Dying Race: Difference between revisions

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This may be for any of a number of reasons. It may be caused by [[Creative Sterility]] - or it may cause it. It could be the result of a [[Depopulation Bomb]] or [[Gendercide]]. Sometimes the race is almost [[Immortality|immortal]], and thus suffers from the [[Immortal Procreation Clause]]. The race may live in a time that's [[Just Before the End]]. They could be dying out because another race has [[Gotta Kill Them All]]; if ''humanity'' is the target, it's [[Kill All Humans]].

Whatever the reason is, the dying out may be viewed as a tragedy, because someone appreciates the [[Uniqueness Value]] of the [[Dying Race]] and so regards them as an [[Endangered Species]].

Whatever the reason is, the dying out may be viewed as a tragedy, because someone appreciates the [[Uniqueness Value]] of the '''Dying Race''' and so regards them as an [[Endangered Species]].

Sometimes the race will be trying to save themselves. This might lead to [[Only You Can Repopulate My Race]]. If they accept their fate, they may want to [[Fling a Light Into the Future]].

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== Tabletop Games ==

* Craftworld Eldar from ''[[Warhammer 40000]]''. The Dark Eldar, meanwhile, use mass cloning and [[Uterine Replicator~~|Uterine Replicators~~]] to replenish their numbers and avert this.

* Craftworld Eldar from ''[[Warhammer 40000]]''. The Dark Eldar, meanwhile, use mass cloning and [[Uterine Replicator]]s to replenish their numbers and avert this.

** In regular [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], the Elves are dying off due to the various catastrophes that have hit them over the millennia. Dark Elves, again, don't seem to have this problem (presumably they breed at least fast enough to make up the numbers from their sacrifices). Dwarves are also dying, and have stayed in decline since the destruction of their greatest kingdoms<ref> Not at all helped by their obsession with grudges that constantly cause them to go from one war to the next</ref>.

** In regular [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], the Elves are dying off due to the various catastrophes that have hit them over the millennia. Dark Elves, again, don't seem to have this problem (presumably they breed at least fast enough to make up the numbers from their sacrifices). Dwarves are also dying, and have stayed in decline since the destruction of their greatest kingdoms.<ref>Not at all helped by their obsession with grudges that constantly cause them to go from one war to the next</ref>

* "[[Dying Race]]" (by that exact name) is a racial disadvantage in ''[[GURPS]] Aliens'': "For whatever reason, the race's death rate has exceeded the birth rate. If this trend isn't reversed, the race will be extinct in a few generations."

* "Dying Race" (by that exact name) is a racial disadvantage in ''[[GURPS]] Aliens'': "For whatever reason, the race's death rate has exceeded the birth rate. If this trend isn't reversed, the race will be extinct in a few generations."

** The Jarrel in ''[[GURPS]] Aliens'' have it. However, they are trying to recover and start growing again.

** It was eliminated on 4e on charges of not actually being disadvantageous. You can still simulate it by taking other disadvantages, you'd just ''actually have to earn your points.''

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* Dwarves of the [[Forgotten Realms]] may or may not be this trope, depending on which products you credence. Some of the 2E products suggest that dwarf males may be marrying human women (and breeding true) as a counter to their own race's slow birth rate and scarcity of females.

* In "B4: The Lost City", an early D&D adventure, the weird underground humans of Cynedicea are this trope.

* The Doreen, Kraken and Scurrilans from ''[[Fifty Fathoms]]''. The Doreen habitats were destroyed by the recent apocalypse, the Kraken were hit hard by first said apocalypse and by the [[Big Bad~~|Big Bads~~]] later. There have never been more than 200 Scurrilans, and Scurrilans don't get along with anyone, even each other.

* The Doreen, Kraken and Scurrilans from ''[[Fifty Fathoms]]''. The Doreen habitats were destroyed by the recent apocalypse, the Kraken were hit hard by first said apocalypse and by the [[Big Bad]]s later. There have never been more than 200 Scurrilans, and Scurrilans don't get along with anyone, even each other.

== Video Games ==

* The [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Krogan]] from ''[[Mass Effect]]'' due to the "genophage", a biological weapon that reduces the number of live krogan births to a fraction of its normal level. This actually turns out to be carefully tuned to keep their population stabilized rather than to cause extinction; because krogans are from a [[Death World]], they're [[Explosive Breeder~~|Explosive Breeders~~]] ''and'' live [[We Are as Mayflies|around a thousand years]] (if nothing kills them first). This meant that their population ''exploded'' once removed from their natural ~~environment -- until~~ the genophage leveled things out. Given that krogans are almost universally [[Blood Knight~~|Blood Knights~~]] who are fond of [[We Have Reserves]], their culture hasn't quite caught up with their new biology yet.

* The [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Krogan]] from ''[[Mass Effect]]'' due to the "genophage", a biological weapon that reduces the number of live krogan births to a fraction of its normal level. This actually turns out to be carefully tuned to keep their population stabilized rather than to cause extinction; because krogans are from a [[Death World]], they're [[Explosive Breeder]]s ''and'' live [[We Are as Mayflies|around a thousand years]] (if nothing kills them first). This meant that their population ''exploded'' once removed from their natural environment—until the genophage leveled things out. Given that krogans are almost universally [[Blood Knight]]s who are fond of [[We Have Reserves]], their culture hasn't quite caught up with their new biology yet.

** It actually becomes a plot point in the second game, as Mordin's loyalty mission is rescuing a former colleague of his who is working to cure the genophage so that the krogan can breed again. Mordin reveals over the course of this mission that the krogan were adjusting to the genophage and their numbers were increasing again, so the salarians put the genophage on them ''again'' to control their numbers. The genophage causes only 1 in 1000 babies to be born alive. You do have the option to save the genophage's data at the end of the mission, though.

*** The third game makes curing the genophage a plot point. You can either do exactly that, or sabotage the effort. {{spoiler|If both Wrex and Eve are alive, it's hinted that their stabilizing influence will keep the Krogan from becoming a threat to the universe if you cure the genophage. If either or both are dead, then it's strongly suggested that the Krogan Rebellions are going to start up again if you give them the cure.}}