lowborn NElfs are closer to dark purple, while highborn are almost sky blue
O. You know, good point. Not sure if it’s mentioned ITT, but perhaps the lowborne were closer to their troll progenitors?
And maybe mutations go through a spectrum too: Dark troll > Arcane > Lightening skin > More Arcane > Darker skin (like the Nightborne)
It seems to me the Kaldorei → Sin’dorei transition was in many ways akin to the transformation the Sin’dorei made into wretched. I would argue the highborne’s centuries of general abstinence from the use of arcane magic before they finally rebelled insulated them from the effect enough that the transition into what we know as a wretched from their Kaldorei selves slowed down and they were able to stabilize themselves before it went too far. The transformation’s biological effects remained afterwards with the transformation itself basically sitting there as a ticking timebomb.
Look at the Shal’dorei as a comparison point; their transformation was Shal’dorei→Nightfallen→Withered. Sin’dorei are basically the Nightfallen stage of that transformation, except in their case it is an irreversible thing.
It’s been a while since I read the WotA books, but I recall them noting that Dath’remar Sunstrider was already rather unusual-looking for a Night Elf, or at least he had unusual coloring.
Here is the passage from The Sundering.
With a grim expression, a guard swung open the door. Through it came a Highborne whom the captive had not met before. His gaudy robes were resplendent and he clearly was aware of his handsome features. Unlike many of his caste, he had a rather athletic build. Most arresting, though, were his pale, violet skin and, especially, his hair—auburn with streaks of gold in it, something Tyrande had never seen. Like all Highborne, however, he wore a look of complete disdain, most prominently when addressing the guard.
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I’m decently sure dath’remar sunstrider was said to be of a oddly pale complexion for night elves but I don’t really know of any other highborne examples looking like proto high elves