Elven Races and Lady Sylvanas

Part 1: The Elves

An “article” if you will explaining the whole Night Elf/Blood Elf connection
and why it is the Night Elf model isn’t physically accurate for Lady Sylvannas,
and why a Blood Elf Model would be.
(According to Warcraft Lore.)

The reason I’m writing this isn’t because I’m crazy-nutty obsessed with WoW.
It’s a story and I find it interesting.
It’s also to prove that about 10 mins of web-surfing can solve confusion.
A lot of people don’t know about the Elf races or Sylvanas,
but they’ll still tell someone how wrong they are,
and in reality, they are the ones who are wrong.
Enjoy.

Night Elves/Highborne/High Elves/Blood Elves

“The kaldorei are an ancient and reclusive race born during the waking of the world. Their ancient heritage has shaped them into a devoted warrior race, with a reverence for nature and animistic mystical forces. The kaldorei are practical but superstitious, and often a paradox. They are a people possessed with a deep spiritual passion and a desire to find solace.”

Meaning: Kaldorei are Night Elves. It’s what “Kaldorei” means in their imaginary language. Also, Night Elves are Hippies.

“The Highborne were the upper classes of the ancient Kaldorei civilization, at first a nameless caste made up of night elves who had unusual intelligence, strength, skills, or wealth and thus found favor with the ruling monarch. Their vast arrogance and greed, garish and multicolored clothing, and decadent habits did not endear them to other night elves. In fact, these powerful families became convinced that they were superior to the rest of their race, and so they began to call themselves the Highborne”

Meaning: The Highborne are nothing more than and evolution of Night Elves. Also, the Highborne are cocky little bastards.

(Get ready. This next one is long.)

“Finally giving themselves over to magic’s inevitable corruption, the Highborne fell to darkness and began to worship the Legionlord Sargeras as their god…To cement their dark pact, the ecstatic Highborne opened a great, swirling portal within the depths of the Well of Eternity which would allow the armies of the Legion access to the world, followed by Sargeras himself…The Legion was finally foiled by the efforts of the night elf Malfurion Stormrage, who in his battle with Queen Azshara collapsed the Well of Eternity, killing many Highborne and condemning those who survived to the sea floor…Yet many Highborne did not meet their fate at the bottom of the sea. Some had betrayed their Queen at the last minute…the Highborne foolishly [attempted] to convince the Kaldorei race of the power of magic by unleashing a magical storm upon Ashenvale. Their desperate gambit failed, and the Highborne were exiled; the night elves mercifully refusing to execute any more of their brethren.”

Meaning: The Highborne’s addiction to magic backfired. They unleashed hell on the world. The survivors tried to convince the Night Elves tha magic is good and then get banished. The Highborne are still cocky bastards.

“These exiled Highborne took their punishment in stride…set sail across the ocean..established their kingdom of Quel’Thalas (“High Home”) and crowned Dath’Remar their king. There, they slowly changed in form, diminishing in size and becoming darker of hue. They abandoned the worship of the Moon, adopting instead the Sun, and became the high elves.”

Meaning: Highborne found a new home. (North-East of Lorderon.) Changed their named to High Elves. And, oh yeah, still cocky bastards.

“After their homeland of Quel’Thalas – and the source of their power – was destroyed by the undead Scourge, a radical group of high elves embraced their Highborne ancestry and resumed for the third time their reckless use of magic. Kael’thas Sunstrider renamed these people as the blood elves, and traveled to Outland with Illidan to find a way to fuel their magical addiction. Those who did not travel with him remained behind and began to rebuild their shattered capital city of Silvermoon.”

Meaning: Blood Elves are former high elves, cut off from their source of magic. The only difference between a Blood Elf and a High Elf is their magic use and eye color.

Visual Comparison

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Night Elves and the Highborne don’t look the same blah blah blah.” It’s stated that the Night Elves and The Highborne have “…near-identical physical appearance(s).” Also no change of physical apperance is mentioned until The Highborne are exiled and arrive at the future Quel’Thalas where “…they slowly changed in form, diminishing in size and becoming darker of hue.” So, the physical change occurs once the Highborne are exiled.

Summary

• Night Elves spawned and Elite Society within themselves known as the “Highborne”
• The Highborne eventually became so different from Night Elves that they became a entirely new race.
• The Highborne were eventually exiled from the Night Elven Society
• When the Highborn claim their new homeland in Lorderon they change their name to the “High Elves”
• At this same time is when the change in physical appearance takes place.
• Blood Elves do not appear until after the scourge have sacked Silvermoon and destroyed the Sunwell (High Elves source of power.)
• Blood Elves are high elves who had to find a new source of magic to feed their addiction to magic.
• The new magic is what causes the slight change in physical appearance, including eye-color.

Sources:
http://www.wowwiki.com/Night_Elf
http://www.wowwiki.com/Blood_elves
http://www.wowwiki.com/High_elves
http://www.wowwiki.com/Highborne

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Part 2: The Dark Lady

Here’s what I see the most:
“Why is Sylvanas a Night Elf in WoW?”
and
“Sylvanas isn’t a blood elf, why would
‘blizz’ give her a Blood Elf model!?”

Ironically, I would speculate that it is those of us
who play the game because it’s fun, who
are probably finding the answer most obvious.

Sylvanas

Most WoW players to day know Sylvanas as “The Dark Lady” or “The Banshee Queen.” Sylvanas Windrunner is currently the ruler of the “Forasken” a group of people cursed by the undead plaque, but no longer in servitude of Prince Arthas. (Read up about all that yourself you lazy bums.)

Lady Sylvanas, prior to all that, was know as Sylvanas Windrunner, Ranger-General of Silvermoon City. Now, Night Elves are not from Silvermoon, so she’s not a Night Elf. The Highborne are not from Silvermoon, so she’s not a Highborne. She was a High Elf. Meaning she looked like a Blood Elf, but with blue eyes and pale skin.

Sylvanas, while attempting to defend Silvermoon City was killed by Prince Arthas. Arthas then turned her into a Banshee under his control. In this form, she helped him sack her own homeland and destroy the Sunwell.

Eventually she broke free. Through sheer strength of will, and the fact that Arthas was weakening, she broke herself free from Arthas’ control, reclaimed her OWN body and swore vengence against him. She then took over the human capitol of Lorderon. The rest is explained in WoW.

Let the Videos do the Talking

Tells Sylvanas’ story prior to World of Warcraft. (It’s 5 videos) – Warcraft III: Sylvanas Windrunner

Sylvanas as she appeared when WoW was released, and as she still appears today. That bounce? That’s why it’s just so wrong.

Sylvanas as she appears in the most recent version of the WOTLK beta.

No doubt you’ve noticed she has a blood elf character model. Because when she was alive she was a HIgh Elf. And the only physical difference between a High Elf and a Blood Elf is eye color and skin tone. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing incorrect about using a blood elf character model to represent a undead high elf, with glowing red eyes and blue/grey skin. Also, the High Elf NPCs currently in game are simply a blood elf model with blue eyes and pale skin.

Last but not least. The story, as told by Blizz, of Sylvanas Windrunner.

And the reason Lady Sylvanas has had a Night Elf model for so long despite the fact that there are now Blood Elf models…
Blizz was either being lazy, or they were too busy, or they were sure if they wanted to change the model for fear of public reaction to it.

To those who could take the time to argue the point frivoulessly on the WoW forums, but couldn’t take the 10 minutes to look this stuff up, I say to you: Uh-DUH!

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