Path
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After the Fall of the Eldar those Eldar who had managed to save themselves upon the Craftworlds underwent a complete social reform. Their lives would no longer spent in pursuit of their wishes, pleasures, and wanton natures. This had led to the Fall, and the creation of Slaanesh. Instead the individual Eldar chooses for himself a discipline, a Path, and will focus himself upon it. This path will be studied, practiced, and eventually mastered. Then the Eldar chooses a new path and the process will begin anew.
Each new role does not completely replace the previous, but merely adds to the Eldar's accumulated experience. As Eldar pass through these different roles they explore the many aspects of their own character. An Eldar of a thousand years or more will usually have experienced many different roles and attained a very sophisticated understanding of the universe.2
All Eldar who tread a path must be cautious, for all of them are dangerous for the Eldar mind. Some Eldar focus and obsess themselves to such an extent upon a path that he becomes unable to leave it upon completion. They will continue to tread this path until their death. This fate is a terrible one for the Eldar, and such individuals are said to be lost upon the path. This can be done on purpose. There are an unknown number of paths, and each of them has further specializations.
Known paths
The Paths of the Seer and the Warrior are just two of the many paths Eldar may devote themselves to. Some of these other roles are very clearly defined, with their own traditions and behavioral patterns. Others are less structured and offer less guidance. They allow a relative amount of freedom and rely on the inner strength that the Eldar has already attained. These paths involve more civilian and mundane roles such as technicians, civil administrators, fabricators, colonists, traders, explorers, etc. Regardless of their civilian roles, these Eldar still take part in battle as Guardians and in other functions which are necessary in any military force.2
The Path of the Seer, aka Witch Path, is the longest, most treacherous, most complex, and rarest of all paths. Its members are the psychic Seers. The Spiritseers are specialists in the handling of spirit stones for the raising of the Wraithguards and Wraithlords. The Warlocks previously underwent the Path of the Warrior and now lead the Eldar into battle. The Farseers are lost upon the path of the Seer, and are the most powerful Eldar psykers of all. Bonesingers are Seers who use their psychic talents to manipulate the growth of Wraithbone2.
The ultimate fate of a Farseer is to become wholly part of the Craftworld as a Crystal Seer.
The Path of the Warrior. Its members are the Aspect Warriors. Those who lose themselves upon this path become Exarchs. The most widely known aspects are the Dire Avengers, the Howling Banshees, the Striking Scorpions, the Fire Dragons, the Swooping Hawks, the Dark Reapers, and the Warp Spiders. There are several lesser known types of aspect warriors, some even unique to a single craftworld. One of the more rare aspects are the Shining Spears. Also known is the aspect of the Eagle Pilot1, who is the Eldar equivalent to a fighter-pilot.
It must be mentioned that Guardians are not treading this path at all. They are following other 'civilian' paths, being summoned to fight for the Craftworld for the duration of the given emergency.
The Path of Command is for those Eldar with a passion for military command and strategy. Its members are the Autarchs who tread this path to better command larger forces of Eldar warriors. To enter this path one is expected to have completed previously several 'military' paths already.
The Path of the Artisan is a relatively common path.
The Path of the Mariner is for the crews of the Eldar spaceships.
The doomed Bards of Twilight are also lost upon their path but its name is currently unknown.
The Path of the Outcast
The Path of the Outcast is what is considered as outside the Eldar Path. Those who desert the Eldar Path are known as Outcasts and follow the Path of the Outcast. The intensely capable Eldar mind sometimes rebels against the highly structured delineation of achievement which the Eldar Path offers. Without the protection of the Eldar Path an individual is likely to be driven crazy and eventually succumb to self-destructive urges. The worst fate of all is the Path of Damnation, but no Eldar will speak of this aberration and so almost nothing is known about it.2
Sometimes young, unexperienced or disgraced Eldar leave their craftworlds to wander among the stars. Thereby they break out of the cycle of paths and go through a period of great danger. This period is sometimes called the Path of the Outcast, Path of Wandering, or Path of Damnation, but these names are technically wrong as these Eldar are completely outside of the cycle of paths.
Most of the time they become Rangers. Some eventually return to their Craftworlds and to the safety of the paths. Those who are unable to return, for one reason or another, eventually become Pathfinders.
Other outcasts become pirates, raiders, and corsairs.
