This can't be completely true, since the Elves that remained in the old world are supposed to be around most of the heavily forested areas, even ignoring Athel Loren entirely as uncontactable. Laurelorn and other Elves are definitely present the entire time, and would have had contact with both the pre-norscans and the tribes that eventually became the empire for several thousand years.

Similarly, they will have encountered at least some Druchii raiding parties across the north/west coasts at some point, surely?

So my nitpick there is the *Asur* walked out of the pages of dwarfen history.
Yes, I should have said "The Asur".

As a question, what's the date you're thinking for when the elves made contact with the empire/proto empire?
The Asur returned to the (northern) Old World in 2001 IC when Finubar began his famous voyage. As for elves in general, as you say, they probably would have encountered elves in limited capacity before Sigmar was even born, though these encounters would have consisted of Eonir killing anyone encroaching on Laurelorn, Orion's Wild Hunt and/or Druchii slave raids.
 
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There are apparently several minor unaligned elven settlements hidden in the Empire and Border Princes that are the (extraordinarily stubborn) remnants of ancient survivors from the Golden Age that the dwarves and later other enemies didn't find.

Presumably they have very good magical wards, and probably usually travelled disguised when they did venture away from home.
 
There are apparently several minor unaligned elven settlements hidden in the Empire and Border Princes that are the (extraordinarily stubborn) remnants of ancient survivors from the Golden Age that the dwarves and later other enemies didn't find.

Presumably they have very good magical wards, and probably usually travelled disguised when they did venture away from home.
They are also exceedingly small. Elves being elves, they can just sustain isolated communities for thousands and thousands of years without inbreeding becoming an issue, and all of the big ones would have either been hunted down, or picked a fight and were destroyed.

Like, of those hidden settlements, very few if any of them would probably breach the triple digit population line. Most of them would look something like "local noble evacuated his family and servants to his hunting lodge deep in the forests" or "hunter comes back to the colony after a long trip into the woods, sees the city aflame and the people being slaughtered by dwarfs, saves a couple of the refugees fleeing from the city and leads them to hide in the wilderness, eventually they settle down and form a small settlement".
 
Who knows? But if they were the type you would easily run into, well, they wouldn't still be standing 3800 years later.
True, and I did add "eventually", meaning run into them by chance or something, not easily I assure you.

Also, if those said settlements are found hypothetically, can they be convinced to return to Ulthuan's fold? Compared to the Elves of Athel Loren and Laurelorn Forest, those Elf settlements might be convinced to reconnect with their homeland.
 
True, and I did add "eventually", meaning run into them by chance or something, not easily I assure you.

Also, if those said settlements are found hypothetically, can they be convinced to return to Ulthuan's fold? Compared to the Elves of Athel Loren and Laurelorn Forest, those Elf settlements might be convinced to reconnect with their homeland.
If they wanted to return to Ulthuan they've certainly had the opportunity to. Again, if they've remained there for 3800 years, there's probably a reason for that.
 
They are also exceedingly small. Elves being elves, they can just sustain isolated communities for thousands and thousands of years without inbreeding becoming an issue, and all of the big ones would have either been hunted down, or picked a fight and were destroyed.

Like, of those hidden settlements, very few if any of them would probably breach the triple digit population line. Most of them would look something like "local noble evacuated his family and servants to his hunting lodge deep in the forests" or "hunter comes back to the colony after a long trip into the woods, sees the city aflame and the people being slaughtered by dwarfs, saves a couple of the refugees fleeing from the city and leads them to hide in the wilderness, eventually they settle down and form a small settlement".
Though the 3,800 years thing cuts both ways. Even a very small community could become much larger in that sort of time period, though that would be dependent on them actually having an above replacement fertility rate.
 
I'm for some reason am imagining short ass elf's in overalls with pickaxes, and singing…

IM AN ELF AND IM DIGGING HOLE, DIGGY, DIGGY HOLE, IM DIGGING HOLE!!!
 
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Though the 3,800 years thing cuts both ways. Even a very small community could become much larger in that sort of time period, though that would be dependent on them actually having an above replacement fertility rate.
Yes, but the communities that grew much larger probably drew attention to themselves and died.

The OId World is full of creatures that want elves dead- not the least of which are humans.
 
Though that does get me thinking, why is Asur fertility so low despite them having so much more time to have children as well as apparently having a gestation period that's no longer and no more difficult than the human one?
 
Doylist: it is part of the Elves' hat.
Watsonian: it is kinda ingrained for them, both culturally and physiologically. Which makes sense if the lifespan of a life form is very long (not counting the 10,000 additional causes of death in Warhammerworld).
Watsonian II: the Great Vortex has a heavy negative influence. That's why in CK2 you get depopulation everywhere in Ulthuan (although not in Lothern, strangely)
 
Doylist: it is part of the Elves' hat.
Watsonian: it is kinda ingrained for them, both culturally and physiologically. Which makes sense if the lifespan of a life form is very long (not counting the 10,000 additional causes of death in Warhammerworld).
Watsonian II: the Great Vortex has a heavy negative influence. That's why in CK2 you get depopulation everywhere in Ulthuan (although not in Lothern, strangely)
That's the thing, the questions I asked Blackout suggest that it's not more difficult for elves to have children than humans, physiologically speaking. Fanriel can also have children in her third century, so its not that elves have a human length fertility window either.
 
Furthemore, the Druchii and Asrai don't seem to have that problem. Given that the firsts live in a mostly cold and desolate land while the seconds live in little villages hidden in the woods, the fact they have more children than the Asurs (who live in a paradise) is a bit strange.
 
That's the thing, the questions I asked Blackout suggest that it's not more difficult for elves to have children than humans, physiologically speaking. Fanriel can also have children in her third century, so its not that elves have a human length fertility window either.
Well, Tolkien mentions how having children for Elves is not that simple, because they have to put in a significant part of their fea, i.e. it takes a significant effort on the part of their souls. I guess this logic can be transported to the Elves of Mallus well enough.
(To have more details on this phenomenon from the Silmarillion: It's part of the reason why having Feanor was so tiring, and why there are no Feanor-siblings running around in the First Age. Later, Feanor & wife were uncharacteristically prolific, so they had Maedhros, Maeglor, Curufin and a couple of others I do not remember, but they were both uniquely fiery indivuals, and thus explicitly an exception.)

Furthemore, the Druchii and Asrai don't seem to have that problem. Given that the firsts live in a mostly cold and desolate land while the seconds live in little villages hidden in the woods, the fact they have more children than the Asurs (who live in a paradise) is a bit strange.
The aforementioned paradise has a gigantic radioactive vortex rotating all over it. So Druchii and Asrai have the maximum number of children Elves can get, and they are around replacement rate (ironically, the Druchii may have a slightly higher rate, but also have more losses reaving/defending the Watchtowers/going to Ultuhan to kill Asur/murdering each other/whathaveyou).
 
Well, Tolkien mentions how having children for Elves is not that simple, because they have to put in a significant part of their fea, i.e. it takes a significant effort on the part of their souls. I guess this logic can be transported to the Elves of Mallus well enough.
(To have more details on this phenomenon from the Silmarillion: It's part of the reason why having Feanor was so tiring, and why there are no Feanor-siblings running around in the First Age. Later, Feanor & wife were uncharacteristically prolific, so they had Maedhros, Maeglor, Curufin and a couple of others I do not remember, but they were both uniquely fiery indivuals, and thus explicitly an exception.)


The aforementioned paradise has a gigantic radioactive vortex rotating all over it. So Druchii and Asrai have the maximum number of children Elves can get, and they are around replacement rate (ironically, the Druchii may have a slightly higher rate, but also have more losses reaving/defending the Watchtowers/going to Ultuhan to kill Asur/murdering each other/whathaveyou).

Is that second point actually true or just headcanon?
 
You mean, the Vortex? Or the Druchii having a slightly higher-than-replacement rate?

The Vortex's existence is canon, although my source for it contributing to Ulthuan's depopulation is just CK2 and general WH lore, so I am only mostly sure. The second point is a reasonable deduction from the setting.
Just consider how destructive is Naggaroth, with the yearly murder-nights in Har Ganeth in honor of Khaine, the punishing climate, the monsters like Hydras&co., the fact that the Druchii are second only to the Skaven in backstabbing, the dangers of killing and maiming during raiding, the battle lines against the lower Chaos Wastes at the Watchtowerrs... and the newest campaigns against Ulthuan by Malekith.
 
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(To have more details on this phenomenon from the Silmarillion: It's part of the reason why having Feanor was so tiring, and why there are no Feanor-siblings running around in the First Age. Later, Feanor & wife were uncharacteristically prolific, so they had Maedhros, Maeglor, Curufin and a couple of others I do not remember, but they were both uniquely fiery indivuals, and thus explicitly an exception.)

Feanor and Nerdanel (his wife) had seven sons. Wich according to the Silmarillion it is the highest number of children ever had by an elven couple in the history of Arda.
 
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