And the Forsaken, when they aren’t being villain batted despite being playable.
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The issue with San’layn being hit with the villain bat is of the types of undead, they’re one that seems to be an outlier with them being in a Forsaken/Death Knight position and having potential to be something much more.
In thinking of the Scourge, most of them are just your typical undead that you see with a cool sounding name, usually evil without a cause. Yes, a lot of them use living while others are corrupted with such fashion, but it isn’t really something you think about with most beings like skeletons, liches, or ever some of the Necromancers. Things like banshees are enough monster like that you see some semblance of what they were, but aside from rare exceptions, are just undead beings that exist to look cool and freaky for you to beat up. A lot of undead you deal with have the depth of a rain drop on concrete.
With San’layn, however, they use to be former blood elves that are in a Forsaken/Death Knight situation. They’re beings that you’d think would have gotten their free will back by now, with Arthas gone and the Helm of Domination destroyed. Thus, when you see them pop up twirl their mustaches, it feels a bit off and isn’t something that could’ve been much different with another undead like a lich or so.
Yes, not all San’layn would have high moral fiber. Same with Forsaken. Some are corrupted, gone insane for various reasons, obsessed with power, want to take advantage of the situation for their own gains, and so on. However, for San’layn specifically, it shouldn’t be all of them. Moreso when they were forced into undeath and were controlled to a certain extent.
Not to mention that we have seen various undead gain their free will back. Ghouls, geists, liches, and banshees among others have undead have gained their free will back. Yet San’layn still are acting evil for the sake of it?
Unless there is something up with their Vampyr curse, I see no reason why there couldn’t be San’layn who have regained some semblance of their actual selves. If the curse has an effect on it, then that sounds like a cool questline to research and see if you can break that part of the curse. They’d still be vampires and all (as they should be), but it would be better for them as a situation similar to the Forsaken or Death Knights than just generic members of the Scourge.
They also have a lot of potential, which I’ve talked about time and time again. Lore, storylines, NPC’s, aesthetics, and so on if they were fleshed out. Not to mention that playable Horde San’layn would likely be popular and something unique as their own race.
It’s a shame that we haven’t run into San’layn that aren’t more friendly so far. It’s likely some are out there, especially since how we keep running into Blood Royalty we haven’t seen before. Not to mention the missing Blood Princes.
As it stands, San’layn as your typically villain for whatever context just seems weird at this point without any good-aligned San’layn also in the picture. It also doesn’t feel right when you think more about them, and it’s not just because I want them as a playable Horde race.
As I said, I see them in a bit of a Forsaken/Death Knight situation with them being former Blood Elves caught up with being mind controlled by the Lich King and having a curse placed upon them. Makes me wish more would be done with that as opposed to making them as jobbers for questlines.
24 days until the next expansion is announced! 
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Yeah! That’s actually why I really like the Horde. Or…what it used to be. It’s also why I don’t get along with/agree with people who obsess over post-MoP Garrossh and ‘the true Horde’ nonsense. There’s no nuance to just being mindlessly evil & violent. The mixture of odd monsters is what I really like about the Horde, and how they could shatter common fantasy stereotypes in some cases (team Frostwolf!)
Sadly my love has died due to bad writing. Like so many other things 
Right, exactly. It was so cool when Blizzard broke the ‘all zombies and undead or evil’ trope. Of course, in every story they write, they’re now evil so they ruined it.
And it’s also the fault of players & roleplayers too, and yes I’m being finger-pointy but honest. Any roleplayer that screams at someone for playing a race that shatters stereotypes or tries to put things into boxes is a bad writer, flat out. The whole point of characters and free will is to have DISTINCT personalities.
So anyone who tries to slam all undead for being evil just because of Blizzard’s bad writing I’ll definitely roll my eyes at (especially since smaller-story Forsaken have been shown with compassion and other things).
All that said, it’s why I think San’layn really would be a good fit for the Horde. They shatter 2 stereotypes. One, the typical ‘evil’ vampire without morals, which is an open book as of now because they have free will. Unfortunately, Blizzard hasn’t hopped on that thread yet.
Two, the thing they absolutely destroyed with Blood Elves. I used to like Blood Elves because they could be both beautiful & fierce. You know the stereotype you can’t be ‘nice looking’ but also deadly. Not to mention, the elves being ‘darker’ in nature and making more grey decisions for the good of their people. Of course, with people now just trying to turn them into Horde Lightforged Draenei, that’s sort of shattered (and why I’m so against light options. At least as being the ONLY things Blood Elves get. They should NOT just be some foil for a void elf opposition force).
San’layn would be nice-looking as elves are (though less-conventionally-pretty options would also be fine along with beauty) and also super intelligent, ruthless, and powerful. At the same time as, theoretically, shattering the ‘all vampires or undead are pure evil without morals’ trope.
Sadly, none of that’s come to be yet, but it’s an unwritten story with a lot of potential.
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My random reminder that Horde still needs playable San’layn or at least San’layn customizations for Blood Elves. 
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I knew this thread was a joke when they mentioned they cannot be DKS. Newsflash blood elf deathknights that play a blood dk are sanlayn it’s shown in icecrown
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Vampire Diaries does that alot. Although I love stories thst have villains that turn good. Antiheroes have more fun stories.
Deadpool, venom , xena, The Riddick from chronicles of the Riddick, Hellboy, wolverine, many other sorts of heroes I am not thinking of right now.
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What are you even bloody talking about? Obviously we want DKs. If you’re talking about what was written prior to, you know, anyone being able to be death knights, yeah, it’s called logic.
Now, obviously things have changed. I don’t edit a many-year-old thread constantly. 
Think you’re the joke for not realizing that or at least commenting it without being incredibly rude.
Edit: Also no, they’re not. You don’t know lore. San’layn can be multiple classes. Blood Elf DK = / = San’layn. Two different things.
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Blood elves death knights who spec blood are San’Layn. Go to the San’Layn wing then.
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I did go there as a matter of fact.
There’s multiple classes of San’layn represented there. Also, again, if you would be so kind as to actually read the dates or pay attention, you’d realize I wrote that prior to Allied Races getting DK.
Here, I edited it for folks just like you who need to pay more bloody attention.
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In any case sadly I disagree with the notion San’Layn aren’t playable. It’s already known they are vampiric blood elves and a blood elf dk that specs blood is just that a vampire in essence and are San’layn we can agree to disagree. And that’s all I’m leaving at that.
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Think I read the series a while ago but not the show. I like things with blends of fantasy more than just baseline vampires. Plus, the show itself didn’t have kitsune from the book, which was meh. Least that’s what I heard. It was one of my favorite parts of the books. I don’t remember much though. That was a decade ago.
Good point on the agreeing to disagree. I’m glad for folks who can imagine they play them now but they have multiple classes aside from DK. Anyway, yeah. I’ll agree to disagree and move on.
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The story goes all over the place. I did like the witches. Although personally preffered the originals more. The second series in that universe.
The ancient first vampires and the lore is interesting and how they clash with each other and the people trying to kill them is interesting.
I did like how Vampire diaries had rippers and like vampires who were very deadly. But one of them tried to change for the better and become more pacifistic and only drink animal blood.
I don’t like the animal blood thing with vampires especially given there’s a way to stick to humanoids without killing (hence parasite) in some lore. That’s why I require mine to only get nutrients from humanoids when I write vampire lore.
I liked Smith’s Night World better than her Vampire Diaries series, but yeah, more fantasy in general would be cool. I like VtM’s idea of many vampire species quite a bit.
Surprisingly I don’t like traditional western vampire lore. The undead thing, anyway. They’re cooler as an actual species. The ‘destroyed by holy stuff’ ruins a lot for me but then again I don’t like christian mythology in general, so stripping that out of vampires makes it better for me when people do it in their lore.
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I tend to like fantasies with different types of monsters/creatures/ different humanoids.
I like the stories people craft. I like how each world can be so different. Morals applied differently.
WoW tends to make all cosmic both good and bad which I like. The races too work that way.
For San’layn I like that they are darker creatures of undeath, using dark magics, and more brutal. As we saw with what they did to that gnome in BFA!
They have a cool aesthetic and interesting story origins. As the first generation of San’layn were fallen Kael’thas Loyalists. It would be interesting to see how blizzard would write them in the horde. The next generation of San’layn, who would they be?
Or maybe take the void elf route of ekite squads, and new recruitment efforts? How would that work? Sort of the same issues as the forsaken, some moral and ethical dilemnas in there creation process like the worgen and forsaken.
San’layn Civilians I think would be softer then Champions serving in the horde army and the ones protecting Aseroth.
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A good way around that in a story about undead vampires is when they’re hurt by whatever the person believes to be holy. I think I’ve seen that at least once anyway.
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Yeah I’ve seen that before, it’s interesting. My favorites are when nothing holy is tied to them, but then again I’m like… crazy weird and picky with my lore. What I wrote for my novel series is different than trad lore by a lot, utilizing science more than magic.
Still, I like what WoW did with the vampyr curse and have my own headcanon for it too (People still evidently visit that blog posts, gods know why. I don’t know if it’s to make fun of it or because they actually use it.)
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Well, today I turned a year older. Birthdays are still a fun thing despite starting to feel old as I go through them.
Speaking of old, I came across a video of an old bat celebrating their b-day (along with a few general bat facts) shown here:
I’m sure you can tell what part of my birthday wish is! 
23 days until the next expansion is announced! 
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Happy birthday!
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I’ve always been a fan of characters who have the option, temperament and power to be “bad guys”, but who consistently choose compassion. The old knight in sour armor.
Which is why I will fight anyone for Hellboy, on the fictional front. Absolutely the best. And I would absolutely play a grumpy grizzled old San’layn lady with no time for youngsters who is still going to save the world.
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Some information in no particular order about San’layn:
BfA, Crimson Squall - reaction => Alliance (Hostile) / Horde (Friendly)
Some nice quotes of blood with San’layn Neophytes:
- I’ll drain the flesh from your bones!
- Let me hear you scream.
- You are but fuel for the san’layn!
- One… last… drop…
- The Blood Prince… will… drain you dry…
An Unnatural Crew (Alliance quest - BfA):
"Blood Prince Dreven is here, and the situation’s even worse than we thought.
That monster’s training other san’layn. Every neophyte you see on this ship is another future Blood Prince Dreven.
His vile practices cannot be allowed to spread within the Horde. We’re going to tear the san’layn out, right now, root and all. "
=> That monster’s training other san’layn. Every neophyte you see on this ship is another future Blood Prince Dreven.
Something about what are San’layn:
Caladis Brightspear says: I knew this was a dragonforged blade when I first laid eyes on it.
Caladis Brightspear says: But can it be? Is this really –Lana’thel appears out of nowhere walking up to Quel’Delar from the southwest. The four sentinels and war mages rush to the sword.
Silver Covenant Sentinel says: You are not welcome here, minion of the Lich King!
Lana’thel says: Quel’Delar.Lana’thel freezes the war mages and sentinels surrounding the sword.
Lana’thel says: Quiet, fools. If I had wished to kill you, you’d already be dead.
While Lana’thel speaks, images of what she talks about appear just north of the blade.
Lana’thel says: As Quel’Serrar was forged by the dragons and given to the kaldorei, its twin, Quel’Delar was given to my people.
Lana’thel says: The king bestowed the blade upon my friend, Thalorien Dawnseeker.
Lana’thel says: But even Thalorien’s skill and Quel’Delar’s magic could not save Silvermoon from the might of the Scourge.
Lana’thel says: Thalorien fell before the gates of the Sunwell, buying time for others to escape.
Lana’thel walks north and kneels down to inspect the image of Thalorien.
Lana’thel says: After the battle, I recovered the sword from the field. I bore it to Northrend in the service of my prince, seeking to avenge our people’s defeat.
Lana’thel says: Arthas shattered our forces and took the most powerful of us into his service as the San’layn.
Lana’thel says: My memories of Thalorien went cold and so did his blade.
Lana’thel says: It was I who brought Quel’Delar here, to return it to its makers. In breaking the weapon, so did I break its power.
Lana’thel says: Quel’Delar will never serve another!The freeze fades and Lana’thel appears to cast some spell on Quel’Delar, disappearing once again.
Caladis Brightspear says: I vow that the Silver Covenant will see Quel’Delar restored.
(“Return To Caladis Brightspear” => with Arcanist Tybalin for the Alliance side / “Return To Myralion Sunblaze” => with Magister Hathorel for the Horde side - WotLK)
Something else about what are San’layn:
…
Following the destruction of their homeland, the determined blood elves began to regroup and rebuild. It was during this time that the battle-hardened warrior Lana’thel stumbled upon Quel’Delar, and soon afterward the greatest opportunity to use the blade presented itself: Prince Kael’thas Sunstrider raised an army and combined forces with Illidan Stormrage, who led them north to Icecrown on a mission to destroy the Lich King. Lana’thel readily followed her prince with one thought in mind – revenge against the Scourge – but only tragedy awaited her.In the icy hills of Northrend, Arthas ultimately defeated Illidan and Kael’thas, and the expedition’s few survivors were scattered across the frozen wastes. One by one the Lich King sought out those who had challenged him, and Lana’thel found herself cornered. Using Quel’Delar, she struck at him with all her might… but Frostmourne’s evil powers overwhelmed her. Through his blade, the Lich King chose Lana’thel to serve him in undeath as queen of the San’layn, a group responsible for overseeing the Scourge’s operations across Azeroth.
…
(“Underdev/Quel’Delar: The Sister Blade” - an official article by Blizzard Entertainment from Oct 30, 2009 but it did not survive the overhaul of the World of Warcraft Official Website)
They seem to drink blood and they seem to be “happy” with that:
They’re… bleeding the prisoners… putting the blood… in those globes.
<Grumm’s eyes close momentarily and he leans his head back.>
The blood… taken up to necropolis… to feed blood prince…
P-promise… you’ll… destroy blood… globes… bring word… to Junek.
(“Shatter the Orbs!” => Horde quest in the Borean Tundra - WotLK)
“- One… last… drop…” - San’layn Neophyte
“Dinner… is served.” - Prince Valanar
“Just a taste…” - Vampiric Bite, Blood-Queen Lana’thel
Lana’thel was one of the undead forces reanimated by Mawsworn kyrian in Aldur’thar: The Desolation Gate in Icecrown. (Shadowlands prepatch)
San’layn can be Warriors (Darkfallen Commander), Rogues (Darkfallen Tactician), Priests (High Priest Andorath), Mages (Darkfallen Archmage), Warlocks (Darkfallen Noble)Death Knights (Darkfallen Deathblade) and Blood Knights.
Even with the fall of the Scourge and of their Blood-Queen Lana’thel, San’layn seem to be able to have a kind of hierarchy:
- Blood-Queen/Blood-King (none for now)
- Blood Prince (Blood Prince Dreven)
- Marquess / Marquis (Blood Marquess / Blood Marquis)
- Neophyte (San’layn Neophyte)
Bonus
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