I've captured TWO Eldar Warships (my poor GM didn't know what hit him, the poor bastard). Anyway, I have a small populace of Eldar Women available. Eternal, beautiful, and sexy.

What should I do with them?

What can I do with them?

Should I sell them? Could they be converted into entire Profit Factors? I'd like something of a guideline as to what they may be worth, if they're worth anything at all.

By the way, my GM says I'm way too smart for my own good.

By my calculation you have bought yourself a world of hurt... your options:

Sell them: Yes you probably could sell them for great profit... BUT this means that there are a cadre of eldar out there who will remember that you sold them into slavery and will hunt you for the rest of their lives... and if they perish then their kin will hunt you etc...

Kill them: Their kin will hunt you for vengeance...

Either way they are going to hunt you down... But out of the two options at least option #2 won't have you hunted by the Ordo Xenos for trafficing in Xenos (remember 'suffer not the xenos to live')... Then again perhaps you could sell/gift them to the ordo xenos and avoid their wroth?

Well, nobody knows I have them yet. I don't know if the mighty mighty Eldar knows what's happened with their fleet. I intercepted five of their ships, destroyed three, captured two, with very few losses (I think I lost some livestock - it was a very good raid). I hope I can use them for something other than Target Practice.

I'm not worried about making the Eldar an enemy. I see no reason to make them a friend, since they killed my character's father in cold blood under a flag of truce.

As far as Ordos Xenos, I'm not worried about them.

What I really want to know is how much these ladies are worth on the market? Meaning, what's my Profit Factor likely to be? Surely there's some wealthy nobleman or governor who might fancy a little Eldar tail for his conquests?

I'd say these eldar are worth quite a bit.

See if you have them fitted with volitor implants or some other type of compliance device. Failing that keep some as hostages. If you can then I reckon several mega rich nobles would pay handsomely for their companionship. Head somewhere really jaded like Malfi and you are on a winner.

This may not even be sordid flesh trading. I imagine that even selling their services as exotic entertainers - dancers, singers, poets and so forth would garner significant profit factor.

Plus get some agents to gather data on your customers for blackmail later. The real benefit as a rogue trader is that while they are breaking the law you are in the clear!

Plus when you are done with them kill them and trade their priceless soulstones back to the eldar dirtbags that killed your father for a kings ransom.

Nice

Sweet. Good idea!

Do you think maybe I might be able to auction some of them off? I know Footfall has an auction place for that kind of thing.

In point of fact if your Gm was up on fluff its likely they know exactly who you are and that you would take their kin prisoner 'before' you did it, meaning not a few of those pretty ladies are more than they seem. You SHOULD be expecting more Eldar to show up when 'you' least expect it. If they are Dark Eldar you are dead and don't know it. And if they are not DE they will find you and kill you...when they think the time is right so enjoy yourself no matter what you do.

Eject them into space and run as fast and as far from their craftworld/planet as you can.

That aside if your GM allows that kind of insane capture....milk it for all its worth.

Wayfinder said:

Crack a soulstone and watch. Sell tickets on Footfall and do that for Profit factor.

Its really quite alright, they are and theres now nothing you can do about it.

Famous last words of how many heretics?

bobh said:

Oh, my GM is up on his 40K fluff. These were Eldar Corsairs, and they got their butts handed to them. I merely outmaneuvered them and had them pinned in such a way they couldn't get their main weapons to bear on my ships by the time I had three or four rounds of concentrated fire on them. Then I boarded the other two ships, much of which fought ferciously. Kroot Mercenaries are worth every penny. Oh, did I mention I have Untouchables aboard?

But this bluster about how bad-ass the Eldar and Dark Eldar doesn't impress me. I know what they can do, and I'm still not impressed. The idea that they'll "find" me no matter what I do is patently ludicrous, because if these clowns really had their act together they'd have an empire that's comparable to the size and scope of the Imperium.

I say, bring it on. Let them come. I'm waiting for them.

Agreed, nobody is ever "going to get you no matter what". That said, you might want to look into the cost of implants that insure obedience and maybe even a memory wipe of the time they were with you so even should they escape you won't be on the platter.

Otherwise I think Rolls has the right of it - use them up, save dirt on the buyers for leverage and make a hefty profit.

Sure there are potential dangers associated with the action, but you wouldn't be a rogue trader if you intended to play soft ball in the kiddie pool.

Wayfinder said:

Eldar aren't interested in creating an empire, because they don't have enough population to control it. They are a dying race since their failure against the necrons some tens of thousands of years (or more) ago.

Also, they suffer the "Cassandra phobia syndrome". Essentially, they look into the future so much, they don't take much real actions because the moment they step in, that tiny itsy little 0.00001% not accounted for (IE: the protagonists XD) sends all to hell.

But if your GM is smart and devious enough, what you did was to destroy some illusions and capture some eldars who wanted to be captured, probably to reach someone they wouldn't be able to by other means. My advice? Mind your manners, be a gracious host, and check again what you have are really untouchables and not people claiming to be (you know, an Inquisitor needed more than a century to gather about 40 or so, using his inquisitorial contacts and all. A rogue trader claiming to have several untouchables onbard, and them not being PC's, is the GM scamming you). Also, don't try to do anything funny to their soul stones, I do remember an imperial gobernor who killed an eldar delegatioin to get the stones filled with those souls and fitted them in a necklace. Before a decade, the planet was in ruins and the aforementioned gobernor had been handed to the Harlequins to deliver at Commoragh. For some millennia of entertaining.

But my opinion is that you sealed your fate the moment you boarded those eldar frigates. Destroying them from a secure distance and plunder the wreckage would have been wiser, my friend ^^.

While I consider it pretty certain that the Eldars' buddies will find them (divination, anyone?), I don't think it's exactly certain they'll be able or willing to commit the ressources to make you pay. Just make sure you get them off your hands as soon as possible so an eventual rescue party has to deal with a few nobles on Malfi instead of you personally.

@Giaus

Rogue Traders explicitly have the right to deal in and with Xenos. And as long as it's only a few restrained slaves, most nobles are important enough for the Inquisition to turn a blind eye.

Wayfinder said:

If you're looking to sell, the Beast House (a criminal society of xenos slavers from the Dark Heresy background) is probably a good client. They're always looking for live xenos to use in their pit fights and live, intelligent xenos would be a huge draw. However, doing so puts you solidly on the wrong side of Imperial law... not to mention the eldar pathfinders hunting you down.

Alternatively, you could try to ransom them back to the eldar, who might be willing to give you a tidy collection of xenos artifacts in exchange for the lives of their fellows. You could then trade those xenos artifacts for profit and/or keep them. Probably easier to sell then live intelligence xenos and less likely to result in some pathfinder with a grudge.

You could keep them, but they don't make good crew and your own human crew ought to be very uncomfortable around them (probably a morale penalty if you kept them on board).

Finally, you could just execute them in some grand and public manner... wouldn't get you money (unless someone has a bounty out on eldar raiders) but it might secure you a reputation as a warrior against the Emperor's foes, which will be good for later deals with the Imperials.

Just as a stern reminder for us other GM´s out their:

What kind of ship/ship gimmicks do ya guys/gals have that one ship was able to make short work out of four to five eldar corsair ships?

Our crew actually found ourselves in a similar situation, except they were Dark Eldar slaves and only one ship. We ended up having to butcher 3/4th of them in order to get the rest under control long enough to fit them with explosive collars and force them into stasis chambers. Now when we perform planetary conquests, we can simply launch the stasis pods down unto the planet and let them roam to unleash havoc. (I know, we are evil, evil bastards )

The problem came in the equipment. Dark Eldar weapons and poisons we had taken ended up spreading several plagues across the ship, as well as inducing whole portions of the crew to start ritualisticly lacerating themselves. Our captain (me) took the Dark Eldar captain's sword on a series of failed willpower rolls. That sword's been nothing but trouble, constantly needing to be polished, tempting with strength and toughness bonuses... Eventually, upon entering the warp, the sword, which I have been unable to let go of, made me dead, writhing in agony as all of my blood vessels burst at once.

OOC, our GM was leaving and I was taking over so I wanted a nice exciting way to kill off my character.

The lessen learned was Eldar and Dark Eldar may be fun and easy to slaughter in combat, but they cause all sorts of trouble in the aftermath.

Option 1: Execute them . Saves trouble but does not net you any more Profit. Will definitely result in a vendetta.

Option 2: Ransom them . Propably the most tricky option but with the best RP/Plot potential. How do you make contact with Eldar and relay your proposal? If ( and this is a big IF ) the negotiations go smoothly, you might succeed in squeezing some prime Xenos tech as ransom.

Option 3: Sell them. Underground gangs and decadent nobility are prime targets. The problem is again finding the right contacts and keeping the prisoners safe and healthy until you find an agreeable buyer.

Option 4: Hand over to Imperial authorities . Imperial Navy and/or the Inquisition are always on the lookout for more intelligence on resident Xenos activity. You should be able to negotiate a suitable "finders fee" and net some good will as a bonus. Especially if the prisoners include officers or nobles.

Wayfinder said:

The Imperium of Man is nothing compared to the Empire of the Eldar at its peak, and the Eldar held that civilisation together unassailable for millions of years...

So, when an extinction-level metaphysical event comes knocking, and the Eldar still survive (albeit severely depleted in numbers), it demonstrates more than a little power and endurance.

As far as them finding you... the moment you start trying to sell, word will get out that there are captive Eldar for sale. Don't be surprised if you're subject to a string of assassination attempts after that. Enslaving their kin is not something the Eldar will take kindly to, and once word gets out, then it'll quickly find its way to the attention of an Eldar Seer... who will search the immaterium for signs of your passage, and set about events that will see you and all you hold dear burning in the depths of the void.

Be mindful of the wrath of the Eldar. The rage of man is but a child's tantrum to their anger. They are patient, they are cruel, and they are cunning, and they feel no remorse for the destruction of beings they deem to be little more than animals. If you think you know what they're capable of, then you're clearly either ill-informed or deluding yourself - stealth and misdirection paired with terrifyingly accurate prophecy are amongst the many tools the Eldar employ.

And that's if the 'slaves' don't wait for an opportunity to slit your throat. The natural Eldar lifespan is well over a thousand years. They're extremely patient. They're inhumanly fast, extremely perceptive, can communicate very subtly (you brought Untouchables? Fine... but it's difficult to stop their body language or whispered speech without gags and full-body restraints), and once captured, will possess a hatred of humanity so fierce and all-consuming that they will not stop until your heart beats its last...

One thing is what man might supply you with, a few PF or so, a simple gain, knowledge is power, and if any can then it is the eldar who might know or be able to find an STC, with the use of farseers, even if its a broken partialy function STC, the rewards the mechanicus might provide is far greater.

Propose to the eldar that they may go free in exchange of knowledge, and hope they dont just make an ambush .

Why not just treat them with respect, as honoured guests, before releasing them (free of charge) to their compatriots? They're Corsairs, not Dark Eldar, a human doing that sort of thing is likely to completely confuse them, opening up the possibility of a better relationship with the Corsair band... OK, you've just destroyed their ships and killed many of their friends, but you've revealed you're not a COMPLETE monster, and indeed shown you're someone not to be messed with...

After all, part of being a Rogue Trader is about having a certain style. It's more stylish to invite prisoners to a lavish dinner, treat them with deferential courtesy and then release them in a civilised manner to their kin than to sell them to slavers.

After all, as a wise man once said:-

The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
But mercy is above this sceptered sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute of God himself;
And earthly power doth then show like God's
When mercy seasons justice.

@Lightbringer: Mercy? Mercy!? Mercy is for the weak! This is the Grimdark we are talking about.

But seriously, that is an excellent idea ( kicks himself for not seeing this possibility ) . It would be something totally unexpected that would utterly confuse your opponents ( not to mention your allies ). Played right ( and consistently ) you can really build an epic reputation that precedes you. "Betray or defy me and I will grind everything you hold dear to dust. But if you are a worthy opponent I will offer you every courtesy ( while crushing you )". Think Kaiser Soce or Victor von Doom.

Also, some quality of mercy will move the whole discussion - mercifully - away from the rather creepy nature of the initial post.

Rakshasa said:

Thanks for Reminding, Rakshasa.

How about giving them to the crew "at their whim and will"? Will use up the slaves rather quick but might do wonders to boost the moral for a while...

...and we're back to abusing the "slaves" again! Why can't everyone just be NICE to their prisoners?!

Gregorius21778 said:

Bad idea. Think with the lower head, and you will end with some nasty sideffects. Like some sort of disease the eldar are inmunne but for humans is mortal. And with a long incubation time. And quite contagious. Whooops (double morale losses due to crew loss because of the plague).

I know I'm just enjoying how to torture this poor player, but I've always be a devious GM, with the motto "reap what you sow"