantasy route you describe does rhyme well with the 40k source material and overall themes of Games Workshop's Eldar background. One might call it swimming with the current instead of against it (although many times the best results are indeed achieved by swimming against the current, in pursuit of a bright idea). I will, as always, follow your thoughts and background writings with interest. I wish I had substantial contributions to make regarding Eldar, but at the end of the day they remain a nice mystery to explore for me and, not least, watch and learn as better masters explore and explain the Eldar with excellence.

 

Naming the groups "Courts" rather than "Clans" solves the kin-group confusion and draws elegantly on Celtic sources. Great call. Not least for the images that the word "Court" convey.

 

All ideas sounds like they could lead to lots of fun and interesting takes on Eldar background. Eldar as post-physical beings is a neat solution, although Drukhari cloning may need to be adressed.

 

As to Ancestor Spirits, with dead Eldar still being in touch with the living world and communicating with the living and each other, introduced in the original Harlequin article: Yes please. It is such an evocative image, and helps set the Eldar that more apart from other species in Warhammer 40'000. Eldest spirits merging with the Craftworld consciousness is of course a nice reference to Moksha/Nirvana.

 

One thing that I and a local friend, known online as JAB, have concluded in our brainstorming discussions, is that it would not break 40k worldbuilding in general and Eldar background in particular if Exodite Eldar (in contrast to secluded and quasi-monastically disciplined Craftworld Eldar) would live up well enough to the natural fertility of the ancient Eldar species. We have both arrived to the proposal that Exodites (or dino-riding space wood elves, to joke around) would better serve as a third leg of their own in the Eldar trinity of Craftworld, Drukhari and Exodite if their life cycles remained true to the breeding ancestors of the ancient Eldar, without monastic dwindling as with the Craftworlds or depraved cloning as with the Dark Eldar. If left alone on their Maiden Worlds, Exodites will persist and thrive in their simple fashion in a stable way basically forever. Yet the Exodites are ultimately cornered just as are the Craftworld Eldar and Dark Eldar:

 

Not by the threat of Slaanesh or by rigidity in escaping She Who Thirsts, but by prosaic war, conquest and extermination that rages across the galaxy and occasionally, aye, eventually, swallows Exodite Maiden Worlds. If the Imperium, Orks, Chaos and the plethora of minor xenos empires do not get them, then the Necrons and Tyranids eventually will. So while the Exodites have somehow returned to the roots of the most ancient Eldar by going utterly Bohemian, it may somehow have saved them from Slaanesh for the time being, but the worldly ravages of a turbulent galaxy will still get them in due time. Exodites, after all, do not amass interstellar empires that can challenge and fend off great powers in the Milky Way galaxy.

 

Just mentioning our thoughts there, in case they are of any inspiration to you. Essentially, we propose that Exodites breed fine, but are instead too weak and isolated to truly defend themselves in the long run from threats almost entirely unrelated to She Who Thirsts (unless Emperor's Children and other Slaaneshi cultists provide the invasion of paradise).

 

Cheers

Edited June 25 by Karak Norn Clansman

[Kage2020]

My trick for working with the forum software and quotes seems to have failed in this instance. I'll have to get all old school on it, but since you're the only one chatting this will not be a problem. :)

 

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Personally, both a Tolkien-esque direction and a reasonably harder science fiction direction works just as well in my eyes, but the more fantasy route you describe does rhyme well with the 40k source material and overall themes of Games Workshop's Eldar background.

 

I agree with this. When it comes to something like the Adeptus Mechanicus I rather like a more "sci-fi" approach. For the Eldar, though? I'm thinking that "sci-fantasy" might be the way forward even while I took a more "sci-fi" approach earlier.

 

In other news, I always joked about creating a "40kFantasy" setting, or the 40k setting backwardly translated into a more Tolkien-esque setting (medieval fantasy). It scarily works very well for the 40k setting in general. ;)

 

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Naming the groups "Courts" rather than "Clans" solves the kin-group confusion and draws elegantly on Celtic sources. Great call. Not least for the images that the word "Court" convey.

 

It's a total steal, of course, but I think that you're right. It also parallels the Dark Eldar with their Kabals, the Harlequins with their Masques etc. There are macro- and micro-elements that would be fun to play around with this.

 

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All ideas sounds like they could lead to lots of fun and interesting takes on Eldar background. Eldar as post-physical beings is a neat solution, although Drukhari cloning may need to be adressed.

 

Totally. And this is a rabbit hole / warren that I'm not sure how far to go down. It further raises the issue about a correct "housing" (phylactery or whatever) when it comes down to the Eldar. Just what is suitable for re-housing an Eldar spirit? Is it a cloned body? A bio-engineered blank? After all, techno-constructs like the "wraith" are seemingly a bad fit even while the older (and smaller) constructs that utilised spirit grafting apparently worked well (Tuisich Novasmair).

 

I'm open to ideas!

 

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Eldest spirits merging with the Craftworld consciousness is of course a nice reference to Moksha/Nirvana.

 

Remembering, of course, that the path of rebirth is not possible for Eldar given the presence of Slaanesh. So, yeah, seeing it inverted is kind of fun.

 

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...it would not break 40k worldbuilding in general and Eldar background in particular if Exodite Eldar (in contrast to secluded and quasi-monastically disciplined Craftworld Eldar) would live up well enough to the natural fertility of the ancient Eldar species.

 

Interesting. Let me ask you this, though: What is to stop the Craftworld or Dark Eldar in just using the Exodites as a farm?

 

I'm still wondering about the nature of Eldar reincarnation as it comes to fertility (etc.). I mean, looking at the real world, first world nations are seeing a drop in birth rates. Would one propose that the Eldar reached a similar point and that the only way that birth could happen is through rebirth? Similarly, why is the phylactery so problematic for them when it seems to be available in other avenues?

 

Right, I need to grab some Z's...

Edited June 29 by Kage2020

[Kage2020]

Once more the 40k fandom has burned me out. It seems that the very premise of trying to discuss the current maximum of non-Adeptus Mechanicus technology is too far of a stretch for modern 40k lore "experts".

 

I'll come back to this when I finish the Earthdawn / Shadowrun setting conversion and maybe just avoid the 40k lore sub reddit. Womp.