They were Xenophobes in Warcraft 3 though. Only working with the Horde and Humans to defend the world tree.
Blizzard made them an alliance race in order to keep them as a playable option.
I do understand that you want the cool nature warrior aspect back. Just don’t forget they were kind of short sighted at that time.
Even though the Horde surrendered Ashenvale after MoP.
Ashenvale should be cut in two like with the barrens. The western still lush part and the eastern cut down part.
It would really nicely show the logical expanse of a growing power on a new continent. Which the Horde has been since arriving on Kalimdor.
Even though the Horde surrendered Ashenvale after MoP.
Ashenvale should be cut in two like with the barrens. The western still lush part and the eastern cut down part.
It would really nicely show the logical expanse of a growing power on a new continent. Which the Horde has been since arriving on Kalimdor.
I agree, Ashenvale should be split in two. In fact, I think many old zones should merge into a few larger zones. The old zones can be sub-zones like Krasarang Wilds. This new zone would be the one remaining healthy forest on Kalimdor with a somewhat strong Night Elf presence.
I like the fact that it would be situated along the northwest coast of Kalimdor, which both gives them an escape route by sea but also connects them better to Azuremyst Isle and the Draenei.
Not to mention how the Veiled Sea continues in the west, which is a nice way of setting up new lore. Perhaps some Night Elves travel west into the unknown and discover ancient settlements on some new continent, populated in-part by ancient Night Elven seafarers. There are some nice Tolkienesque opportunities there, with the ancient highborne elven race travelling into the west in the sunset of their days.
Every area has issues that aren’t that surmountable, even Suramar, it’s just a matter of whether the developers want it there or not.
Do they go for the straightforward (i.e. Hyjal), do they go for the easy design option but engaging, interesting story (i.e. Suramar)? I feel Eldre’thalas would be useful as a major night elf city whether they settle on Hyjal, Darkshore or Suramar as a new capital - Because of it’s location.
Hyjal neutrality is really because the Cenarion Circle, led by Malfurion Stormrage allows it and the Night elf government left it in their charge.
The neutrality won’t stop the night elves returning, nor would it expel the operation of the druids. The druid Cenarion circle and order of Elune are led by night elf leaders -
I think with Hyjal as a capital, the operation of the druids and Cenarion circle will continue. THe night elves are not in isolation, even if they largely withdraw, i believe an international organisation important to their druids would be allowed to continue to operate there.
It could be that only Night elf druids manage druidic affairs in Hyjal, and they post the druids of other races elsewhere for political purposes. Or, they could actually be quite open to them, seeing it is its own separate institution.
Either depends on blizz, but it doesn’t have to be restricting.
I think Eldre’thalas would be a working city regardless of where a capital is. Though Hyjal has more going for it. The Well of Eternity on Hyjal would be a resource the night elves need to aid in the defence of everything they hold dear, including the Well of Eternity. Remember now, they no longer have any reason not to use it. Arcane is back, the Legion destroyed, and it has the power to build their new city and help them defend, expand their new civilization and continue to boost the work of nature too through their rituals and moonwells.
The World tree is vital to the druids, and while that is all druids, remember roughly about 33% for the night elf population is druidic. So I feel this would work in a D.C /New York type relationship. Hyjal is D.C, Eldre’thalas is new york.
Yes, this is true, but it can also change too. It is the ngiht elf race that has stewarded and defended that land the most and paid the price for it, it is also by their permission and desire their druidic order has expanded into multi-racial organisation.
Put it this way, the Cenarion circle and Earthern Ring have no real authority or power to stop the night elves returning there, and I don’t think they have any desire. The druidic orders most numerous members are night elves and cenarians, and the night elf nation has never been at cross purposes with the druidic order. Even in the pre-sundering era, when all night elves studied the arcane and non-could be bothered with nature, their civilization was never anti-nature, never hated it, quite the opposite, since they sculpted forests and land alike, cities full of gardens, - Azshara led her people in the end to be contemptrous of the wilds, not hate them or lead a life without them, and in fact the records show in their civilization only the arrogant Highborne close to her were like this, many of the people - arcane users that they were, still revered the wilds.
This means they have a 15k year history of their nature love.
That is sort of true. I don’t think they were xenophobic, I think they appeared so because they use to kill anyone that entered their lands and stayed isolated.
But the reason for this was not xenophobia, old kaldorei were yes (as you can see in Suramar), but Malfurion is not. It could be the Order of Elune who led the night elf nation were, - but the lore provides the reason for their behaviour.
They were protecting and hiding the well of eternity, this is why they never strayed from the northern forests (yeh, in 10k years classic quests tell us they never went to Feralas) they stayed in Ashenvale border - so yes, Darkshore was abandoned till after WC3.
It’s really protecting the Well of Eternity and defending the world against the Legion. Remember Nordrassil is grown to protect the Well, it is not the object of desire for the Legion, despite its secondary importance to the world. However that secondary nourishment of the world and dream access, is beacause it is fuelled and connected to the arcane well it was designed to protect and hide.
So can we even call it xenophobia? No sentient is allowed past Ashenvale because of the Well of Eternity secret the enitre Long Vigil mission was centred around hiding and protecting. Presumably magic sensitives might begin to sense the power there, but under no circumstances do they allow, it is forbidden because of this mission, and that’s why these benevolent elves can be so ruthless.
You see most players don’t read the lore, they saw the night elves slaughtering orcs and thought them savage/fierce , brutally murdering anyone near their territory, but the reason is in the text - and there is more to it than meets the eye. This is why these guys are called enigmatic,
It would be an interesting scenario, i think they originally intended the horde to mostly have Kalimdor, and the night elves would flee to the Broken isles which has more of their history and something for every group and facet of the race.
But I think that’s been cancelled. If the night elves have a capital in Hyjal and are using both the Well of Eternity and the World tree, in this peace state, they orcs would have no say in Ashenvale now and the night elves would now have the power to defend it with a combination of the night warrior ritual, the Well of eternity and the power of nature through emerald dream channelled from the tree.
and so it would be night elven. You can project what things would be like later.
The night elves would make heavy restrictions on that territory, harvesting of wood would be on their own terms, the druids would be on board with this as it is forest related. Blizzard can decide how that works out.
It is likely the horde druids would be commissioned to grow forests in horde territory to be their wood source. AN interesting scenario would be if the night elves guided the process to Azshara so they could subtlety extend and strengthen their influence over that land - fully intending to take it back entirely from the horde.
Azshara zone could become the new contested area. Meanwhile barrens and durator forest regrowth is commenced. Durotar would likely be utilised for farm land for Orgrimmar and the horde.
The druids with the night elves backing would want the few remaining forest land - i.e. Feralas and Ashevnale preserved, and want to extend forestry , not destroy it. The peaceful solution would be for the druids to grow and direct the wood supply for the orcs. Pressure the use of other materials too.
THe horde has mages, let the mages magic stone and metal. It would be the highborne mages that built the new capital in hyjal using magic for stone, pealrs and precious metals/jewels etc for it, not using wood (the flesh of trees) or disturbing the trees)… they would want the orcs to use alternative methods.
now the orcs wouldn’t want to rely on Blood elf or nightborne or forsaken mages at all, furthermore magecraft amongst the orcs is quite new, it isn’t an established institution, they’re just a handful of orc mages here and there. The orcs need and would want the wood.
Resources wiill be an issue. It’s likely that the demand for wood will outgrow the supply and the patience to grow the trees and harvest the wood.
It would likely lead to issues down the line. Raids, counter raids etc.
I’m guessing the expac after Shadowlands will focus on rebuilding Vanilla zones again but this time without the Cataclysm fiasco (both versions will exist, only time displaced). It could mean rebuilt/updated Silvermoon, Undercity, Gilneas, something for the Night Elves and so on. I’m hoping for Feralas or Ashenvale personally.
It’s because back in the Cataclysm they chose to have all the major points only in Stormwind and Orgrimmar. Remember the time before? I sure do, all my characters used Ironforge as a hub. I say it’s time to bring it back, I’m sick to death of Stormwind.
Only difference was Ironforge was the faction capital where most alliance players hung out and Orgrimmar still the same for Horde.
Only memory i have of races hanging out in “Race capitals” were during levelling in vanilla, there were never much of that in endgame, per example undead in UC, tauren in TB, dwarfs in IF and humans in SW etc.
Already during TBC this was dead. Belfs didnt hang out in Silvermoon and draenei did not hang out in Exodar etc.
Even so, I’d prefer to have it because it makes the world a bit richer. Sometimes the WoW world is about atmosphere and flower picking and chilling with a fishing rod, everything shouldn’t be only for convenience’s sake.
