Sin’dorei and the Quel’dorei are linked to the Sunwell, so they have all been getting juiced up on arcane and holy energy for years. In theory they should all have golden eyes, yes. At the very least everyone who is not a warlock or otherwise working/exposed to fel energies should be cleared of the fel taint that made their eyes green.
Void Elves however, are now severed from the well, as they are quite mutated from what occurred to them. It is one of the arguably good things about being a void elf, they are not reliant on an external fount of power that can be destroyed.
(Commentary): Indeed, which is one of the reasons I felt Blood Elves would’ve gotten blue eyes. Considering High Elves aren’t getting them, that only further supports an evolution on a biological level on the part of the Blood Elves. After all, High Elves were known previously to have all sorts of eye colors, and glowing eyes is a development more seen in Blood Elves.
It’s also important to note that it’s the schism between them that is the cause of difference in their Culture. Blood Elves don’t even think of High Elves as their own people anymore nor do High Elves think of themselves as Blood Elves.
This is Important in defining each as their own people, in Lore and in Game.
High Elves won’t call themselves Blood Elves and Blood Elves won’t call themselves High Elves.
This is not entirely correct. Both Sin’dorei and the Quel’dorei have a connection to the Sunwell but only those who directly draw from the Sunwell get the exposure necessary for changing their eyes.
In Lor’themar’s short story, it tells how the exiled High Elves can still feel the connection but can’t feed directly from it, so the rejuvenated Sunwell eases their addiction only but doesn’t cure them as it has the Blood Elves…
It really, really doesn’t, because that’s not how biological evolution works. Biological evidence requires procreation, not a mutation due to exposure to radiation or whatever.
For example, if I am exposed to too much UV over my life and develop darker skin, I have not “evolved” in the biological sense. You could, however, say that my appearance has evolved in the colloquial sense.
You’re referring to evolution on a biological and metaphysical level. I don’t know what the latter even means, so I can’t comment on it. On a biological level, evolution cannot occur within a single generation. It is by definition impossible.
Edit: I think you are using the word “evolve/evolution” when you mean “mutate/mutation.”
Further edit: It is possible that the Blood Elves could have acquired a mutation that makes it impossible for them to have blue eyes, and if they then passed on that trait to their offspring, I suppose you could describe that as a sort of evolution, though obviously not through natural selection.
In any case, I am pretty sure that Ion was using the term colloquially, as in their story has evolved so that blue eyes don’t make sense. If he meant that they had biologically evolved, then he was wrong because biological evolution cannot, by definition, occur without procreation.
(Commentary): The Void Elves would beg to differ. As stated, with elves, magic acts as a catalyst which subverts the need for generations. As for metaphysical, I use the term to describe the magical aspect of an elf’s existence. Think of it as the reason they suffer magic addiction, because their metaphysical selves have developed a need for it. Magic isn’t quite a physical thing, usually. Mind you this is my personal headcanon, so feel free to dismiss, ‘metaphysical,’ as even being a thing.
(Commentary): Again, when it comes to elves, magic subverts what we know, which is appropriate as this is a fantasy game after all. There are, “High Elves,” who were alive during the Highborne Empire, after all. Would they be Night Elves still because generations hadn’t passed between them and modern High Elves? Lorash’s mother was stated to have been killed when the Scourge destroyed Quel’Thalas in the Third War, and had also been one of the Highborne exiled from Kalimdor.
(Commentary): Again, please see the fact that some High Elves as of the Third War (Lorash’s mother) were formerly Kaldorei Highborne. Generations had not passed between those individuals and becoming High Elves.
No, you’re not understanding. The word evolution, when used in the biological sense, has a specific meaning. If you define it any other way, then you are not talking about biological evolution. If you want to call it magical evolution then that is fine, but you can’t have it both ways.
You were insisting on referring to biological evolution. Blood Elf eye colour did not evolve in a biological sense. It was caused by what appears to be some kind of magical radiation.
Therefore they did not evolve, in the biological sense of the word.
(Commentary): This seems to be an attempt to circumvent the director’s words, and everything we know of elves in general. Although I suppose if you’re this gung-ho about applying real world definitions and standards of evolution to a fantasy genre, you must really hate Pokemon games.
The only time we’ve ever known elves to change in a single generation on a physical level is when old gods literally mutated them. Not even fel magic changed the blood elves so much.
It seemed like you were trying to apply a real world definition to justify interpreting Ion’s words in a way that suited your argument. I am simply pointing out that the word you are using does not mean what you think it does.
I enjoy pokemon. I am also quite aware that it uses the term “evolve” in the colloquial rather than technical sense. I can assure you what happens when a Pikachu transforms into a Raichu is also not biological evolution.
(Commentary): One can point out the change is on a biological level, however. Physically, a Raichu and a Pikachu are not the same thing, and indeed, as of yet, there is no way for a Raichu to re-acquire the physical traits and characteristics of a Pikachu. This is something Ion had stated we’ve seeing with Blood Elves, evolving in such a way, and losing traits they once had.
Change on a biological level =/= evolution. For example, I started out as a single cell. I can assure you that I have since changed in a profound way, biologically. I did not evolve. I grew.
You are talking about physical mutations. Physical mutations are not considered to transform species in a fundamental way unless they happen at a genetic level and spread throughout a population, typically through a process of natural selection. Edit: I suppose in this setting you could just say that a species was magically altered into another because magic (e.g. elves, naga) but, again, that’s not evolution.
You seem to be interpreting Ion’s words to mean that the Blood Elves have, through exposure to magic, evolved into a new…species? Race? (I am hesitant to use the word “race” because it doesn’t have a clear meaning, in the real world or in WoW). I assume that he was either saying that their story has evolved so that blue eyes don’t make sense, that they have been physically mutated so that they no longer have blue eyes, or both. In any case, he has to have been using the word evolve in some sort of colloquial sense.
Edit: None of which contradicts the canon that, per Blizzard: “Blood Elves are High Elves.”
Void elves mutated more than evolved proper. There was no natural selection process involved in what became the void elves. It was a sudden rapid change due to an extreme catalyst.
(Observation): Maturation is not a matter of evolution, and again, you continue to miss that in Warcraft the word, ‘Evolution,’ has always had an extra definition revolving around the use of a Catalyst to produce evolution. Developers have used the term for years.
(Commentary): Indeed. Much like the Nightborne.
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Nightborne#cite_note-5
“ Now the elves with Suramar City are no longer true night elves. They’ve evolved into a unique elven species now known as the nightborne. ”
(Commentary): Again, your requirement for generations and natural selection do not fit here. Thalyssra herself was alive during the height of the Highborne Empire, and was herself a Highborne. By the words of Blizzard, she and the other denizens of Suramar evolved into a new species. Clearly, Ion’s use of the word is indicative the same is happening for the Blood Elves.
Shal’dorei and Kaldorei are different because they have had 10,000 years of time to diverge. The fact they became withered was a side effect of the alterations living on a purely arcane diet for all that time inside a big arcane bubble caused to their physiology. They were basically the cave fish of elves.
Sin’dorei and Quel’dorei are not so different, the cause of their divergence was something like a decade ago? and was rapidly cured. But this feels like a circular debate honestly.
(Commentary): It did not take 10,000 years for them to diverge. The time lapse is unknown. Considering Ion is stating the same thing is happening for Blood Elves, perhaps a mere decade is all it takes.