The Unofficial High Elf Discussion Megathread

Gulrum-area-52 · February 20, 2019, 11:56pm

Plus some people just come into the debate late and start over with repeat arguments.

Fliktarg-thrall · February 20, 2019, 11:59pm

I know. I didn’t list it because there are no possible gameplay repercussions to that argument which was the point I was making.

Lavinya-moon-guard · February 21, 2019, 12:01am

“Blurring the faction lines” when they added actual Night Elves to the Horde doesn’t stick anymore.

Ion is full of bull.

Abendroth-zuljin · February 21, 2019, 12:12am

Nightborne/Night Elf : 10k years of separation and isolation.
High Elf/Blood Elf : 20 years.

This forum likes to only take lore in effect when it helps their narrative. There’s a world of difference.

Lavinya-moon-guard · February 21, 2019, 12:23am

Blood Elf/Void Elf: 5 minutes of separation and isolation.

And is time the only thing that matters? Those were the most eventful 20 years of the WoW multiverse. Blood Elves and High Elves went through a lot in those 20 years.

Alamara-goldrinn · February 21, 2019, 12:26am

Indeed. There were more changes in the world in the last 20 years than in the two thousand years before.

Nyshant-wyrmrest-accord · February 21, 2019, 12:48am

You’d also have to prove that the Nightborne culture, drunk on Arcwine all the time, is significantly different from the Highborne culture under Azshara.

Since my Kal’dorei alt is likely this alts sibling, I promise you, The drinking is the same.

The only thing that’s changed other than advancements in telemancy are from the Legion invasion.

Perhaps you mean to say that the Kal’dorei have changed culturally a lot in that time?

I’m not sure. Apparently my brother slept the whole time.

He’s been awake since the Third War. I’ve been Hungover since the War of the Ancients… I’ve only been sober since Legion.

The Quel’dorei have changed more than either of us in this time.

Nindraine-moon-guard · February 21, 2019, 12:56am

This is another common fantasy trope where long-lived fantasy races never really act like they’re long-lived - the moment the human/mortal narrative comes into play, the long-lived race basically just behaves like they would if they had average lifespans of ~70-80 years.

So for example while the Night Elves and Nightborne and High Elves all have backstories that last for ten thousand years, where very little ultimately happens in that time, the moment they encounter the short-lived, ‘mortal’ races ie humans, suddenly their rate of development and progression is slashed down to fit the pace of the younger races.

It’s a massive narrative inconsistency that a lot of fantasy franchises fall into, either due to bad writing or, more usually, convenience sake. (Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, just noting that it is a thing)

So the point of all of this is that essentially holding up the whole timeline of 10,000 years and saying the High/Blood Elves should take that long to change again relies on the assumption that Blizzard is still treating their narrative like that of a race that lives for thousands of years. Given the sheer number of events, decisions, actions, changes and upheavals over the past 20-50 years to High Elves, we know that’s not the case.

Nyshant-wyrmrest-accord · February 21, 2019, 12:59am

I’m actually kind of interested in this topic though.

So people really stress that, “10,000” years number.

But technically all Night Elf Lore started in Warcraft 3.
and Nightborne Lore started in Legion.
Quel’dorei lore predates both.

But how different are each of them really?

They’re essentially the same, right?

Night Elves didn’t "Develop’ over 10,000 years into the society they are today. The War of the Ancients happened, Malfurion Malfurion’d and then the switch to the current culture happened pretty quickly right?

When they’re introduced in Warcraft III the Night Elves are a time capsule race too. The men have literally been asleep waiting and the women have been having an endless vigil.

Meanwhile, The Shal’dorei are in a bubble city. So they just keep the exact same culture.

There aren’t any real differences between Shal’dorei and regular Highborne. That didn’t happen during Legion.

Since both races effectively get time capsuled immediately post War of the Ancients. they really have less evolution than Quel’dorei do.

Also the whole, “The Nightwell changed them over 10,000” years thing just means the Nightwell isn’t crazy powerful. We’ve seen what happens to elves when you add a little bit of magic.

*Except the booze. Arcwine is basically Shal’doreis cultural gimmick that’s supposed to differentiate them from the Highborne.

Fliktarg-thrall · February 21, 2019, 1:19am

exactly the only real cultural difference between nightborne and the surviving pure highborne that rejoined the night elves in cata is that one kept their civilization intact while the other had all of their cities destroyed and their population decimated.

Nyshant-wyrmrest-accord · February 21, 2019, 1:27am

Yeah. They avoided the sundering.

The Quest Forgotten Knowledge literally says they preserved their culture across thousands of years.

So their culture is the same as when they bubbled.

Meanwhile, The Night Elven Culture is the culture developed at the same time. Then the males went to sleep and the women were just huntresses in the woods the entire time.

So basically everything that happened to them happened to them during the War of the Ancients.

Then you hit pause and bring them out after Warcraft 3.

So the 10,000 years doesn’t mean anything. - When does the cultural change happen to the Nightborne? When they can no longer resist the Legion. Which is during Legion.

Night Elves hit unpause during Warcraft 3

Quel’dorei have been evolving since Warcraft 2.

The 20 years between the Quel’dorei and the Sin’dorei is more significant than the 10,000 years between the Shal’dorei and Kal’dorei.

Except Arcwine though.

Drougen-emerald-dream · February 21, 2019, 1:33am

Giving blood elves blue eyes is the only reasonable option there is.

Lavinya-moon-guard · February 21, 2019, 1:34am

I don’t think you know what that word means.

Drougen-emerald-dream · February 21, 2019, 1:36am

Considering the sunwell is a mixture of arcane and holy, they already got golden eyes it only makes sense to have blue eyes as well.

“Ultimately, it is a matter of time before the fel-power induced green glint reverts back to the blood elves’ regular high elven eyes.”

Drede-cairne · February 21, 2019, 1:37am

Well it’s impossible given the now Light Mixed Sunwell.

Proof Sunwell impowered eyes = Gold.

And Void/High Elves are Alliance. Their themes belong to that faction.

Nyshant-wyrmrest-accord · February 21, 2019, 1:37am

Maybe?

But we still want playable Quel’dorei.

I don’t understand how you can’t comprehend we’re asking for a faction inside of Warcraft and not a color palette.

Mowachassa-dalaran · February 21, 2019, 1:38am

Not spamming about blue eyes for Blood Elves is the only reasonable option there is.

Lavinya-moon-guard · February 21, 2019, 1:38am

Says who

The Sunwell having both Light and Arcane doesn’t necessarily mean Blood Elves can pick what color their eyes turn.

Drougen-emerald-dream · February 21, 2019, 1:39am

That doesn’t change anything about what I quoted.

“Ultimately, it is a matter of time before the fel-power induced green glint reverts back to the blood elves’ regular high elven eyes.”

Because that faction is the blood elves.

Prove it.

Mowachassa-dalaran · February 21, 2019, 1:39am

The Sunwell is literally golden.
A fact that few people know is that Arcane is mostly ineffective against Fel, it doesn’t cleanse it.