I knew there were a lot of High Elves but I had no idea this much…and they are even adding more.
I mean they can, probably
But High Elves (and presumably Blood Elves) can also breed with humans (a practice very popular among the Windrunner sisters)
Orcs can breed with ogres and draenei
And we have at least one thankfully currently non-canon (but once dreadfully canon) case of a half-orc half-draenei breeding with a human…
This doesn’t mean much.
And by the end of BfA we might have a half-goblin half-gnome child brought to the world…
Ah yes that’s true… In our real life different species are determined by whether they are still genetically similar enough to breed. Which is why all of our dogs are the same species. So with OUR definitions that would mean that orcs, humans, elves, ogres and all those are the exact same species… Even though orcs come from an entirely different planet hahah
Well, Blood Elves have mutated slightly. They have green/gold eyes and have access to more rugged skin colors. High Elves exclusively have blue eyes, and rarely use darker skin. (Although, this could change if they made them an allied race and gave them more skin options)
They are technically considered the same race though, and its mostly the cultural and faction differences that define them.
However, the thing about Blood elves, and the thing Blood elf players keep forgetting is Blood elves no longer consider themselves High elves.
As far as breeding is concerned… I don’t see why not?
It depends on what you mean when you use “race”
As it is used in-game to separate playable races? Blood and High Elves are definitely separate.
But Stormwind Human and Kul Tiran Human are also treated separately, despite confirmation they’re 100% the same species.
“Race” in WoW has to do not just with biology, but also with culture, history and allegiance.
High and Blood Elves have been separated for over two decades and have very different values and even cultures, and their allegiances lead them to clash quite often.
And this is just the list of the NAMED NPCs. This doesn’t include all the unnamed ones like the Highvale Swiftblades, Silver Covenant Spellblades, 7th Legion Shield-Mages, High Elf Rangers, etc!
True when you get down to the details it gets a little confusing. I could see the different elves, while being the same species all being a different race much how in our world “black, white, Asian, Mexican” or whatever we call races… Which technically those would be ethnicities but yeah. Idk where I’m going with this
Oh wait. I’m wrong. Race is correct. Ethnicity refers more to cultural differences
I suppose since their separation is more recent, it’s closer to Chinese x Taiwanese or North Korean x South Korean
Except that one of the nations was also entirely irradiated with evil green magic (and later some individuals got irradiated with good yellow magic) while the other remained natural.
So would you say there’s no chance of highelf being a neutral race like pandas? Seeing how they have that similar ancestry to belf and especially nightborne. I’m sure there are some highelves that don’t see the blood elves actions as treason or whatever and are understanding
I suppose it’s possible. A good number of them are on the Kirin Tor, which is currently neutral.
…But even more are Alliance aligned. I dunno. I kinda doubt blizzard would want to do another neutral race like Pandaren again.
High Elves are part of the Alliance the same way Blood Elves are part of the Horde, it’s not good decision to make both Neutral. But then what is the point, a important factor that separate the High Elves from the Blood Elves is how they are allied with opposing factions.
The Silver Covenant explicitly was founded to oppose Blood Elves in Dalaran, and during the Purge some went as far as torturing and murdering Blood Elves.
Quel’danil lodge is firmly working alongside the Alliance and against the Horde in the Hinterlands, and have a deep friendship with the Wildhammer Dwarves.
Allerian Stronghold Elves are even deeper in the Alliance - one of them stated that their fortress was a symbol of the alliance between Humans, Dwarves and Elves.
The only High Elves that aren’t hostile to the Horde are the few neutral Dalarani who are not explicitly part of the Silver Covenant. And that one pirate I guess.
I’m sure they can breed with each other.
The Blood Elves are mostly just rebranded Elves that don’t answer to High Elf anymore.
But, there is an argument that the Fel Corruption does make them a different race. Insofar as Elves are ever separate races.
and tbh whether 2 differences races/species can reproduce with each other shouldn’t really be considered seeing what we have. We simply don’t know how it works. orcs, draenei, and humans can all have children together, elves and humans can as wells. Those are just the known examples.
Weren’t the Kirin Tor the official Alliance representatives in the Isle of Thunder? Many neutral Kirin Tor NPCs appeared as hostile to Horde there. So even the “neutral” Dalarani Elves are more dedicated to the Alliance and would side with them if the situation requires them to do so.
The High Elves are Alliance affiliated.
If you’re in Dalaran they’re the ones that keep you out of of the Silver Enclave.
They are standing opposed to the Blood Elves in Isle of Thunder.
They are also the Alliance Camp in Suramar.
They’re hostile to horde in Allerian Hold Outland.
They’re Alliance.
There’s also Gilveradin Sunchaser near Quel’danil lodge in Shindigger’s camp who is a Horde questgiver. Still the point remains, there aren’t that many.
…And the Dwarf is friendly too, but mostly because he’s too drunk to care. XD
The Kirin Tor / Dalaran are neutral because they know there are bigger fish to fry.
Just like the Argent Crusade is neutral.
Just like the Knights of the Silver Hand were neutral in Legion and the Blood Knights were affiliated, but they’re facing off against the Blood Knights in BFA.