Vect model spotted?

Haha! Best application of 'you can't spell 'x' without 'y'' I've ever seen

As for laughter and PfP, I think the Dark Eldar would think that a grenade scattering back into the compatriots would be hilarious!

That'd probably be the way that 40k Monsters Inc. would go. Turns out laughter is more powerful than fear. So, torture the meatbags with tickling and then skin them, laughing your head off the whole way why not hit both bases?

Azdrubael wrote:

Dark Eldar have literally no choice in what they do.

I disagree with pretty much your entire perspective on eldar and dark eldar, but this line in particular I find to be exceptionally erroneous. Dark eldar have the free will to choose. They must feed to survive, but some may very well derive the majority of their sustenence from positive and/or morally neutral emotions. I guarantee there is a dark eldar pimp in Commorragh who's primary source of spiritual sustenence is "banging hotties". And even survival is a choice.

There are those among the parched who likely CHOSE not to lash out in cruelty towards those around them, and paid the ultimate price for it. Every day in the life of a Dark Eldar is full of meaningful choices.

Sure, PLENTY choose the easy route. Plenty choose to be a part of the stereotype. That's why it's the stereotype. But that doesn't mean others don't have a choice.

This thread has totally made me realize that Nightmare Before Christmas is pretty much a movie about 40k/the Dark Eldar.

Betrayer has a point. after all, wracks choose to have things dont to them. "there is an odd part of the eldar psyche that makes them yada yada yada" in the old DE book.

I suppose since the haemies turn their pain inward at this step and abandon the hopes of returning to their 'beautiful' state instead further swisting themselves. (arguably no wrack ever actually becomes a 'little man' and they are jsut slave/servants, but whatever)

is it that they have steeped themselves in horror to the point where they just cant get their fix any more?

or is it that depriving themselves of sustinance is torturous to themselves and thus fulfilling some perverse need.

all that can be assumed is that there is no point in them torturing anyone to regain anything as their appetites for depravity have fallen in a way quite opposite from the archons black veined visiage.

so do they do what they do because of their hunger?
did they find a loophole to asuage the hunger?
naw they embraced pain in a way that cant be turned off.
they torture themselves by torturing others...

they keep none of the energy that envigorates their bretheren, instead sending it all to slaneesh. they were the ones that initiated the cults (it is hinted at) in the first place, they struck the bargain, and they know the rules or they would no longer be alive. (if you can call that life).

Quote :

I disagree with pretty much your entire perspective on eldar and dark eldar

Im sorry but this is authors perspective, not mine.

Quote :

Every day in the life of a Dark Eldar is full of meaningful choices.

Yeah, like what to do between the violence and how to put oneself in a position to prolongue lifespan. Its amazing how different people can see fluff completely different, we truly do imprint something of ourselfs when use our imagination when reading.

To me they are like caged rabbits, in a constant race for survival. Some evolve from rabbits to alpha-predators, but to all heroes comes an end. With the one exception of Vect. Like that line in a codex about Reavers, the last one in a race got killed. Those at the top keep racing on, but eventually...well..someone will got luckier and you'l get a knife in the back.

That part of the dark eldar first book, Archon know he displeased Vect and so the only choice he have left is "all in", he us gonna try to topple him. Madness? Maybe, but its another day and another chance in a life of constant paranoia.

Raised El'Uriaq turned out to be Demon? Well, we'l get along, think of something later...Choices yes - freedom - hell no. Cant just go and settle on some backwater world - die of hunger he will.

The trick for them apparently is too feel good about themselfs while that hell revolve around them.

I believe that you are forgetting one important thing. They are a fantasy race. Debating their choices and needs is purely in fantasy realm and mostly derives from our... pardon me... flawed thought that we can invent a sadistic, hedonistic culture that could in fact be explained through our morals and reasons.

I believe all fantasy races are stereotypes. But stereotypes of certain human behaviour. They are created as such. High elves are usually our (human) nobility and transcendece from mundane that leads to arrogance sometimes. Dwarves are our craftiness, inventiveness and focus and resilience embodied. Likewise Dark Eldar are human selfishness embodied. They ARE human. The fact that we slap pointed ears on them and make them taller and more lithe does not change the fact that they are an aspect of ours brought to an extreme. Does not matter how deep or mysterious reasons we make up for the state they are in. They are sadistic and hedonistic and selfish according to their AND human standards. They are the worst a human could do to another human so he can survive a little longer. There is no difference between sustenance in pain and sustenance in food. People can massacre each other for scraps of food... I am trying to show that those standards (human and those described in DE) are quite identical, meaning that morality, baseline thinking and even thought processes can be very easily compared. I do not think any really alien race even if it had a head, two arms and two legs would think as we do. And by that I mean really the very basis for brain processes, which would inevitably lead to complete different concepts of life, behaviour, civilization, morality, making choices, even causality outside the purely scientific. Addiction for example. How can human even fathom how would an alien be addicted to something? Only by using himself as an example and perhaps exaggerate.

So... we can only assume that which is human in Dark Eldar... Thats why they are relatable. And their choices very human...

Quote :

I do not think any really alien race even if it had a head, two arms and two legs would think as we do. And by that I mean really the very basis for brain processes, which would inevitably lead to complete different concepts of life, behaviour, civilization, morality, making choices, even causality outside the purely scientific.

Amen to that, i agree. Anyway we'l just get a warning, since its News section, not fluff.

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Azdrubael wrote:

Quote :

I disagree with pretty much your entire perspective on eldar and dark eldar

Im sorry but this is authors perspective, not mine.

No, it's YOUR interpretation of an author's perspective. But again, you have to consider if there was an imperial narrator, and if there was, it was skewed by imperial propaganda. If we can't agree on the basic understanding that the view from an imperial perspective is skewed by propaganda, then we'll never agree on anything regarding the 40k universe. Everything is "heresy" precisely because the imperium works so hard to control information and perspective, which means any information derived from an imperial source is suspect, at best. They don't want guardsmen feeling sorry for the dirty Xenos, or relating to them, so they portray them as unrelatable.

Azdrubael wrote:

Its amazing how different people can see fluff completely different, we truly do imprint something of ourselfs when use our imagination when reading.

I have test results confirming me to be in the top 1% worldwide in English language reading comprehension. There are many things that are meant to reflect the interpretation of the consumer: Some art, some music, but not normally literature. Many musicians claim to leave interpretation to the listener, but that isn't so with many authors, who when interviewed typically have very clear intent on what they were attempting to communicate.

You may be in world's top 1% but trust me that your ability to comprehend is only as good as the authors' ability to express themselves correctly. I know from experience that there is only so much even a bright mind can do when working off an incorrect basis. And given that these days only fraction of people can speak properly even their native language and a fraction still can properly express themselves (as in truly understand the true meaning of what they are saying including consequences), this ability while amazing can be misleading more often than you think. :-) I mean this kindly. Its just as I find myself. Sadly this touches authors too. Including GW authors....

Top 1%. Wow.
Please tell us more why your opinion is superior to ours. I'm sure there are a lot of languages you speak and you're like the Vect of our forum. Congratulations!

Are your English skills good enough to detect the meaning of what I just wrote? I'll give you a hint or two.
How many other languages do you speak? I'm asking because it it shown that speaking multiple languages enables you to do a meta analysis of languages.

What I want to say:
Stop bragging you narcissistic know it all.

*popcorn*

This sudden buildup of friction feels nourishing. Please continue.

There's a difference between comprehending what is said and understanding its subjective impact.  Empathy, emotional intelligence and mostly just plain life experience will do a lot to determine what you get out of a piece of text.

There's a reason why Dostoyevsky isn't bedtime reading for children, and it's not because they can't understand the words

It's my pleasure, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm here all day, for your entertainment!
*bows down*

Before the fall eldar performed all these acts and deprivations, so much so that they gave enough energy to birth she who thirsts. The eldar ran and use gems to store their souls to keep them save. Dark eldar don't give a rats ass and continued their ways, using soul essence to prolong their own lives. It's not that they have no choice, it's that they already chose to continue the way they were.

causing fear terror etc prolong them but there are other ways that they do so as well. Watching lieith perform in the arena, watching her carve a bloody path gives them joy and excitement as it would us watching our favourite movie. Harlie quints performing also envoke the same feelings.

But then again everything is open to interpretation, no two people opinion will be the same.