Black blood elves are confirmed 💁🏾‍♀️ (and other race customizations)

[Itoldyouso-illidan]

…
Maybe i’ll go alliance…

[Gnomest-sargeras (Gnomest)]

More Draenei found now. I think they are doing Draenei next.

[Balesong-argent-dawn (Balesong)]

I like the new darker blue skintone for Draenei.

[Hecatone-burning-legion (Hecatone)]

I think they just finished it.

[Gnomest-sargeras (Gnomest)]

New Night Elf Character Customization Options in Shadowlands Including Tattoos

Yes. I just saw that. Still eager to see the ones for goblins and gnomes.

[Itoldyouso-illidan]

Gnomes get to be dark meat. 8D

I will say the new colors for dranei and night elves is making me contemplate a race swap.

So many choices…

[Xaolio-wyrmrest-accord (Xaolio)]

You can assume any sort of pigment change doesn’t make sense, despite lore stating otherwise.

Orcs drinking demon blood and being changed by the fel essences latent within is the explanation. Later the exposure to Fel energies. (Goes from Green, to Reds and dark purples.) All show the corrupting power of Fel magic on a mortal being.
Quel’dorei came to being after migrating from the Well of Eternity and exposure to the Sunwell they created. Their newfound homeland and magical use changed them from ther night elven forms to a change more fitting for their environment.

Dark skin has always been an adaptive trait of survival for humans. Seeing Humans, Gnomes, and Dwarves with dark skin isn’t unfathomable since they’re present in areas or environments where such skin tones would be beneficial. (Tanari Humans, Sand Gnomes, Mountain Dwarves & historical exploration)

Orcs display this perfectly as their Mag’har selves have Dark skin. The colors being brighter or dark depending on where they come from. Trolls as well with Zul’farrak and their changes of skin tones on their environment.

But for elves? Who’ve not lived in areas where their skin tone would be an adaptive trait to develop for survival? It just doesn’t resonate well. Night Elves and their skin tones are great for camouflage since they often dwell heavily shaded lands, and areas that their skin tones would blend in. (Ashenvale and Teldrassil) – Nightborne adopted skin tones resonant of violet for their complete reliance on the Nightwell.

But for a Blood Elf? Who’s race is depicted to have isolated themselves to their own kingdom? Who’s skin tones were much more fair and lost semblence of their Highborne heritage?

In the end, this is purely a cosmetic choice with no real weight on lore. Blizzard would need to add a ton of dark skinned elves to make them work and blend in well. Hell, add new lore such as perhaps heavy use of the Sunwell and sun exposure can cause a new adaptation. – Something or anything to clarify and feel fitting.

[Aferan-moon-guard]

Sure a Belf could get hella dark just by being out at sea for a while. We’ve seen them have ships before

[Wynthar-wyrmrest-accord]

The belief that there needs to be some reason to have a darker character is problematic.

[Xaolio-wyrmrest-accord (Xaolio)]

In what way, exactly? Simply asking why something would exist isn’t problematic. We asked this ourselves in the real world and there is hard science to back it up.

There’s reasons why humans would have it. Its an adaptive trait and its constantly shown through World of Warcraft. Darker skinned humans herald from both Stranglethorn Vale and Tanaris. As well as Uldum. Blizzard hasn’t shied away from making these examples so they feel fitting in the world. Skin colors detail what and where we herald from.

Why should Blood Elves be different? I’m simply asking for development since its entirely a new addition to Quel’dorei heritage. To create a new blood elf with dark skin, and walk through Silvermoon and see naught a single character with the same complexion would be as jarring as one can imagine.

[Liotuse-wyrmrest-accord (Liotuse)]

In the end, this is purely a cosmetic choice with no real weight on lore.

exactly and that’s fine because it doesn’t “damage” anything

Blizzard would need to add a ton of dark skinned elves to make them work and blend in well. Hell, add new lore such as perhaps heavy use of the Sunwell and sun exposure can cause a new adaptation.

“they were there the whole time you just didn’t see it, look here’s a new prominent Sin’dorei character that uses these new customization options and other blood elf characters in lore recognize from back in the day”

[Wynthar-wyrmrest-accord]

I’m going to steal words from someone else.

Basically, it…

would actually defeat Blizzard’s own purpose to add a lore explanation, because they want the players (who use these diverse options) to not feel separated by lore from the rest of their in-game brethren.

They want a dark blood elf player to feel every bit as much an heir to the legacy of Quel’thalas history as the pale looking ones would, not like some weird spin-off who needs to be explained. They want a black or asian looking human of Stormwind to feel every bit as much an heir to the history of Stormwind as the standard, european looking humans do, not some weird spin-off that needs to be explained.

[Xaolio-wyrmrest-accord (Xaolio)]

They want a dark blood elf player to feel every bit as much an heir to the legacy of Quel’thalas history as the pale looking ones would, not like some weird spin-off who needs to be explained. They want a black or asian looking human of Stormwind to feel every bit as much an heir to the history of Stormwind as the standard, european looking humans do, not some weird spin-off that needs to be explained.

This explanation is outdated and ignores what has already been established. Black Looking humans already have an origin to explain where they herald from. They’re still within Stormwind’s reach and lie their allegiance to the crown. Stormwind became one of the few bastions of humanity left standing where refugees of many other kingdoms have become a part of Stormwind. Lordaeran, Gilneas, Alterac, and any others I’m not accounting for had vastly different kinds of human origins.
The types of humans we’ll be getting in Shadowlands all have an origin that has been implied or depicted in the game already but were not shown due to the lack of Customization options.

A lore explanation CAN defeat the purpose of inclusion if it adds a whole new group of elves into the mix. Creating a whole new group of people out of the blue that always been there is jarring. – But if we look at the Blood Elves’ strengths in magic. Take into account that their bodies change on what magic they use, infuse, or what circumstances they have been exposed to.

Blood Elves can utilize their emphasis on the Eternal sun and magically adapt with darker skin. Finding uses of the Sun, the Sunwell, and their bodies as channels. In the end, it’d be a cosmetic choice but would not betray the heritage they lay claim to. It would use the race’s strengths to explain why a new skin pigment may be gained.

We’ve seen skin and eye colors change through different circumstances. This would still fit lore, not add any arbitrary or segregating lore, and still make it all fitting into the story.

[Sernius-garrosh]

Why do I watch creepy things when I know the things are creepy?

[Wynthar-wyrmrest-accord]

Any lore excuse implies that a dark skinned elf is different from the status quo and needs to be explained.

[Liotuse-wyrmrest-accord (Liotuse)]

anybody know why night elves have mohawks

[Itoldyouso-illidan]

and magically adapt with darker skin

Or just get a tan…
You don’t need lore for a tan.
You go outside.
Stand in the sun.
And get skin cancer.

[Wynthar-wyrmrest-accord]

would not betray the heritage they lay claim to.

Dark skin existing betrays no heritage.

[Liotuse-wyrmrest-accord (Liotuse)]

I didn’t even catch that part properly in that post.

whew

[Wynthar-wyrmrest-accord]

I skipped passed it the first time because wall of bloviation.