Couple of things I wanted to address really quick that I see getting tossed around.
The only Kaldorei that know that Elune put those who burned alive in Teldrassil to sleep are the Kaldorei that burned alive. Obviously none of them survived to tell others of what Elune did.
Tyrande’s ascension was a bold move in demanding assistance from Elune but I wouldn’t say it’s the end of Kaldorei faith. People have made demands of gods before both in other stories, in WoW itself, and in real life if you subscribe to the idea of religion in real life.
The Sword is being dealt with by both the Cenarion Circle and the Earthern Ring and even has some of the bigger named members of each group present at the sword in Silithus along side Magni. The only big named member of either group not present that comes to mind is Malfurion. Which is fine, he’s busy finally fighting for his own people for once since WoW launched.
Ysera hadn’t had any important role in the current story at the time but her ascension into a constellation by Elune is not out of place or meaningless. It actually ties into the Night Warrior given that it’s stated that this side of Elune takes the valiant warriors who fall in battle and sets them soaring across the night sky as stars. Which is basically what she did with Ysera.
Also just for the sake of speculation we don’t know that there aren’t other races on other planets that also worship Elune. We have examples of Elune being worshiped by other races right on Azeroth in the form of Zandalari Balance Druids who worship her as a Loa under the Elu’nai.
There’s also the fact that some night elves in Warlords of Draenor set up a moonwell (which was able to charge up) and claim that Elune’s presence is strong in Shadowmoon Valley, with Draenor’s moon caught in its eternal eclipse over the valley.
Also some of the music files make reference to Elune in the SMV soundtrack.
I don’t think Elune’s power is limited solely to the White Lady moon of Azeroth.
Like it or not, that is EXACTLY what Tyrande does during that sequence. She may be the “Chosen” of Elune, but that doesn’t mean that she’s either submissive, or that she can’t be mightily torqued off over recent events, torqued off to have decided that she needed to approach things in a different way.
If you believed that Elune held the night elves in special regard, one would have cause to question how good a job she’s been doing. Not just Teldrassil, but that whole recent Scythe of Elune fiasco in Ashenvale comes to mind.
Elune is a deity of extremes it seems like. The Mother Moon aspect is strictly pacifistic and is able to prevent any combat where her gaze falls. The Night Warrior aspect is raw vengeance personified, the side of Elune that accepted flesh offerings in Desolace and took up the souls of her valiant devotees to ride with her in the stars.
It is almost best to consider them as two separate people in one body. Of the two Mother Moon seems to be the dominate one, but with the correct rituals one can directly beseech the Night Warrior.
Tyrande supplicated the night warrior, who responds to aggression. I would as such argue she had to be damning to be seen as worthy of the blessing she was looking for.
It might end her career as a healer. Now that she’s effectively a Shadow Priest. She also seems to have lost her Hunter abilities, including her animal companion.
I’m thinking further than that. To speak simply, she made herself into a hammer. In her state of mind, after recent events, all her problems conveniently seem as nails to her.
There is a possibility that she might go too far hammering nails at some point and take disputable actions that her allies may not approve. The Alliance could use a little internal strife… makes things interesting .
Then Blizzard should prepare for all the backlash they’ll get if they go that path.
Treating night elves like crap for over 10 years, then giving them the means to fight back only to have it backfire at them would be a carreer suicide.
I don’t get t his attitude. True the Nevles have been neglected since the end of WC3. ( Or worse, shown in a light that had nothing to do with the savage warriors they were in the 3rd war ) They are only now getting some actual genuine attention. Sure it’s not all roses and why should it be ? They are embattled, they show heroism and fight back, withoutmost of their allies mind you. People seem to demand that Tyrande snap her fingers and end the horde otherwise “she looks weak”. ( She did exactly that on a lesser scale in the DS scenario )
I am on record for saying that were it possible, I would burn Thunder Bluff to the ground myself if it meant the Tauren got the devellopement the Nelves are getting now. I don’t need the Tauren to dominate all their enemies and always be righteous, I just want what happens to them to matter like it does for the Night Elves currently.
Having Tyrande struggle with her bloodlust would just make her more real and less of a demi-god Deus-Ex and besides the Nelves could use a ferocity overdose. They’ve been depicted as tree hippies for far too long.
I actually wonder if demanding is the key to success in the ritual.
Perhaps previous attempts involved going to Elune as a supplicant, and they were deemed unworthy due to the very nature of how they requested the power.
Tyrande stepped up to her goddess as a warrior prepared to demand what she wanted, and thus it was granted.
Absolutely! It would fit with her going over the line ( since the Tauren don’t deserve that ) and give the blizzard’s writing team an excellent reason to do something with a misrepresented and poorly understood part of the Horde faction. ( the Tauren )
If the Nelves were savage guerilla fighters in WC3, the Tauren were a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, even in small numbers. WoW is depicting them as far too passive. ( thanks Baine )
Something needs to give to really make them justice… but I’m getting way off topic here.