The name "Eldar" comes from J.R.R. Tolkien's elves, who in their own language were called "the Eldar". The history of the Eldar in Warhammer 40,000 mimics that of Tolkien's elves, to the point that they are a "dwindling race" in the game universe, as the elves were in Middle-earth's Third Age. Incidentally, GW has actually copyrighted the term "Eldar".

Gotrek & Felix arrive back to the southern coast of the Old World to discover that the orcs are running rampant. With the Empire’s armies desperately fighting off a major Chaos invasion further inland, the lands are laid bare. To honour an ancient pledge, Gotrek agrees to help a dwarf prince reclaim his hold from the savage greenskin invaders who have overrun it, but the intrepid heroes find more than they bargain for in the cold depths of the mountains.

Pursued by the dark forces of the necromancer Heinrich Kemmler, Gotrek and Felix arrive at Castle Reikgard, where they must hold out against the zombie hordes.The brutality of the siege is unremitting as wave after wave of horrific creatures, led by the undead champion Krell, attempt to take the walls. With supplies running low and morale sinking, the defenders begin to hear terriblewhispers and endure awful nightmares. Suspicion and paranoia run rampant within the castle walls, and the defence...