How old is Urien Rakarth?

So, here's a question: how old do you guys think the old fiend really is?

Do you think it's reasonable to believe he's as old as the Fall? (Or perhaps older still?)

Or is he maybe not nearly as ancient as he appears?

He is at least as old as the Horus Heresy because they hint to him and Bile meeting up and Bile finding techniques and information from him. Now I guess it may not be Urien but they mention a haemonculus (not in those words) from Commoragh and I am assuming it is him.

The language and insinuations make it seem like it was Urien and that Urien had been around for quite awhile.

I am of the belief that he is pre-fall. If any of the Haemonculi are that old then he would be a prime candidate, and like SCP Yeemen said, some of the language used for him seems to insinuate as much.

Hmm. I've seen the stuff in the DE dexes. Is this meeting in one of the HH books? Or some other source I missed? I'd like to check it out.

According to google, he was first in 3rd ed codex.... So about 17 years old. Heh heh heh
I'm a Death Jester today.

I think it is safe to say that he is older than the fall because the codex itself says so...

Page 52 wrote:

Ancient beyond mortal comprehension, Rakarth still dimly recalls that apocalyptic event [The Fall].

Mngwa wrote:

I think it is safe to say that he is older than the fall because the codex itself says so...

Page 52 wrote:

Ancient beyond mortal comprehension, Rakarth still dimly recalls that apocalyptic event [The Fall].

I wish they'd be more careful with their hyperbole.

I mean, how old are you, Mr. Rakarth?

U.R.: I am ancient beyond mortal comprehension!

Really? Like what, ten thousand years old?

U.R.: Um...

Because I'm mortal, and I'd say that's well within my comprehension. It's ten times ten times ten times ten. I can even count up to it, see: one... two... three... four...

U.R.: That won't be necessary.

And even if you were a million years old, I can still comprehend that. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's impressive. It's just not particularly difficult to understand.

U.R.: Beyond mortal comprehension!

I know, I know. It's just that we have the decimal system and everything...

U.R.: Fine! You want to know how old I am? I am fwooshty orange jellyfish old, that's how old I am!

What?

U.R.: Aha!

We can't get any specific age out of what the codex says, but based on him "dimly recalling that event" he should be at least as old as that. At least we don't have one source saying he is 500 years old, another saying 1000 and a third saying 70000 years.
And hey... you can't make a big evil scientist and not call him ancient whenever possible! That's like having Lelith and not mentioning how beautiful yet deadly she is every five seconds!

Barking Agatha wrote:

Mngwa wrote:

I think it is safe to say that he is older than the fall because the codex itself says so...

Page 52 wrote:

Ancient beyond mortal comprehension, Rakarth still dimly recalls that apocalyptic event [The Fall].

I wish they'd be more careful with their hyperbole.

I mean, how old are you, Mr. Rakarth?

U.R.: I am ancient beyond mortal comprehension!

Really? Like what, ten thousand years old?

U.R.: Um...

Because I'm mortal, and I'd say that's well within my comprehension. It's ten times ten times ten times ten. I can even count up to it, see: one... two... three... four...

U.R.: That won't be necessary.

And even if you were a million years old, I can still comprehend that. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's impressive. It's just not particularly difficult to understand.

U.R.: Beyond mortal comprehension!

I know, I know. It's just that we have the decimal system and everything...

U.R.: Fine! You want to know how old I am? I am fwooshty orange jellyfish old, that's how old I am!

What?

U.R.: Aha!

I will make it a point to quote this, somehow, in the future.

Nothing is as bad as GW's constant and maddening misuse of 'without peer'. According to them almost every unit is 'without peer', which isn't even possible.

Barking Agatha wrote:

Mngwa wrote:

I think it is safe to say that he is older than the fall because the codex itself says so...

Page 52 wrote:

Ancient beyond mortal comprehension, Rakarth still dimly recalls that apocalyptic event [The Fall].

I wish they'd be more careful with their hyperbole.

I mean, how old are you, Mr. Rakarth?

U.R.: I am ancient beyond mortal comprehension!

Really? Like what, ten thousand years old?

U.R.: Um...

Because I'm mortal, and I'd say that's well within my comprehension. It's ten times ten times ten times ten. I can even count up to it, see: one... two... three... four...

U.R.: That won't be necessary.

And even if you were a million years old, I can still comprehend that. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's impressive. It's just not particularly difficult to understand.

U.R.: Beyond mortal comprehension!

I know, I know. It's just that we have the decimal system and everything...

U.R.: Fine! You want to know how old I am? I am fwooshty orange jellyfish old, that's how old I am!

What?

U.R.: Aha!

Brilliant! He'd be properly annoyed. Great taunting. Are you secretly a Harlequin?

Oh and I think Rakarth is pre-Fall. One of the pleasure cult lot who helped bring it about.

I don't know why, but I've always assumed he was a child during the last days of the fall.

Jimsolo wrote:

I don't know why, but I've always assumed he was a child during the last days of the fall.

Now that'd be interesting fluff! Such horrors to have witnessed...

My personal headcanon is that Rakarth is secretly a Ynnead cultist. He's helping the CWE and the DE keep as many Eldar souls around as possible in order to awaken the Eldar God of the dead to destroy Slaanesh. At which point, of course, there will be an opening for the 'God of Pain' job, and a nearly-immortal, incredibly powerful applicant just waiting for his opportunity...

I'm not sure what GW are planning with their hints of a 40k End Times, but the Ynnead line is intriguing and it's been mentioned a few times as the new ending to The Dance Without End (if that makes sense) where Ynnead tricks Slaanesh into saving the Eldar. Rakarth could be stocking his larder for his own amusement, or he could have like you say, noble intentions having seen how She Who Thirsts has preyed on the Eldar for so long, it'd be his revenge. And a nice application for that job...

Dont tell me we are heading for an End Times too?

God, I hope not.

Probably not a fantasy style end times, no; but WE, the Eldar, have been moving towards an end times since the fall, and the 40k Plot has us held over a precipice we can't turn back from. The gates of Khaine are failing, and eventually irrevocable change will come. Whether that change will be the further damnation and eventual eradication of the Eldar and our transfer to Saanesh, or the salvation and redemption of all of our kind through Ynnead is what Rathian is discussing. If our three factions were to be rolled into one that's where it would be done. But I don't see that happening in the near future.

I don't see 40k ending. (Although if it does, lord, let it end with the removal of the Tyranids!)

Why exactly?

Why what?

Why especially the removal of the Tyraniden?

Lol, because I hate them.

10+ years of personal grudges, on top of the fact that they're a boring faction which add nothing to the game world. In addition, there was a long time where not every Nid player was a cheater, but every hardcore cheater I knew played nids.

The Tyrannids eat the Tau, we inherit the galaxy.

The fluff in the codex timelines at least point to cataclysm, but as amorrowlyday says, it probably won't come out in actual gaming terms. 40k is going great guns for GW, why ruin it?