why are the eldar dying ???

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**garret**

I know why. Have you ever seen the armor there wearing it crushes there junk.
but i thinks its because the birth to death ratio is off balance.
meaning more die then are born
this is probably because of war

**Nofasse 'Eadhunta**

They're dying because I eat them.

**Exarch_Nektel**

Nofasse 'Eadhunta wrote:They're dying because I eat them.

What you don't realize is that that is their plan. Soon, millions of them will explode out of you and their race will be reborn. All through the sacrifice of your soul.

**Paul Atreides**

Exarch_Nektel wrote:
Paul Atreides wrote: I read alittle piece of fluff where they mentioned an exarch manning a wraithGuard.

Don't the souls of exarchs Stay in the Spirit Stone of the Exarch's armor and mix with the soul of the armor's new wearer?

O gawd. You are right. But seriously, I'll just quote the 3rd edition eldar codex to show what I meant

Eldar codex with blue back and cover, page 40, Iyanna Arienal, spiritseer of Iyanden.

... Arienal knew this spirit well. His name was Althenian, an exarch of the fire dragons who had fallen at the battle of two hundred pyres. Even in death, althenian was eager to serve the craftworld as he had been in life...

...With a heartfelt sigh, Arienal stood (cradling the spritstone) and started walking to the chamber where the shells of the Wraithguard awaited their spirits.

So yes, it is a big miss in the fluff, but I am innocent!

I am glad you noticed really.

**Railguns**

I'm pretty sure that is just in regards to the phoenix lords, I've never read anything about exarch spirit stones remaining in the armors to mix with new ones, who would happen to have their own stones in the first place. I have that old codex too.

**Nofasse 'Eadhunta**

Exarch_Nektel wrote:
Nofasse 'Eadhunta wrote:They're dying because I eat them.

What you don't realize is that that is their plan. Soon, millions of them will explode out of you and their race will be reborn.

Then I'll just eat them again.

**Fafnir**

Railguns wrote:I'm pretty sure that is just in regards to the phoenix lords, I've never read anything about exarch spirit stones remaining in the armors to mix with new ones, who would happen to have their own stones in the first place. I have that old codex too.

Current Eldar codex, pages 10 and 11.

**Che-Vito**

covenant84 wrote:It's the pointy ears. Seriously, would anyone sleep with anyone with pointy ears and risk having a pointy eared freak for a kid (no offense to any elves out there!).

Immortal beauty? I could put up with a pair of pointy ears...

**Carlovonsexron**

Grunt13 wrote:There really is not a no good fluff explanation why eldar populations are on a continued decline. Craftworld Eldar live the most protected lives in 40K, they can predict the future and have technology and warriors that surpass that of their competitors.

Exodites are maintaining their populations – and might be increasing, dark eldar are exposed to much more dangers then craftworld eldar between countinuous fighting/pirating, callous commanders throwing their lives away on the battlefield, and the murders that occur in commanarh (SP) so they must be breeding or are rapidity running out of warriors.

Apparently Craftworld eldar are like the panda bears of 40K. It would defiantly in their species best interest if they breed more, but for some unknown reason they don’t seem interested.

I don’t think Slannesh is preventing reproduction. CE can enjoy a nice meal, admire art work, read a interesting book, and perform other activities of self-gratification as long as they don’t make a vice out of it, that includes having a healthy sex life – or at the very least mating occasionally in order to maintain the species. Also I don’t think breeding requires a stock eldar souls on standby – it’s a decent explanation considering the fluff black hole surrounding the issue, but it just doesn’t sound right to me.

The declining CE birth rate is one of the large logical inconsistencies in 40K. Eldar are one of the most successful species in 40K; they are protected against predation, disease, and accidents, have plenty of resources and habitation. Eldar populations should be gradually increasing not declining.

Side notes: In that alien anatomy book GWS published it suggested that eldar required repeated mating in order to produce offspring.

I also remember reading somewhere that it takes eldar children a few hundred years to reach adulthood.

This is the vibe i've personally gotten from what I've read, in particuler the part about the exodites, and how some eldar look upon them with 'hope' for their species. The only reason for the Eldar to have Hope in the Exodites is if they have populations that are rising at a healthy rate, at least compared to what the Eldar craft worlds are experiencing. I'd say the Eldar are "dying' in the same sense that US cities are "dying"- big demographic shifts outside the old craftworlds into the more wild untamed worlds that dont really interact with the wider galaxy at all.

But still, I'd like to see this sort of thing resolved by GW in a manner that once and for all will cast away the shackle of being space elves.

**hardrockfreak1337**

Hobgoblyn wrote:Species that have longer lifespans tend to breed more infrequently than those with short lifespans and longer genestation periods. That is just simple, basic biology.

So any species that can live for thousands of years is going to have a very low birth rate to counter it. Unfortunately for the Eldar, they are not dying infrequently due to non-natural causes, but their biology is still geared towards being born infrequently.

So the race is dying out faster than it can be reborn.

If it weren't for the fact that Eldar don't reproduce like normal biological creatures. But it is otherwise perfectly reasonable.

1)During the time that Slaneesh was created the Eldar Goddes of fertility was slain.

2)The Eldar reincarnated. Because they live so long, the time it takes to draw up enough life energy to create a new Eldar spirit is very long. This wasn't a problem because of their fast rate of reincarnation.

3)It became a problem when Slaneesh begane to devour the souls as they passed before they could reincarnate.

4)The Eldar now use the infinity matrix to capture such spirits to protect them from the New chaos god. But by using the infinity circuit the prevent the souls from being reborn. (It is also thought that the Life energy for new spirits is gathered by those who have passed before they themselves return.)This last part is iffy but the rest is, I'm fairly sure, in the fluff.

Could not have said it better myself.

This thread has devolved into Eldar bashing. I feel sorry for the victim of this heinous thread-jacking.