On Tue, 5 Oct 2004 den at monger.net wrote: @> > Not only did they reproduce sexually, their immortality was due to @> > continuous reincarnation. They were not physically immortal, just very @> > long-lived. (Whether that's an intentional reference by Brust or just a @> > coincidence... dunno.) @> @> IIRC, that's not quite correct. Elvish immortality wasn't due @> specifically to reincarnation. They could reincarnate and return if they @> were killed--Glorfindel from THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is an example of @> this--but if they didn't die by violence, they didn't die. Elves were @> not subject to natural aging or disease. According to the Letters, everything in Middle Earth (including Elves and Wizards) grows old over time and dies. I'd pull up a cite but I don't usually bring my copy to work. This is a pretty natural outgrowth of Tolkien's Catholicism (which is, of course, the underpinning for the entire enterprise). Disease I'm less sure about.