TL;DR: There is a case that Alliance High Elves are or will soon become Highvale Elves (Bel’dorei) and, perhaps, Silver Covenant / Dalarani “Light” Elves (Al’dorei)
I know, I know, yet another post about elves… ugh. But hear me out…
No more are the High Elves: In their place stand the Sin’dorei, Blood Elves of the Horde; banished from their ranks are the Ren’dorei, Alliance Void Elves. The Highborn have since become the Night Elves: Alliance Kaldorei, including the Eldorei or Shen’dralar, those who hid in Eldre’Thalas; in Suramar, they have become Nightborne, Shal’dorei, allies with the Horde and cousins of the Nightfallen and Fal’dorei.
Those Kaldorei who were exiled took to the sun and Sunwell instead. We all know this story, but the small (yet growing) remnant who stayed true to the Alliance have some interesting upcoming plotlines, I think
Here is a mix of headcanon and what I have come to learn about what remain of the High Elves:
Quel’dorei, “Children of Noble (lit. High) Birth,” made their home in Quel’Thalas at Silvermoon, with their spiritual centre at Quel’Danas, the Sunwell. After the destruction and splintering of their nation, three major splits happened: One sought refuge in their Lodges, the other stayed amongst the Humans and other magi, particularly at Dalaran, and the last went to Draenor.
(spoiler: Those at Quel’Lithien became Wretched)
Dalaran, Quel’Danil, and the Allerian Stronghold became centres of High Elven activity within the Alliance. Those of the Kirin Tor and Silver Covenant both distanced themselves from their Blood Elven kin and warmly welcomed back those of the Alliance Expedition. Danassian Elves practise light and arcane magic and are led by Vareesa Windrunner
These Elves come together and, holding true to their roots when first exiled from the Druidic, moon-worshipping Kaldorei, forge a new name for themselves, one in direct opposition to the Sin’dorei Sunreavers . They find community in the Human, Gnomish, and other magi of Dalaran and other Alliance cities. Within their ranks are numerous Half-Elven communities, whom they publicly call Shan’are “honoured ones” but privately label Vor’dorei “Children of the Broken”
Danillian Elves, on the other hand, have found community with the Wildhammer Dwarves most especially. In-game, some Draenei have made Quel’Danil their home, and these Highvale Draenei follow the shamanic path first laid by Nobundo, learning to become druids. With Seradane so close, the Wildhammers, Danai,* and Highvale Elves commune with the Kaldorei and Worgen. Thus the Highvale Elves begin to consider themselves a distinct elven nation. In their concordance with the Wildhammers, their bodies (adorned with tattoos) become thicker and more stout, becoming the shortest and widest of elves. Similarly, these Highvale Draenei, or (*) Danai, come to intermix with their neighbours resulting in browner and greener, tattoo’d, and more nature-y space goats
Thus:
- Kaldorei - Children of the Stars - Night Elves
- Eldorei - Children of Eldre’Thalas - Shan’dralar
- Shal’dorei - Children of the Night - Nightborne
- Fal’dorei - Children of Falanaar / followers of Aranasi
- Sin’dorei - Children of Blood / of the Bloodline - Blood Elves
- Quel’dorei - Children of Noble (lit. High) Birth
Some useful Thalassian words:
- Quel - High, Noble
- Belore - Sun
- Alah - Light
- Thas - Forest
- Danil - ? Peak
(*)For the goats:
- -nai = “with / person of a place” e.g., Kurenai, Auchenai)
- -dor = settlement (e.g., Talador, Telredor)
- Quel’Danil > Danidor (in Draenic, a borrowing) > Danai
- (There is no word for “mountain” or “peak” or even “high” in-game in the Draenei language, so I did my best with “Danai”)
For the Elves…
Highvale Elves: Either keep Quel’dorei for its literal use of “high”/“quel,” or transition to Thas’dorei (ew), or Bel’dorei, a shortening of Belore’dorei “Children of the Sun” as both a way to stay true to Sun-worshipping heritage, keep in allied complementary opposition to Kaldorei’s Elune worship, and a nod to the new Night Elven home of Bel’Ameth. I convinced myself writing this: Bel’dorei for Highvale Elves
Danassian Elves: These are the elves that still ‘shun’ nature worship, maintain an arcane practice, and follow the Light. They are spread around, but their capital is Dalaran now. They oppose the Blood Elves but still need to sate their needs and thus still utilize the Sunwell as the font of power it is. They are Children of the Light, or Light Elves, and Alah’dorei or, for short, Al’dorei in Thalassian (now Danassian)
- Danai - Those from Danidor (Quel’Danil) - Highvale Draenei
- Bel’dorei - Children of the Sun - Highvale Elves
- Al’dorei - Children of the Light - Dalarani (&c.) High Elves
