History Literature / ThePathOfTheEldar

* RashomonStyle: Each novel in the Craftworld series, while focused on the lives of the individual Eldar and how their Paths change them, revolves around the same series of events, culminating in [[spoiler:an invasion of the Craftworld by the Imperium]]. While the factual details are the same between books, no one character will have all the details, changing the implications of things that are said and things that happen depending on who is witnessing the events.

** Also the Sons of Orar Space Marines' Chapter Master. While he's as xenophobic as any other Space Marine, [[spoiler: he's at least willing to listen to Aradryan's explanation of the manipulations of Governor De'vaque and the Dark Eldar. When he realises he's led an invasion against an innocent party (one that's caused the deaths of hundreds of his Marines and likely tens of thousands of other Imperial troops to boot) he kills De'vaque on the spot and calls off the attack.]]

* WorfHadTheFlu: That a highly psychic race like the Eldar, whose fluff background has them constantly manipulating events in the present based on their reading the strands of future disasters, could miss a full-scale Imperial attack on Aaitoc is explained in "Path of the Seer" - the confluence of events needed to bring it about was so unlikely none of the Seers thought it worth looking into. Unfortunately the Korlandril/Aradryan/Thirianna love triangle causes exactly that confluence of events to spiral things into a catastrophe.

* WorfHadTheFlue: That a highly psychic race like the Eldar, whose fluff background has them constantly manipulating events in the present based on their reading the strands of future disasters, could miss a full-scale Imperial attack on Aaitoc is explained in "Path of the Seer" - the confluence of events needed to bring it about was so unlikely none of the Seers thought it worth looking into. Unfortunately the Korlandril/Aradryan/Thirianna love triangle causes exactly that confluence of events to spiral things into a catastrophe.

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: It's a fact of life among the Dark Eldar, but it's noted several times in ''Path of the Incubus'' that the massive disruption to Commorragh caused by the Dysfunction has made it even worse, as the constantly-shifting power structures among the Kabals are thrown into complete disarray.
** Also Aradryan over in the Craftworld books. The entire [[spoiler: invasion of Alaitoc happens because he betrays both the Dark Eldar and Governor De'Vaque for no reason other than pride and arrogance, leaving them both seeking revenge in a big way.]]

* LargeAndInCharge: The Ork Warboss encountered in the Eldar books is much bigger than its subordinates, in keeping with 40K's background lore for Orks.

* TheNeedsOfTheMany: One flashback, showing an earlier death of Morlaniath's, shows the forces of Alaitoc using the cover of an Imperial invasion of an Exodite world to kill a particular Space Marine whose future would have him go on to destroy much of Alaitoc's fleet. The Exarch is disturbed they're leaving so many Exodite Eldar to be killed but the Farseer insists their fate was to kill the human to protect their own in the future, not protect their kin in the here and now.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Farseer Kelamith rapidly becomes aware of Thirianna's manipulations to prove the veracity of her vision of Alaitoc's destruction, but chooses to let her go unpunished, as she was acting out of concern for Alaioc's fate.

* AntiVillain: Morr the Incubus. A martial warrior who prides himself on his abilities, he's originally a bodyguard to another Archon, but ends up killing him when he realises that he's been possessed by a Daemon, and later sacrifices himself to stop a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch emerging on an Exodite World.

** [[spoiler:Yllithian]] does this to one of his younger relatives in order to save himself from [[spoiler:the Glass Plague]].

* TheCameo: Drazhar in Path of the Incubus - he shows up for precisely one chapter to [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] Morr in combat, then disappears for the rest of the trilogy.

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: It's a fact of life among the Dark Eldar, but it's noted several times in ''Path of the Incubus'' that the massive disruption to Commorragh caused by the Dysfunction has made it even worse, as the constantly-shifting power structures among the kabals are thrown into complete disarray.

* DefectorFromDecadence: Maensith, a former Kabalite who broke ties with her kabal and is now a corsair.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Dark Eldar may be twisted, amoral psychopaths,but even they draw the line at worshipping Chaos. [[spoiler: At least knowingly...]]
** Pointedly averted with Asdrubael Vect. That he'll do things even other Dark Eldar wouldn't dare (like [[spoiler: creating the Castigators from looted Eldar soulstones and siccing them on his own race, then using the power of Commoragh's stolen suns to annihilate the rebels,]]) is one of the main reasons he's in charge.

** Also the Sons of Orar Space Marines' Chapter Master. While he's as xenophobic as any other Space Marine, [[spoiler: he's at least willing to listen to Aradryan's explanation of the manipulations of Governor De'vaque and the Dark Eldar. When he realises he's led an invasion against an innocent party (that's caused the deaths of hundreds of his Marines and likely tens of thousands of other Imperial troops) he kills De'vaque on the spot and calls off the attack.]]

* ShootTheShaggyDog: Kharbyr's story. He starts off as an amoral sellsword, but begins to show traces of a more sympathetic personality through his OddFriendship with the Wrack Xagor, and the two work together to survive the initial events of the Dysjunction. Then he gets bodyjacked by the Haemonculus Bellathonis, and spends a good chunk of the novels impersonating him and working towards finding Bellathonis and getting his revenge - then he's unceremoniously killed by a Talos gunnig for Bellathonis just as he finally locates him.

* TheCameo: Many of the special characters from the 5th edition Dark Eldar Codex (Vect, Malys, Drazhar and Kheradruakh) show up at one point or another in a variety of roles.

** Also Aradryan over in the Craftworld books.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: The Harlequin Motley in the Dark Eldar books. His clownish appearance and gibbering dialogue style lead many characters to underestimate him - but he's capable to taking out multiple Incubi in combat and battling Lady Malys to a standstill.

* OhCrap: Morlaniath's squad have this reaction when the Sons of Orar Space Marines show up, being stunned to realise there are warriors in the universe as skilled and dangerous as them.

** Also the Sons of Orar Space Marines' Chapter Master. While he's as xenophobic as any other Space Marine, [[spoiler: he's at least willing to listen to Aradryan's explanation of the manipulations of Governor De'vaque and the Dark Eldar. When he realises he's led an invasion against an innocent party (one that's caused the deaths of hundreds of his Marines and likely tens of thousands of other Imperial troops) he kille De'vaque on the spot and calls off the attack.]]

* MentalFusion: This happens when [[spoiler:Korlandril becomes an Exarch, as his mind and personality become a gestalt with those of all the previous Striking Scorpion Exarchs of his temple, with the first as the most dominant]].

** Pointedly averted with Asdrubael Vect. That he'll do things even other Dark Eldar wouldn't dare (like [[spoiler: creating the Castigators from looted Eldar soulstones and siccing them on his own race]]) is one of the main reasons he's in charge.

* OddFriendship: The sellsword Kharbyr and the Wrack Xagor - even more notable as they're both [[TheSociopath Dark Eldar]].

* OddFriendship: The sellsword Kharbyr and the Wrack Xagor - even more notable as they're both [[The Sociopath Dark Eldar]].

* LargeAndInCharge: The Mandrake King is absolutely titanic compared to his subjects, [[spoiler: possibly due to the influence of Nurgle]].

** Pointedly averted with Asdrubael Vect. That he'll do things even other Dark Eldar wouldn't dare (like [[spoiler: creating the Castigators from looted Eldar soulstones and siccing them on his own race]]) is ne of the main reasons he's in charge.

* Antivillain: Morr the Incubus. A martial warrior who prides himself on his abilities, he's originally a bodyguard to another Archon, but ends up killing him when he realises that he's been possessed by a Daemon, and later sacrifices himself to stop a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch emerging on an Exodite World.

* SpockSpeak: Typical Craftworld Eldar dialogue.

The first is a trilogy written by Gav Thorpe revolving around three individuals from the craftworld Alaitoc. Each book tells the same story, but from the perspective of one of these three. The first, ''[[ThePathOfTheWarrior Path of the Warrior]]'', is from the perspective of Korlandril, a dissatisfied artist who takes the Path of the Warrior. The second, ''Path Of The Seer'', is from the perspective of Thirianna, a former warrior who finds herself drawn to a new Path. The third, ''Path of the Outcast'', revolves around Aradryan, a former steersman[[note]]a type of pilot[[/note]] who is drawn into becoming an Outcast through wanderlust, and then into darker waters.

* [[spoiler: AssholeVictim: Technically every Dark Eldar who dies in the Dysjunction, but special mention to Ythillian, Xelian and Kraillach]].

The second is a trilogy written by Andy Chambers about the Dark Eldar. The first, ''Path of the Renegade,'' revolves around a plot to overthrow Asdrubael Vect by summoning a former ruler that Vect defeated long ago. The second, ''Path of the Incubus'', is about the chaos (and Chaos) unleashed in Commorragh by the events of the previous book and the efforts of multiple factions to survive and possibly end the damage. The third book, ''Path of the Archon'', is not yet released.

The first is a trilogy written by Gav Thorpe revolving around three individuals from the craftworld Alaitoc. Each book tells the same story, but from the perspective of one of these three. The first, ''[[PathOfTheWarrior Path of the Warrior]]'', is from the perspective of Korlandril, a dissatisfied artist who takes the Path of the Warrior. The second, ''Path Of The Seer'', is from the perspective of Thirianna, a former warrior who finds herself drawn to a new Path. The third, ''Path of the Outcast'', revolves around Aradryan, a former steersman[[note]]a type of pilot[[/note]] who is drawn into becoming an Outcast through wanderlust, and then into darker waters.

The first is a trilogy written by Gav Thorpe revolving around three individuals from the craftworld Alaitoc. Each book tells the same story, but from the perspective of one of these three. The first, ''Path of the Warrior'', is from the perspective of Korlandril, a dissatisfied artist who takes the Path of the Warrior. The second, ''Path Of The Seer'', is from the perspective of Thirianna, a former warrior who finds herself drawn to a new Path. The third, ''Path of the Outcast'', revolves around Aradryan, a former steersman[[note]]a type of pilot[[/note]] who is drawn into becoming an Outcast through wanderlust, and then into darker waters.

** Which creates a bit of FridgeLogic as Alaitoc is the go-to Imperuim fighters of the Eldar (the books never hints about their current Necron fighting) being both a Seer and a former Dark Reaper she should have known about this.

A new series of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' novels focusing on the Eldar. The series is split between two separate branches.

* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: Aradryan leaves Alaitoc and the Path because he is afraid of it trapping him, realizing that the universe is so much bigger than he is. From his first cautious steps as a ranger, he slowly grows in confidence, eventually joining up with a pirate crew, and working his way up in authority until he becomes a leader figure in an entire pirate fleet, learning to love the freedom of the lifestyle and developing a craving for excitement and danger. However, with his growing confidence is growing pride and arrogance, becoming increasingly conceited and developing [[NothingCanStopUsNow feelings of invincibility]]. [[spoiler: This pride eventually [[BreakTheHaughty leads to his downfall]] as he [[KickTheDog Kicks the Dog]] in a spectacular way, and [[AlwaysABiggerFish Even Bigger]] [[TheDogBitesBack Dog Bites Back]] on his entire home ''craftworld''.]]

* ProudWarriorRace: Not the ''whole'' race, but as detailed in ''The Path of the Warrior'', once the war goes on, this is what Aspect Warriors become.
** Dark Eldar. The whole race.

* ChronicBackstabberSyndrome: It's a fact of life among the Dark Eldar, but it's noted several times in ''Path of the Incubus'' that the massive disruption to Commorragh caused by the Dysfunction has made it even worse, as the constantly-shifting power structures among the kabals are thrown into complete disarray.

The second is a trilogy written by Andy Chambers about the Dark Eldar. The first, ''Path of the Renegade,'' revolves around a plot to overthrow Asdrubael Vect by summoning a former ruler that Vect defeated long ago. The second, ''Path of the Incubus'', has not been released yet. The third is untitled.

* [[What Measure is a Non-Eldar? {{WhatMeasureIsANonHuman}}]]: {{ZigZagged|Trope}}. Thirianna struggles with this during her Farseer training; see TheAtoner and MyGodWhatHaveIDone above. [[spoiler:She later tries to save a human child during a strike meant to destroy a Chaos artifact, but the child becomes a daemonhost. During the Imperial invasion, she is disgusted by the invaders and has no qualms about killing them.]]