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".

Each hero comes from a different people. The Barbarian has traveled far from the savage north, a land of bitter cold and ferocious warriors. The Wizard hails from the cities of the Empire, the largest and most important of the realms of men. The Dwarf is drawn by the goldlust for which his race is famous. Dwarfs are grim and rather abrupt, but they are good fighters and loyal friends who remember debts of gratitude as readily as debts of coin. The Elf comes from the green woods of Loren where...

The Vampires of the Old World claim dominion over the mortal remains of all earthly creatures. To die is to surrender oneself to their power. Patient, cunning, devious, the Vampires work to conquer the lands of the living with ancient and corrupt sorcery. Should they succeed in their dreaded goals, the rays of the sun shall be forever suffocated by the night, and the age of men will be replaced by an age of the dead.