How though? “Isolationism” is not automatically xenophobic, in my opinion. There are also other races within Ashenvale that the Night Elves seemed to be just fine co-existing with during the Long Vigil. As an example, I remember Tyrande helping a furbolg in WC3.
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I’ll stick with Blizzard’s take - which can admittedly change at any time - over yours.
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Sure… But I think people confuse Xenophobia with racism. They can be connected but are not necessarily the same. Xenophobia is prejudice of people from other countries. Most of the beings Night Elves co-exist with live within their boarders. Honestly, Tyrande probably see Furbolgs as part of her citizenry to some degree, as they live within her boarders and Night Elves kind of see themselves as guardians of Nature and the Wilds. That implies a personal responsibility to protect the forests and it’s inhabitance.
However, I think the most clear and obvious example of Nelf Xenophobia is how they responded to the orcs. Unknown races shows up, and their first response is to attack them. I personally think they had every right too, but that’s another conversation.
I am pretty sure those were Highborne or, more specifically the Moon Guard.
Whereas Tyrande, someone who had been under the wing of Cenarius for a time showed kindness and understanding.
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I mean sure I think it was a xenophobic to a degree, but it was also in response to them “desecrating nature” or whatever (I forget the exact quote), not purely because they looked different.
Uh… No, those were the Shadowleaves and some others. I am talking about Warcraft 3.
Sure but Tyrande had a similar response to humans as well.
You know, I am actually surprised I am debating this… I feel like this has been common knowledge for a long time.
huh.
Tyrande said ‘‘let them pass, they might be searching for a land to settle’’
Then they started killing Wisps and cutting trees, then drank Demon Blood.
They were 100% justified and even gave them the benefit of doubt.
Uh… Is that a reforged thing? That is not how I remember it.
The Shadowleaves are a group of night elf Sentinels led by Shandris Feathermoon.
-From Daughters of the Moon WC3
After the Horde and Alliance remnants arrived in Kalimdor and made their way to Ashenvale, the Sentinels reported the strangers to Tyrande. Having assumed the worst, she was pleased that the intruders were not demons and suspected that they were old enemies, trying to escape from the plague. She initially ordered the Sentinels to observe the two groups as she hoped that the refugees were simply passing through the forest in order to find new lands. She was proven wrong when the orcs started felling Ashenvale’s woods. Tyrande would have none of it and the Sentinels attacked the Warsong clan led by Grommash Hellscream.
-From Chronicle Volume 3 pg. 71
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According to Chronicle: Volume III, Page 71, Tyrande’s first response was actually to let the Orcs and Humans pass through Ashenvale and leave them alone:
- When Sentinels reported that strangers were barging into Ashenvale, Tyrande Whisperwind expected the worst. She was somewhat relieved to find that these outsiders were not demons. Tyrande correctly assumed that the Horde and Alliance refugees were fleeing the plague across the Great Sea. From the way they fought each other, she also guessed they were bitter enemies.
Tyrande ordered her Sentinels to observe the newcomers from a distance. She hoped that the refugees were merely passing through Ashenvale en route to other lands. She was wrong. Some of the Horde’s green-skinned orcs made war on the forests. They stole from the woodlands without asking, felling trees with reckless abandon. Tyrande had no love for these creatures. They were brutish and violent. And Tyrande would suffer their presence no more.
The Sentinels struck Grommash Hellscream and his Warsong. Some night elves, perched high in the trees, unleashed a storm of arrows on their prey. Others, armed with razor-edged glaives, descended on the backs of winged beasts called hippogryphs or giant felines called nightsabers.
The Sentinels were as deadly as any foe the orcs had faced.
To note, “stole” is italicized in Chronicle, not emphasis that I added. The Night Elves were still wrong in attacking the Horde and Alliance without attempting to even talk to them first, but turns out the Night Elves did not attack the Horde and Alliance for merely being there, but rather for perceived lumber theft.
Though this was only Tyrande, as we also got Malfurion’s take in Warcraft III:
Furion Stormrage: So, the outlanders battle against the undead as well? They could prove to be powerful allies against Archimonde and his ilk.
And turned out Malfurion was right:
Furion Stormrage: To arms, my brethren! To arms, brave orcs and humans! Twilight falls – and the enemy awaits!
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Come on Amadis, you make my post look like a f***ing joke, yours looks so much prettier with links and stuff :c
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Sorry! You beat my post while I was still putting mine together!
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Gotta love when blizzard contradicts pre-established lore, contradicting direct quotes from previous games. I wouldn’t say this proves anything though, they are still closed off from the rest of the world, and Tyrande was waiting to see them leave, not welcoming them to stay. I still think we can reasonably say the night elves were a Xenophobic culture during the long vigil, in roughly a decade of time gone by, I don’t believe that sentiment has changed for a majority of night elves.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend… This is once again, not relevant to the conversation.
I think it’s common knowledge only in so far as its a common trope… My interpretation is that the night elves obviously would have some xenophobia left over their days as the empire, but that it’s no where near the level of the times of Azshara, and I think Blizzards most recent lore sources have been continuously downplaying the xenophobic aspects of the darnassian night elves… possibly to better contrast them with the Nightborne and such.
Given that the topic at hand is the Guardians of Hyjal and a post Warcraft III and post Stormrage setting where Malfurion is back, the Long Vigil is actually the irrelevant part of this conversation.
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Actually they were aware of most of what happened outside of Kalimdor they simply did not intervene.
Is that something bad? If someone was sleeping in my porch I wouldn’t kick them out that night, but I wouldn’t invite them to my house either.
You’ve been proven wrong twice now, do you need more Chronicle data? There’s nothing reasonable with that statement.
But it’s been proven the minority under Azshara influence were the Xenophobic kind, if anything the Highborne might have been the Xenophobic ones, but the Elves as a whole were not.
Wary? Probably
Thing is, I don’t think it’s a common trope really… I have been in the Nelf RP community for many years, while nelf xenophobia seems to be a common agreement among most RPers, everyone is trying to be the Drizzt Do’Urden Nelf. The exception to the rule, to the point where the exception to the rule becomes the common trope.
I think the times of Azshara was outright racism. There doesn’t need to be a racial motivation for Xenophobia… it is technically Xenophobic to just cut yourself off and not want to be bothered by outside forces.
Don’t think so… Since my original point was that Hyjal is firmly Kaldorei territory, and the setting you presented was during a time of crisis, which is the exception to the non-Kaldorei restrictions put in place. The discussion is hinged on nelf Xenophobia, and the Long Vigil is the clear example that they are. I know things can be confusing, try to keep up.
Which still shows that they were closed off. But I don’t think this is true either… Again, in WC3, they didn’t even seem to know what orcs or humans were, or where they were from.
No, but it is Xenophobic. I think “Waiting to see them pass through” means they would not have let them stay.
I don’t think I have lol.
There were no non-Kaldorei restrictions in place to referenced in any lore source. The only thing you referenced was the RPG books, which, as pointed out, isn’t even accurate to Nighthaven, let alone Winterspring or Mount Hyjal.
The Long Vigil was over with Warcraft III, and Tyrande herself changed her tune from:
Tyrande Whisperwind: They are mongrels and nothing more! They are responsible for Cenarius’ death! I will be damned before I stand with them.
to:
Archimonde: Hear me, night elves! The time for reckoning has come!
Jaina Proudmoore: If you can provide our bases with support and keep us from being overwhelmed, Thrall and I will delay Archimonde’s ascent! Tyrande Whisperwind: Your plan is a bold one, girl. Perhaps I have misjudged you outlanders. May Elune shine upon you!
You can claim the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but seems that friendship ended up permanent, as the Night Elves joined the Alliance, and Malfurion was even happy to see Thrall again at Mount Hyjal alongside the Guardians of Hyjal:
- Malfurion Stormrage says: Greetings, friends.
Malfurion Stormrage says: I sense a vast power has grown within you, young Thrall. You’ve achieved much, since last we met.
Thrall says: Master Stormrage, It’s good to have you back in the waking world.
The Long Vigil is no longer relevant to Night Elves in the present setting beyond to role players, who aren’t canon, and are free to ignore canon if they want, but doesn’t actually change the canon lore as it is.
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Right…a faction that’s, like, half Tauren becoming Alliance aligned. I’m sure that would cause no drama at all…
Exactly this. The GoH is the same faction as the Cenarian Circle. It’s just a separate rep to give players something else to grind.
Just like The Sunreavers and the Sunreaver Onslaught.
Sure… I think I was pretty transparent in saying it was my own head canon, because I believe it made the most sense. Every other solution to the OP here are assumptions… So what are you even arguing? That your assumption is somehow more true than my assumption? Well I disagree, and there isn’t any concrete lore that explicitly supports your claim over mine.
Yeah, people change… but it takes time, and even more time for entire cultures.
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