Some Background Queries

Hello All,

I am in the process of developing fluff for my incoming Kabal and I have some questions I could use guidance on:

1) If DE are psychicly stunted does that mean they have less trouble using the warp than CWE?

2) The webway confuses me a little in terms of its capacity for mass and travel. Some sources suggest you can't move heavy warmachines or ships through it hence why Eldar vehicles in general are light and emphasise speed over armor. However there is fluff with the DE simply 'sucking' entire suns into the webway. Is there are clear answer to this? Are the DE simply more skilled in the use of the Webway?

3) Can demons feel pain? If so to what extent? Example one a chaos demon takes a wound in battle from conventional weapons, does it feel it? Example two, a chaos demon takes a right hook from a 'blank' does it hurt?

4) I hear conflicting views on whether DE can survive for long in real space without drawing Slaanesh's attention. Is this the case? I seem to recall fluff in the Codex that has a couple of Karbals basing themselves in real space with no issues.

5) CWE Eldar can survive in the Eye of Terror and similar environs, is this due to their soul stones or can DE emulate this?

6) Who are more technologically advanced in your opinion, CWE or DE?

Sorry for the array of questions and I hope you take the time to help.

1. Define "Using the Warp". The DE live in pockets of reality that are somewhere between Realspace and the Warp (where they can actually see the Warp if you go to the edge of their realms). Otherwise they dont really "Use" the warp. No psykers at all. However, they do enslave various demonic creatures to their bidding (Khmare and possibly Mandrakes)

2. It appears that the Webway is just a series of tunnels, with various sizes. Some of the webway paths are large enough to fit a tank, others are smaller than what a person can walk though. Only the Eldar know which paths will allow what to travel through (CWE through the use of their farseers and written knowledge, DE through trial and error). As for sucking in entire planets, etc, it generally destroys that portion of the webway in the process. In the story you are talking about (where they suck in a splinter of a hive fleet), they destroyed a CWE warp gate in the process, and royally screwed over the CWE/Exodites to do this (lol)

3. I dont think they feel "pain", what they feel is their connection to Realspace. Its stated that weapons like swords are more effective against deamons due to the wielders belief that "this is a holy weapon that will totaly do something to this creature not made of matter". By shaking the demons own belief in its existance, someone is able to send it back to the warp. "Oh no, my arm is gone, I totally am getting defeated. Ahhh, I am going back to the warp" sort of thing (at least in my mind). I think its not so much getting hit by the Blank, its more to do with the deamons connection to the warp getting messed with by the Blank, then the belief of the Blank that he can kill a deamon by punching it

4. It just takes less pain/suffering/emotion to remain in the Webway (due to some property of the webway "shielding" them). When they go to Realspace the soul-sucking increases, but if they can afford the cost of further pain/suffering/emotion to regenerate, they will be fine. Older eldar need more suffering, so when they enter Realspace, they would need EVEN MOAR. Still very doable by a powerful Kabal though.

5. Not sure about this. The Eye used to be Eldar planets, those eldar are no longer with us. However, if one were to re-enter the Eye, it would be a good idea to have a soul-stone so that the increased "soul sucking" doesnt leave them soul-dry

6. A topic of much debate. I peronally believe that the DE are better off since their manufacturing base was already located within the Dark City before the Fall, whereas the CWE had their manufacturing bases located on their planets now within the Eye. But DE cant use their Psykic abilities, and the CWE can. YMDC

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the response; by 'using the warp' I mean travelling within it. My understanding was that Eldar do not use warp travel because they are a psychic beacon in the warp and would almost certainly attract hostile attention. If DE are stunted psychically is this still a problem for them? If not what's to have stopped them from capturing an imperial vessel with a Geller Field, enslave the crew/navigator and go raiding?

With regards to demons - if you thought that a weapon would cause them anguish would it do so? My understanding is that demons are creatures of raw emotion that need to perpetuate that emotion in order to grow in strength. I am trying to think if it is plausible for DE to be able to revel in a demons pain. If so it could be 'pure' anguish, who knows what the feeling would be if a DE could gain sustenance back from a demon of Slaanesh for example? If it were possible I imagine it would be very addictive, torturing and consuming a part of the being that is constantly consuming your race etc. Especially as Slaanesh could be arguably the purest expression of the DE in the warp.

Huh. Interesting. I suppose the simplest answer would probably be that there isn't really anything physically stopping Dark Eldar from travelling through the warp. I suppose that the reason they don't is that webway travel is just simply better. It's faster, safer and more reliable. Plus, if a Dark Eldar is on a vessel that gets lost in the warp I don't think they're coming back from that, even with all their resurrection tech.

As for daemons that's another interesting thought. It's not necessarily jsut pain that Dark Eldar feed on, but strong emotion of all sorts (it's just that pain is usually the easiest one to procure). If daemons are beings of pure emotion, then syphoning that would probably be the equivalent of a massive hit for them.

I'd imagine it would be risky though, and possibly garner the attention of the God in question. I can see a kickass story though about an old, old Archon/Haemi that's resorted to syphoning the essence of captive daemons to extend their life beyond the point that the pain of mortals can sustain...

That's kind of where I was going along the demon route. I am thinking of basing this Kabals Realspace raids in the same region as The Eye of Terror. One of the Kabals unique selling points would be to have a secure Realspace base near the webway for entertainment and contests against Demons/Possessed mortals. Such a thing would obviously be suicide within Comorragh as Vect would kill you for bringing such dangers into the city...but Realspace is a different ball game. Kind of pointless though if DE can't 'harvest' the emotions of the demon captives participating. Or if they can't be captured, harvested mid raid on say a demon world.

Yep I like this. Cool little twist to give your kabal originality.

I definitely like reading about Dark Eldar living outside of Commorragh as well

There are a number of reasons why the DE wouldent capture a IoM vessal for warp travel. Firstly they require a Navagator (who have notoriously short lifespans, so you would constantly need to replace them), but mainly as Ynneadwraith stated about webway being safer/faster/more reliable.

I am not sure you COULD torture a deamon. In the Eisenhorn novels an Inquisitor captures a deamon, and nothing can really affect/hurt it. The worst that seams to happen is the deamon gets bored. Even when limbs get ripped off, or when its battling other deamons and getting chunks ripped off the thing is still laughing and having a great time.

But maybe you could keep it "balanced at the edge of dissolution between Realspace and the Warp" to cause it pain? Who knows. Deamons are kinda weird...

I was considering how psychic nulls or 'blanks' might be used for this purpose. From what I understand the mere presence of a null is uncomfortable for a psyker. If there was a way of weaponising this 'anti' warpness it might be a way of actually damaging a demon rather than simply dissoluting it. Another line of thought what if you were to set a demon up in such an environment that it actively taunts/denies the demon the input it craves without expelling it back to the warp?

Example a khornite exposed to a stubbornly tranquil environment despite its best efforts. A Slaanesh demon being denied social interaction of any kind. A demon of Tzeentch being put in an utterly sterile, uninteractable environment etc.

Additionally the 'belief makes it work' logic might suit. A haemonculi creates a special device that it says can torture demons, haemonculi are probably uncontested as the best torturers in the galaxy so why wouldn't it work? So then of course contrary to logic it does work.

Haha! I like your idea for torturing daemons

Forcing a Plaguebearer to clean dishes would be excellent

Would be a lot of effort to make that ballance. Not sure if anyone other than a Master Haemonculi would be able.... but they have had enough time to try out most stuff....