A big issue with having discussions like this is that “night elves/kaldorie” refers to both the race (which includes the highborne who didn’t shirk and go pale, such as those in Dire Maul) and the society formerly situated in Darnassus.
Highborne are racially night elves. Highborne have a very different society from the playable night elves (IE Darnassian night elves).
I’ve been assuming we all were on the same page that when we’re talking about night elf society, or night elves in general here, that we were all talking about the society/culture that playable night elves are from. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Highborne were a social caste, but not necessarily a socio-economic one. They were equivalent to racial divides of our world, because they were divided by bloodline rather than merit.
Illidan for example, was skilled in the arcane, but could not become a part of the Highborne, unless he was married to/ mated to one. They literally translate to “children of noble birth” so they saw themselves as noble bloodlines (to remain undiluted, like for example, Elisande commented)
Most Highborne were of noble lineage, and unless they “mingled” with the lower castes, were not likely to mix their bloodlines with the lower castes. Whether this would’ve led to some sort of inbreeding later is ofcourse speculation
The Night Elves DO have an existence beyond the Sisterhood. In fact, outside of Darnassus, I’d say that the Druids are a lot more of an influence than Priests, especially when you take into consideration that the bulk of them have been absent for over ten millennia. (Not all, they were after all the lead figures in the War of the Burning Sands.)
I remember reading that her parents were also wealthy Highborne, I think it was in some archaeology lore, and Tyrande could have become a handmaiden to Azshara just like Vashj.
My guess was that she tagged along with her boyfriend and his brother who were studying Druidism but she wasn’t motivated to do the deep dive to it so she joined the neighborhood Sisterhood cult instead.
I think it’s one of those cases that many women face, you’re dragged somewhere to your boyfriend’s gaming event even though you’re not doing any thing particular there.
Just when I dragged my husband to what would be his first D%D game.
I don’t think the customization option says anything that the presence of death knights says. We have had undead Death Knights for a while now. They were permitted to help their factions fight the Lich King and don’t seem to have been rejected afterwards. OTOH, in A Gathering Storm, the book portrayed widespread animosity toward the forsaken on the Alliance. If you think that Blizzard has any clear idea of undead in the Alliance, or will feel hesitant to go in any direction they want… Well, can I interest you in special, have to act know, investment opportunity?
Can I ask, why peeps are still arguing that the one matriarchal race in game isn’t one, because a few druids made an important decision a few years ago.
Excluding ruins, that’s one. And that one was certainly built with Druidic assistance.
The Sisterhood predates the Cenarionas by probably a couple of millennia but for all that Druids pretty much have equivalent numbers.
The Sentinels are not exclusively commanded by Elunite Priests, neither Malfurion nor
Shadowsong were of the Sisterhood but they’re seen giving Sentinels orders far more often than Tyrande does.
Why would you exclude ruins? Are you saying that because something is left in ruins, it isn’t imporrant? Weird hill to die on.
Sourse? Or speculation?
And they are seen led in the field more often than by Malf and Jarod and any other men you mention combined. We see their commanders throughout the game; all women. We see Shandris alone leading them more than either Malf or Jarod.
One very good reason. ALL OF THE RUINED TEMPLES PREDATE THE SUNDERING the only folks who’ve used any of them are NAGA. (short for Nightelves Are Great Again )
The present Night Elf civilisation counts its start AFTER The War of the Ancients, after the Sundering. That civilization has built a total of ONE Temple since it’s start.
Night Elf Druids however have been building lodges and more importantly Moonwells literally all over the place and have kept them active.
