Following my recent Eldar Q&A Parts One and Two, Iracundus shared some interesting thoughts and questions, so I’ve turned my response into Part Three!

Iracundus asked: Thank you so much for answering questions and providing thoughts on Eldar society. My thoughts below in a wall of text:

All the below thoughts were as a result of trying to reconcile both the Eldar looking down on currency (as per the FFG RPG Rogue Trader) while still conducting trade and having a functioning internal society when resources (time is a resource) are still limited.

Although Eldar society may provide for all basic needs and these may be considered free or too cheap to be worth tracking, it can still mean trade for luxury/exotic goods from far away worlds or goods that have value due to being crafted in traditional techniques by a master craftsman.

Even with Bonesingers, there is the ultimate limitation of time. The time limitation is a significant one because it constrains what can be made in a given amount of time. How the Bonesingers go about determining what to make is something that would be nice to have explored. Who decides whether they build 1000 shuriken catapult ammunition clips, a single Wave Serpent, or whether they work on a decorative pot? If they only build what they feel like on a particular day, it raises the possibility of erratic supply of items. If they’re simply told by the Farseers, then that is a command economy. The limitation of how much waking time a Bonesinger or other artisan has imposes scarcity of some form.

We know from Path of the Warrior that there does seem to be some form of trading with the Exodites (for their dragon meat) and also within a Craftworld, as there is mention of a location where the latest fashions are peddled. (“…the Boulevard of Split moons, along the arcades of the fashion-sellers and jewelsmiths…” p.59, Path of the Warrior)

Even though there may not be a distinct currency, things of value are still being exchanged. The Eldar society may have an abundance of things but it is not entirely post scarcity so long as there are a limited number of items or resources. Even the pre-Fall Eldar Empire was not entirely post-scarcity as the Dark Eldar Codex describes how it was the nobles that were the first to descend into depravity as they had the greatest resources to do so.

The purpose of Commorragh originally as a major trade port also shows that trade and therefore limited resources or commodities were a fact of life even in the pre-Fall times. Finally, there exists a concept sketch for an armed trader ship by Jes Goodwin. Clearly having the Eldar trade was an old and core concept for the Eldar. Whatever the Eldar trade, for whatever purpose whether it be personal fulfillment, exploration, duty to their Craftworld, or exchange of resources, they do engage in commerce: “They ate fruits from the orchards and breakfasted on spiced meats brought back by traders with the Exodite worlds.” p. 80, Path of the Warrior.

The Gathering Storm books mention how there were insufficient resources for Biel-tan to reshape worlds into paradises like the Eldar empire’s old worlds. While Craftworlds may be self-sufficient to maintain the lifestyles of their inhabitants, clearly there seems to be a limit to what they can do. I could also see some avaricious or passionate Eldar desiring and trying to amass the resources in order to be able to do such world shaping.

The Craftworld and the Eldar within it seem to have a communion of sorts. When the Korlandril becomes an Exarch in an old deserted shrine, shortly afterwards his first disciples, those stirred to walk the Path of the Warrior find their way there, guided by the shrine (or perhaps the Craftworld/Infinity Circuits as a whole). I made note of how there are communal forms of transport guided by the group desires of the passengers.

With the Infinity Circuits already serving as a form of communication, power, and eternal rest, why not also a store of value? The following is speculation, but based on these above known points:

How about a credit system based on contributions judged of worth to the Craftworld? Thus an artist producing a work of art that is judged by the community (perhaps through unconscious consensus) to have artistic or cultural value gains a certain amount of credit (though not necessarily denominated in strict units), that is stored and remembered in the Infinity Circuits. It might be more like a reputation value rather than a strict bank balance. In turn, the artist can go pick up materials or goods he desires, which in turn is debited against this reputation/credit value. If the Eldar do have some subconscious link, then the value or prices of different things can also be reached through an unconscious consensus. Those that produce things that are in short supply or provide great service gain more credit. Thus the Craftworld would behave like a living entity acting to meet its own needs. By also being like a reputation value associated directly with the individual, no Eldar could be robbed of this currency as there is nothing physical to take.

This system could also be used to explain how Corsair Eldar get their ships refitted and serviced. If they stop at a Craftworld with goods of inherent value (such as the earlier mentioned spiced meat) or tell of their deeds smiting the lesser races, then those deeds might be considered services that gain them credit. Direct fulfillment of special requests by Farseers would attract more credit than just random killing of other races or pillaging a few tons of grain or meat.

The Infinity Circuits would result in information being freely available and also instantly (or near enough) assimilating each individual’s perception to reach a final community value of a person’s contribution. I do not envision it as anyone being “paid” from anyone else but rather credit held with the Craftworld. Thus Korlandril (from Path of the Warrior) might get “Korlandril credits” for crafting his big statue (even though it was placed for public communal display) that are then used whenever he next needs supplies or a new fashionable set of clothes from the fashion seller. A certain number of “Korlandril credits” might then be destroyed. The fashion seller would then get ” credits” created by the Craftworld’s Infinity Circuits, but this amount may not be the same as the number of “Korlandril credits” destroyed. I could imagine varying amounts being created or destroyed based on who is doing the buying. A famous artist buying paint might cost less for example than some novice buying it, while other items might be off limits unless you were on the Path. If a piece of art continues to inspire or attract even greater acclaim, then why not a continuing stream of income like royalties?

Such a system removes the need for living Eldar doing “work” like being an accountant or having to count and manage their own finances.

My view – in brief – is that within the craftworlds the eldar have gone through currency and out of the other side, so to speak. That is, they have turned full circle to a barter system without any need for an intermediary and arbitrary exchange method. That’s not to say that a good poet, for instance, literally gives a bonesinger poems in exchange for a nice bit of wraithbone, but rather their kudos, fame and talent is repaid in kind by others within the society consummate to the standing of that individual. Gift-giving and exchanges, rather than hard or soft currency*.

As an example, in Path of the Outcast Aradryan browses a jeweler’s stand in the market. The jeweler, on a strand of the Path of the Artist, doesn’t sell his or her wares in order to get food. The act of creation is the purpose of the jewellery and nothing more. Aradryan is free to take whatever he chooses from the stand. Even if he took it all, it would not be considered theft, because the jewellery exists only as jewellery, it has no other intrinsic monetary value. Similarly, Korlandril’s sculpture is on display for all to see, there is no charge for attendance. On the flipside, the jeweler and Korlandril can freely sustain themselves with food and drink, and air, and other’s company and skills, and because art is freely available should they desire a piece from a particular artist they can simply request one (assuming they are still alive) or otherwise strike a bargain with the current owner for some other exchange of goods or services. Eldar are so long-lived that I see them rather unattached to physical things or even ideas over any length of time. They are, as part of the Path, meant to shed their past lives, possessions and even principles as they evolve their psyche.

I also hinted in the Path series that the Infinity Circuit might unconsciously regulate these behaviours – that if there is a lack of eldar on the Path of Service, for instance, it will subtly manipulate its populace or even individuals until the balance is restored. So maybe the credit system isn’t that far off, but certainly not acknowledged consciously.

I can, however, see that eldar on the Path of the Trader – perhaps trying expunge vestigial notions of consumerism, greed, avarice – may need to create a scoring system in order to satisfy and later expunge those negative acquisitive traits. As Trader, acquisition becomes the goal. ‘Winning’ by accruing more wealth, by defeating another trader in a deal, by getting a bargain becomes part of their life. In this regard a token currency to keep score might exist – ‘trader florins’ that are of no interest to anyone except other traders. This cannot occur within the regulated, post-scarcity system of the Craftworld and so must take place with outsiders – exodites, outcasts, Commorraghans and even other species.

Similarly, Outcasts and Kabalites are not within the closed system of the craftworld and, having not partitioned and dealt with their acquisitive natures, are prone to the extremes of all aeldari – and in this case their desire for shiny baubles and general magpie behaviour may come to the fore. Without the restrictions of the Path the ancient inherent desires for power, hierarchy, accumulation of status begin to hold sway again.

And that’s where we head back to the idea of the Aeldari nobility during the time of the dominion (which is what I’ve started calling the ’empire’ as I think it is more evocative and doesn’t presume the existence of an Emperor – which incidentally is why we initially tried to avoid it for the T’au but that didn’t last.) So the dominion was, due to aeldari nature and technology, a post-scarcity society. With matter printing and automated armies to create or claim whatever they desired, the aeldari needed for nothing. But need and desire are not the same thing, and so even as the slow decline towards other hedonism overtook their society, so also over the course of tens of millennia the desire for power, hierarchy, dominance (because wealth is really only a tally of power) surfaced to create an aristocracy. But it’s entirely a paper nobility, created by its own desire to exist, to be in charge rather than a singular necessity of the aeldari society. Playing at nobles, as it were, and no greater or lesser temporal power than any other aeldari. So, politics and intermarriages and eventually all kinds of Game of Thrones shenanigans ensue, for the simple sake that these became the obsessions of those whose natural inclinations led them in that direction, quite ineffectual to the rest of the workings of the dominion until it was all rather too late.

*There is talk these days of Social Currency in the world of economics, which is about a company’s standing and ethics (and brand power as well as brand loyalty) rather than dollar value. In a consumerist society, where we choose to spend our money is determined as much by the company were are giving it to and our lifestyle and principles as it is a simple monetary transaction. In craftworld society the eldar are intimately, psychically connected to each other. The sense of belonging, or lack, is very keen for them. Outcasts are literally that, disjointed from the gestalt psychicness of others, and so ‘Social Currency’ in eldar terms is all about good standing and reputation.

Um, that was not brief, was it…?

Iracundus also commented: Drastanta, Tempest of Starlight, Phoenix Lord of the Shining Spears is given in the Iyanden supplement (p.51) as going to find his mentor Asurmen already fallen before N’kari, Keeper of Secrets, during the destruction of Asur. Since the destruction of Asur is what first scattered the Asurya to the galaxy and the seeding of the Warrior Path among the Craftworlds, Drastanta by being mentored by Asurmen on Asur therefore must also have been one of the Asurya.

While not all Phoenix Lords need be Asurya, all Asurya seem to have been Phoenix Lords.

Similarly, Irillyth, Shadow of Twilight, Phoenix Lord of the Shadow Spectres is explicitly stated in the Doom of Mymeara book to have been a disciple of Asurmen before going on to start the Shadow Spectre Aspect. If being directly taught by Asurmen on Asur and then founding an Aspect is the criteria for being one of the Asurya, then Irillyth would also be one of them.

I’ve not read it, so does it say he was taught by Asurmen, or taught by Asurmen as one of the Ausrya? Because even after the break up of the Asurya Asurmen would have continued to have pupils, some of them perhaps even becoming the first exarchs of their Aspect.

Gah! This is the problem with retroactive setting changes… I used to hold that that while all Aspects have a founder, only the six originals were Phoenix Lords / Asurya. Even if new Aspects were introduced into the rules it did not follow that they had a Phoenix Lord (in the same way that we wouldn’t just throw in a 21st Legion and new Primarch for the First Founding…) The first offense against this came from a novel, so was easily ignored, and then I think Forge World created a new Phoenix Lord, which could similarly be pout down to an errant use of terminology… Now though…That has fallen by the wayside in recent years unfortunately. Currently the plan for novels is to cover the original six (seven if we include Arhrha / Karandras separately), though perhaps others can appear without being title characters. I also dislike this throwaway comment in a piece of wargear description for basically nailing down the destruction of N’kari by this hitherto unheard-of Phoenix Lord, so if i can get away with it I might just try to pretend it never existed. We’ll see what the Bl editors think. It’s not all about what i think though, there are considerations of what GW sees as the official story, as well as other writers that may contribute to the series.

And Austin added: I wonder if perhaps Asurmen still, very rarely, teaches pupils who go on to found new aspects. That would make it possible for there to be new aspects without their founders having been present at the Shrine of Asur.

Absolutely he does, and many Aspects have risen and died away and perhaps been reborn – Asurmen has been around for a long time, even by Aeldari standards.

If you’ve enjoyed this Q&A, don’t forget to also read Part One and Part Two. You might also be interested in my Dark Angels Q&As – Dark Angels Secrets Revealed! and More Dark Angels Secrets Revealed!.

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