So, over 10 years ago Blizzard added a version of the “high elf” to the game that become immensely popular and is still the most played race on the Horde side of the game, based on number of characters leveled to 120. About 2 1/2 years ago Blizzard added another version of the “high elf” that, despite being locked behind a reputation grind wall, still managed to become the third most played race on the Alliance side of the game, again based on the number of characters leveled to 120. And immediately after both races were announced, even before they were fully playable, players were demanding another version of the “high elf” that conformed to a different fantasy or aesthetic.
The lesson is clear. So long as Blizzard keeps releasing different versions of the High Elf that do not conform exactly to the Tolkien/Gygax generic fantasy mold, they can guaranty a popular allied race that provides solid value for their effort. Yes folks, we hit a High Elf in the head with a pickaxe, and it turns out there’s gold inside!
So this thread is about different flavors of High Elves. Please provide a version of High Elf you’d like to see, along with how that version of High Elf deviates significantly from the common fantasy tropes.
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That sounded like the origin story of a new Allied Race:
A cult of High Elves gathered around a Pick, and a Picklord was summoned. Fortunately, a High Elven hero of old came and saved them! But not before they were forever changed by the mere presence of the Picklord. Now, they are forever to be known as: Pick Elves.
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Okay, been 3 hours, I’ll get us started then.
The Lost Elves. A feral group of island dwelling elves trapped within the swirling mists and arcane corruption spawned by a leaking titan structure. We’re talking Maori themed cannibal elves loaded with tattoos on an island that’s a cross between Bloodmyst and Un’goro.
They’ve been there since their ship was blown off course during the great exile of their Highborne ancestors and for the 6 millennia the leaking and unclean energy from the titanic structure has been turning the Lost Elves more savage and violent with each passing generation. The once peaceful trolls, furbolg and the ancient beasts that they share the island with have already become irreversibly mad, being far more susceptible to the effects of the generational corruption than the long lived elves. Turning the island into a violent maelstrom of death, and forcing the Lost Elves to embrace their corruption and savagery just to survive.
Oh, and they go Alliance of course. Because the Alliance needs a savage race, and I think they’d accept darker skinned High Elves with tattoos and no pre-existing connection to Quel’thalas.
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The Ghost Elves of Azuna. Getting involved after Teldrassil and with Shadowlands on tap is a no brainer.
Racials could include unlimited breathing underwater, No durability damage upon death, and no resurrection sickness.
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The Star Elves, Highborne with a strong conection to Elune and everything natural. They have purple skin, white and golden eyes. They are primarly druids and priests, oh and they are also expert hunters and rogues. why not? And of course they are Horde. Alliance can have Thin Humans!
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Half Elves. Not the descendants of Elves doing the thing with Humans, but Half-sized Elves who ride wolves. They don’t have a special language, but they can telepathically speak to each other and call their wolves to ride.
And of course, because of their relationship with Trolls, and being hunted by Humans, they’re Horde.
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The Sand Elves. These are Highborne who had disagreements with the Sunstriders when trying to find a new place to settle, so they split off in another direction. They ended up settling some new desert somewhere that Blizzard can pull out of nowhere and say always existed. They channel magics both from the clear desert night skies, and from an unknown source within the unforgiving sands.
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Well we know of San’layn and the Fel Blood Elves. But if we want something new I would go for light infused elves through the Sunwell.
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Already have them. Sand Elves, Jungle Elves, Frost Elves and Forest/Wood Elves seem to be the most logical types of Elves in my opinion.
There are 6 types of cosmic magical energy, there should be six kinds of elves to be addicted to all of it.
Nature - Night Elves
Fel - Blood Elves
Void - Void Elves
Arcane - Nightborne
Light - High Elves
Necromantic - Darkfallen
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So next round of Allied races being the High Elves for the Alliance and the Darkfallen for the Horde? Might have those megathreads honorably retired if Blizz does it correctly.
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You missed the most important ones!
Cookie - Keebler Elves.
Toy - Santa’s Elves
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Venthyr seem to be Death Elves from what I’m seeing…
Next allied race: the Low Elf.
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Muck Elves - live in sewers and swamps and live on trash. Sneak into houses and steel shiny stuff, sometimes children which they swap with their own.
Light elves - live in cloud cities, have angel wings.
Sea Elves - underwater elves with gills and fins.
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I had a hankering to make a grand RP where my Sin’dorei Paladin (I’m Falothorin, and I’m an elf addict) took a gaggle of his blood knight cohorts and stole the secrets of Lightforging from the Xene’dar. Then, they lightforged themselves. They’d be Lightforged Elves, or… Alah’dorei (Alah is Thalassian for "light), which sounds cool as hell is hot.
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Redneck elves: a race of inbred elves whose only joy in life is drinking a magical brew known as “sunshine,” shooting guns, and hinting animals to extinction. Has a racial bonus to gun weapons and a dps boost while intoxicated.
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Don’t you have an anti-high-elf thread in General Discussion to be keeping tabs on?
Fixed that for you.
Most players aren’t RPers and generally don’t give a damn about a race’s backstory. Belves being slaves to mana addiction before the Sunwell being restored? Irrelevant, because pretty elf.
Velves being plagued by the whispers of the Void, and taught to control them by Alleria? Irrelevant, because pretty elf.
etc.
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All they need to do is add the High Elf skin tone options as customization for the Void Elves and they’ve got an easy win.
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Digital Elves… who only exist on Blizzard Forums.