The Dark Eldar are a sinister elvish race in the game Warhammer 40,000. While most generic Elves feature in medieval-style fantasy worlds, the Dark Eldar feature in a futuristic high-tech fictional universe. They represent the corruption of elvish beauty, deviating from the search for beauty and peace, rather revelling in piracy and torture.

They are unique amongst the Warhammer 40,000 races in the sense that they do not occupy many planets, but rather one dark city - Commoragh. They are mainly pirates, though are sometimes used as mercenaries. They are the equivalent of the Warhammer Fantasy Dark Elves. They are derived of Dungeons and Dragons' drow.

Dark Eldar have a very high level of technology, including anti-gravity devices, 'dark matter' weaponry, nano-technology and psychic artifacts. Note that while Dark Eldar do make use of psychic devices, they do not use psychic powers themselves. Psykers (one who can use psychic powers) are treated as 'playthings' in Commorragh, and given the twisted sadistic nature of the Dark Eldar, this necessarily involves pain and torment for the psyker.

Over time, Dark Eldar begin to suffer more and more from 'the Thirst'. They develop an all-consuming and ever-increasing need to drink the souls of other beings. It is postulated that the cause of this is the Chaos God Slaanesh, the Great Enemy of the Eldar, who leeches the soul-essence of the Dark Eldar while they still live. Dark Eldar drink souls to stave off this leeching - perhaps by sating the hunger of Slaanesh, or perhaps by replenishing the essence of their own souls with that of the consumed one. Slaanesh also devours the souls of Dark Eldar when they die - soul-drinking has a rejuvinating effect and so this is another reason why Dark Eldar have adopted this practice, for though long-lived they are not ordinarily immortal.

External links

• 40k Online (expanded successor site to Eldar Online)
• Official UK Dark Eldar page
• Official US Dark Eldar page