[A-RP] Night Elf Roleplay

Note: Since Acrona could no longer edit her old thread, she requested me to re-post it!

Table of contents

– General info & tips

– Upcoming events

– Archive of videos, pictures and articles of some past events

– List of active guilds with a strong Night Elf theme

– Compilation of lore of Battle for Azeroth

Other links:

Seeds of Kalimdor discord
Discord link: https://discord.gg/Qsf4sCA

Elune/Moon worship community
Forum thread: Elune/Moon Worship Community Discord 🌙
Discord link:https://discord.gg/4MVex4J

General info & tips

Night elves are a popular race choice on the Alliance side. In 2018, numerous people still enjoy playing them on Argent Dawn. This thread revolves around night elf themed roleplay, such as how and where to find it, guilds list, news and links to see some past events.

Where can one find night elf themed roleplay?

Areas populated by night elf guilds are your best bet on a day-to-day basis. Old hubs have commonly been Ashenvale and Feathermoon Stronghold, in BfA the roleplay might be more scattered. After BfA launch Feathermoon seems the likely hub to visit with Astranaar under Horde occupation.

Many guilds travel more than the others or keep more to themselves, and the hubs do not tend to give a full representation of the night elf scene. You can find a list of night elf themed guilds in the third post.

If you are new around, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for public events and campaigns, as they can result in a lot of contacts. Even brief interaction with others can lead to more roleplay in the future, and lower the threshold of approaching other characters if you have already met them however briefly.

I haven’t roleplayed a night elf before but I’d like to try it! What do I need to know?

I’d recommend starting by reading up on the race’s lore, their stereotypical traits and major events that shaped their society into what it is today. WoWpedia is a fairly trusted wiki of information, with links to sources.

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Night_elf

I also recommend to read the following article that offers insight into the night elf mentality, giving food for thought when making your character:

http://blizzardwatch.com/2016/07/02/role-play-night-elf-lore-character-development/

You don’t have to play a very stereotypical night elf, but being aware of the stereotypes can help you get even more immersed when interacting with other characters, and help to add that cultural touch into the ambience of your roleplay.

I’ve tried but found it difficult to get into the night elf RP scene! Any tips?

Guilds come and go and the night elf roleplay scene changes every year as people shift around. At the moment the scene as a whole is not a very tightly knit community, even if members of different guilds work together now and then to produce content. Each guild has their own identity and if you didn’t have much luck with one, I recommend trying another.

I think it’s also worth noting that some people roleplaying a night elf as their main might prefer having their roleplay revolve primarily around other night elf characters. This helps them get more immersed in the atmosphere surrounding the race, so trying to get into the circles with a human or gnome character, for example, might be more difficult. Looking for a certain kind of immersion is why many base their roleplay in Kalimdor zones instead of Stormwind, or why some people play mostly with their own guild.

Some night elf guilds welcome Worgens and other allies who embrace the night elf culture and traditions.

The amount of interaction you get also depends on how interesting (or plausible) others find your character concept and how you approach other people for roleplay. It can initially take a bit of work, but once you’ve built some contacts and made it enjoyable for them interact with you, chances are you’ll find roleplay more conveniently at an increasing speed as positive word passes around.

Q&A regarding character concepts

What kind of night elf guilds are there? What kind of a character concept would get me the most roleplay?

At the moment there are many guilds that have room for very different types of characters from sentinels to watchers to druids etc. I’d say think more about what kind of a character you’d like to play in the night elf society inspired by their lore. I’m confident people can point you in the direction of guilds that might best work with the concept.

It’s of course not necessary to be part of a guild. If you roleplay a socially outgoing character who has a reason to approach others, such as a trader or craftsman for example, chances are you’ll still get a nice amount of roleplay in the hubs. Events are a good opportunity to make your solo character known to others!

Is it possible to roleplay a night elf mage that’s not a Highborne?

Certainly, though there are some things you should be aware of. The mage class was made available to the night elf race in the Cataclysm expansion. During the expansion, the Highborne’s (http://wow.gamepedia.com/Highborne) exile was lifted and they were allowed back into the society (http://wow.gamepedia.com/Highborne#Cataclysm).

Since Cataclysm the Highborne have started training kaldorei mages. Still, given the kaldorei society has been very much against the Highborne and arcane magic for ten thousand years, I’d recommend thinking up a reason why your kaldorei would want to become a mage if they grew up in a society that was very skeptical toward arcane magic users.

There were arcane wielders before the Sundering who were not part of the Highborne caste however (such as Illidan Stormrage) and if your character is old enough, it’s possible they could have practiced arcane magic before the Sundering and now for some reason have returned to it without having to fear being exiled.

The main point of bringing this up is that if you roll a kaldorei mage, please keep in mind it’s highly unlikely they could’ve practiced arcane magic in public until rather recently!

So my character was born in Teldrassil / Darnassus…

This is such a common thing it deserves a mention! Your character cannot have been born in Teldrassil unless they are very young, as Teldrassil was created after the Third War. According to the Timeline linked below, it’s now about 12 years since the war.

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Teldrassil
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Third_War
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Timeline_(Ultimate_Visual_Guide)

Are male priests ok? What about female druids? I’ve got mixed information about this.

Yes, they are - in-character opinions might, of course, vary regarding gender betterness when it comes to different walks of life. According to the Warcraft Encyclopedia, prior to the conclusion of the Third War night elf society was sharply divided by gender. Only men were accepted into the Cenarion Circle, and women to the Sentinel Army and Sisterhood of Elune.

After the restrictions were lifted to favour practical concerns, it became acceptable for men to be trained as priests or be affiliated with the Sentinels, and female night elf druids were welcomed into the Cenarion Circle. For further reading:

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Night_elf#Gender_roles


If there’s something to add you think would be helpful for people new to night elf roleplay, please feel free to share and discuss them on this thread.


Upcoming events:

22nd of February: Ceremony to Elune

Time: 20:00 RT
Location: Ruins of Isildien, Feralas

For more information, contact Syruné!


Archive

Featuring videos, pictures and articles of public night elf themed events that happened on the server, for inspiration and reference.

2022

Lunar Festival Pilgrimage & Celebration
Forum Thread: [A-RP] Lunar Festival Events (6th & 12th February)

2021

Loyal to the End
Forum Thread: https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/c/argent-dawn/190

Illuridei, the Watchers’ Flame
Forum Thread: [A-Event] Illuridei - The Watchers' Flame 🔥
Screenshots (credits to Lintian!): https://imgur.com/a/ZEdMP5K

Sentinel September
Forum Thread: [Night Elf RP] Sentinel September - Ashenvale

Sisterhood Ceremony
Forum Thread: (see post 201 in this thread)

Highborne Expedition
Forum Thread: [DM Event] Highborne Expedition
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/255640
Screenshots (credits to Acrona): https://imgur.com/a/2LvmcTE

Jurina’tore, the Great Hunt
Forum Thread: [A] Jurina'tore - The Great Hunt ☀ (June 19th - 20th)
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/254518

Byltan, the Spring Festival
Forum Thread: [A-Event] Byltan - Kaldorei Spring Festival 🌸
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/253039

The Lunar Festival
Forum Thread: Lunar Festival 🌙 (12th/13th/14th Feb 2021)
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/249909
Screenshots (credits to Acrona): https://imgur.com/a/tEm7gaf

Omar’s Testament
Forum Thread: https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/a-event-highborne-gathering-omar’s-testament
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/250299
Screenshot (credits to Acrona): https://imgur.com/LaNa6FQ

2020

Feathermoon Lectures
Forum Thread: [Night Elf & Worgen-RP] Feathermoon Lectures - Public Event - 4th of December
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/248254

Samha - Kaldorei Remembrance of the Dead
Forum Thread: [A-Event] Samha - Kaldorei Rememberance of the Dead

Moonball Tournament
Forum Thread: [A/Event] Moonball Tournament in Feralas
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/247382
Screenshots (credits to Acrona!): https://imgur.com/a/vD1CzCv

Shen’dralar Gathering
Forum Thread: [A/Event] Shen'dralar Gathering
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/247376
Screenshots (credits to Acrona!): https://imgur.com/a/WSMOiOg

Sisterhood Summons
Forum Thread: [A-RP] Sisterhood Summons (Nelf RP)
Argent Archives: -

Feathermoon Story Night
Forum Thread: Feathermoon Story Night
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/246402
Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/J21zFby

Kalimdor in Flames
Forum Thread: [RP-PvP] Kalimdor in Flames
Argent Archives: -

A small sermon for Teldrassil
Forum Thread: [A-Event] A small sermon for Teldrassil
Argent Archives: -
Screenshot gallery #1: https://imgur.com/a/EhfDoV4
Screenshot gallery #2 (credit goes to Ulwa!): https://imgur.com/a/9jEB8Kb

Sermon of Elune’s most faithful - 2
Forum Thread: Elune/Moon Worship Community Discord 🌙 - #32 by Arìalla-argent-dawn
Argent Archives: -

Sermon of Elune’s most faithful - 1
Forum Thread: Elune/Moon Worship Community Discord 🌙
Argent Archives: -
Screenshots (credits to Acrona!): https://i.imgur.com/srvV8nN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0nXQF4a.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/C8t0rjs.jpg

Jurina’tore - the Great Hunt
Forum Thread: Jurina'tore - The Great Hunt 🦌 (June 20th - 21st)
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/242639
Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/yNkNBWY
https://imgur.com/a/p40VBDz

Kaldorei Pankration
Forum Thread: [A-Event] Kaldorei Pankration
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/241873
Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/6LFru1i

Feathermoon Spring Festival
Forum Thread: Feathermoon Spring Festival 🌺 [Video footage]
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/239132
Video: https://youtu.be/GzMzKB5CRXU

Blessings of War II
Forum Thread: [Night Elf & Worgen-RP] Blessings of War II - Public Event - 19th to 22nd of March
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/237798

The Felled Tree - A crisis of faith
Forum Thread: [Night Elf & Worgen RP] A Place of Discourse & Controversy - Kaldorei Forum - 13th of March!
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/236275
Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/noOl1v8 (thanks again, Acrona!)

The Felled Tree - The Kaldorei and the Alliance
Forum Thread: [Night Elf & Worgen RP] A Place of Discourse & Controversy - Kaldorei Forum - 13th of March!
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/236275
Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/M2AwaI0 (thank you, Acrona!)

Lunar Festival
Forum Thread: 🌕 [N/RP] Lunar Festival 31st January - 2nd February
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/235245
Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/pyjzTof
Articles: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/236548

2019

Winter Solstice
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/234542
Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/h5XHUHP

Wrangleroot Wrestling
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/233794
Forum Thread: [A/RP - Kalimdor Event] Wrangleroot Wrestling 🌿

A Requiem for the Fallen
Forum Thread: A Requiem for the Fallen

Samha
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/232979

Andu-falah-dor!
Forum Thread: [Kaldorei/Worgen-RP] Andu-falah-dor!

Pilgrimage Across Kalimdor
Forum Thread: [A-RP] - Pilgrimage Across Kalimdor

Communion with the Moon
Forum Thread: Communion with the Moon
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/230029

A New Moon
Forum Thread: A New Moon
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/229355

Heart of the Forest
Forum Thread: Heart of the Forest
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/228967

Jurina’tore - the Great Hunt
Forum Thread: Jurina’tore - The Great Hunt
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/227123

The Last Court - Highborne Gathering
Forum Thread: [A-RP] The Last Court (Highborne gathering & Community)

Byltan - Kaldorei Spring Festival
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/224957

Moonlight Intercession
Forum Thread: [A-RP] Moonlight Intercession

Heart of the Forest
Forum Thread: [A-Social RP] Heart of the Forest

Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/223037

Lunar Festival
Forum Thread: Lunar Festival - 9th February

Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/221163

Blessings of War
Forum Thread: [Night Elf & Worgen-RP] Blessings of War - Public Event

Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/218922
https://www.argentarchives.org/node/221033

2018

Lunar Festival and Market in Darnassus
Video footage: https://youtu.be/fE37P12Y5s8

Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/205205
https://www.argentarchives.org/node/205611

2017

Lunar Festival and Market in Darnassus
Video footage: https://youtu.be/skOvsM2zjSM

Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/186536

Lunar Festival Procession II

Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/186012

Spring Festival
Video footage: https://youtu.be/8b7InAygBVc

[Campaign] Starhost: Vengeance of the Night Warrior
Video footage: https://youtu.be/9L5Kqszg1FQ

Pictures: https://eu.battle.net/forums/en/wow/topic/15889829201?page=10#post-197

Feathermoon Fight Night
Video footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR1ibQHouMg

Argus Crisis Gathering: Kalimdor Forces
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/195655

Video footage: https://youtu.be/ld6hkLbQH0I

[Campaign] Close to Home
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/197807
https://www.argentarchives.org/node/198361

Founding Ceremony of the Spear of Elune
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/199972

Highborne Gathering
Video footage: https://youtu.be/f4j_aUEENMk

2016

Darnassus Spring Festival
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/171963

Video footage: https://youtu.be/_FR4Zunzv_Y

Astranaar Village Hours
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/174959

Ashenvale Story Nights
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/169623

Ashenvale Training Hours
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/170941

Lunar Festival Procession
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/168575

Video footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQn0lnZdKTk

2015

Festival of the Twin Bears
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/162073

Video footage: https://youtu.be/5b95LxyEcRA

Moonrise
Video footage: https://youtu.be/HJ6zFjJbB3k

Astranaar Village Hours
Pictures: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/159703

Feralas Fight Night
Pictures: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/161945

Gathering of the Stars
Pictures: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/152905

If I’m missing some events in the archive, please let me know!

Active guilds with a strong night elf theme

If you’d like your guild mentioned on the list below, please fill in the following template and post it on the thread. To make sure inactive guilds won’t be left hanging on the list, I’d like GM/officers to give a status update on their guild every 2 months!

Guild Name:
Forum Thread:
Argent Archives/Webpage:
Armory:

Note: There might exist more guilds outside the listing the OP just isn’t aware of!

Guild List

Guild Name: Court of Taurthelian
Forum Thread: Court of Taur'thelian (Highborne RP)
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/242737
Armory: https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-gb/guild/eu/argent-dawn/court-of-taurthelian

Guild Name: Glaivewings
Forum Thread: [A/RP] Sentinel Cadre - Glaivewings
Argent Archives/Webpage: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/233492
Armory: https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-gb/guild/eu/argent-dawn/glaivewings

Guild Name: Starweavers
Forum Thread: [Highborne/Kaldorei RP] Starweavers - Making Arcane Great Again
Argent Archives/Webpage: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/232836
Armory: https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-gb/guild/eu/argent-dawn/starweavers

Guild Name: Dirge of Teldrassil
Forum Thread: [PCU] Worgen/Night Elf RP - Dirge of Teldrassil 🌳
Argent Archives/Webpage: -
Armory: https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-gb/guild/eu/argent-dawn/dirge-of-teldrassil

Guild Name: The Veiled Glaive
Forum Thread: -
Argent Archives/Webpage: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/235061
Armory: https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-gb/guild/eu/argent-dawn/the-veiled-glaive

Guild Name: The Nightblade Sentinels
Forum Thread: ⸰☽ The Nightblade Sentinels ☾⸰ - Sentinels of the New Moon 🌙
Argent Archives: https://www.argentarchives.org/node/160463
Webpage: https://www.nightbladesentinels.com/
Armory: https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-gb/guild/eu/argent-dawn/the-nightblade-sentinels

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Night Elves in Battle for Azeroth

In Battle for Azeroth, the Night Elves were given a lot of lore to work with in their roleplay. Night Elves are a race that have suffered as a people in recent expansions, and Battle for Azeroth is no exception to this. The Horde invade Night Elf lands and burn Teldrassil, the night elven capital. In this post, I’d like to take a closer look at what happens to the Night Elves as a people and how the events of Battle for Azeroth may affect your character.

Table of Contents:

  • The Story so Far

  • Burning of Teldrassil

  • Darkshore

  • Zandalar

  • Mission Table Mission Compilation

The Story so Far

Patch 8.0 – the Invasion of Ashenvale

Legion ended in Sargeras impaling Azeroth with his sword and causing a grave wound. When he did, Azeroth bled her very life essence. All over the world, a new mineral appeared: Azerite. It was quickly established as Azeroth’s very life essence and both the Horde and Alliance saw power in this new Azerite – so much so in fact, that the two factions began to fight each over it.

The Horde mobilizes an army to march on Silithus[1], the site of Azeroth’s grave wound. Through the SI:7, the Alliance finds out and prepares to move on it. This is where Battle for Azeroth starts, and it is also where the Night Elves first get mentioned.

The Night Elves send their fleet to Silithus in order to intercept this army, but it turns out the reports were wrong. The Horde didn’t move to Silithus – they diverted and are instead marching on Ashenvale [2]. As per Elegy, the Night Elves also appear to place down a Moonwell in Silithus to heal the lands in more peaceful ways. [3]

The fleet, stated to be already halfway, would not make it back in time to defend Astranaar and Ashenvale. Through Elegy, we find out that Horde assassins (rogues, Deathstalkers) strike at several outposts at once to prevent any word from spreading [4]. Astranaar is attacked and many Night Elves seem to die [5].

The wisps of the fallen Night Elves are summoned to Darkshore; Malfurion, mid-fight with Sylvanas when the player character finds him, has beckoned them to help him [6]. He creates a wisp wall to stave off the Horde.

It is during the same quest that Malfurion tells us that the Horde seeks to capture Darnassus. The player character aids in protecting Darkshore’s Ancients. Then, they are sent to Darnassus to gather the remaining forces of the kaldorei [7].

The Night Elves do their best to prevent the Horde from reaching Teldrassil, but it is to no avail – or so it seems. It turns out that the kaldorei fleet has returned and the kaldorei manage to hold the Horde off for a while

It seems to go well until the Horde launch a surprise attack. They scale the mountains of Felwood and attack from the north, heading for Lor’danel. The wisp wall also begins to fall , so the Night Elves will have to deal with attacks from two sides[8]. Sylvanas engages Malfurion while the Horde tries to take control of the night elven fleet to sail to Darnassus[9]. Eventually, Lor’danel is overrun and the Night Elves turn to Malfurion for guidance [10].

Malfurion battles and almost kills Sylvanas, but Saurfang intervenes. He throws his battle axe at Malfurion from behind and Malfurion is close to death. But Saurfang does not end him. Tyrande appears; she spares Saurfang and saves Malfurion.

Then, instead of conquering Teldrassil, Sylvanas burns it. This is a major happening for the Night Elves. Their people are genocided and most of the Night Elf population dies in this event. I will cover the Burning in greater detail later.

Of course, your Night Elf likely won’t know all the specific little details. But they can, possibly should know about the invasion of Ashenvale/Darkshore, and what the Night Elves suffered in the end.

Patch 8.1 – Tides of Vengeance

In 8.1, Night Elves get more content. The player character is sought out by Tyrande’s owl and brings with him a letter from Tyrande herself. Maiev and Shandris are moving to Stormwind to petition Anduin Wrynn for aid in taking back Darkshore [11].

Anduin denies the Night Elves aid; Darkshore would stretch the Alliance too thin, he states. Tyrande does not agree and states the Night Elves will then reclaim Darkshore alone. She travels with a small force to Darkshore [12].

Eventually, Maiev, Sira and the player character rally with Tyrande in Bashal’Aran, and they find that the High Priestess is up to something very bizarre. Tyrande is performing the Ritual of the Night Warrior [13]. This is another important happening and something I’ll go more into depth on later.

The High Priestess completes her ritual and begins to ravage the Forsaken in Darkshore. She seeks out and fights Nathanos Blightcaller but, although she has the upper hand and slays one of Sylvanas’ Val’kyr, Nathanos escapes to live another day. Delaryn Summermoon, a Sentinel commander, is risen mid-fight. She becomes a Dark Ranger [13]. Again, this is something I’ll cover more in the Darkshore chapter.

After this point, it can be safely assumed that the two factions have a back-and-forth war. The zone’s control changes weekly and there is also the Warfront that becomes available after.


Burning of Teldrassil

In this chapter, I’d like to explain what Teldrassil is and what it stands for, to then go on why the Burning of Teldrassil is so important to the Night Elves.

Teldrassil was planted just after the Third War by Fandral Staghelm in an attempt to regain the Night Elves’ immortality [14]. In order to get this immortality, he needed the blessing of Nozdormu. Fandral requested, but was denied his blessing and, in turn, his kin’s renewed immortality. Nozdormu saw Fandral’s request as arrogant[15]. Alexstrasza also refused her blessing, which caused the new World Tree’s growth to “become flawed and unpredictable.”

Due to this, some Night Elves may see Teldrassil itself as a failure. During the events of Stormrage [16], Teldrassil falls victim to the Nightmare’s corruption after Fandral Staghelm. When Malfurion eventually cleanses Teldrassil of this corruption, Alexstrasza and sequentially Ysera blessed Teldrassil.

In the Cataclysm, Nightmare corruption resurfaces. It can be dealt with because of the Dragon Aspects’ blessings, and so it is. [17].

These events may have caused your Night Elf to possibly view the creation of Teldrassil as a failure. The World Tree suffered several times from Nightmare corruption, and the initial wish for creating it was arrogant and denied; Teldrassil served as symbol for Fandral’s regressive traditionalism.

But Teldrassil was also the Night Elves’ capital ever since it was created after the Third War. The World Tree was the size of a small island; it was more than “just” a city [18]. Teldrassil had its own ecosystems and housed many of the kaldorei population as per the Burning of Teldrassil.

Your Night Elf may not have cared much about the fact that the World Tree itself burned down, but the Burning of Teldrassil was a genocide. The amount of people that died is likely something to take into account when considering how your Night Elf views the Burning – most of the kaldorei were wiped out, and Elegy describes the remaining kaldorei population as “few, too few.” [5] Unless your Night Elf is a psychopath, I do not think they’ll simply write this loss off lightly.

Arguably, the Burning of Teldrassil also heralds the coming of a new era for the Night Elves. The Night Elves took many losses before – from a great Empire to a people that are almost extinct, they’ve taken many hits. I believe this can all be attributed to the fact that the Night Elves cling to their unwillingness to adapt; to remain as they once were. Now, with Teldrassil - and thus Fandral’s symbol of regressive traditionalism - gone, the Night Elves are forced to adapt.


Darkshore

The Night Elves get the brunt of their new lore in Darkshore. A few new concepts are introduced here and although most of the story is written down in The Story so Far, I’ll go into depth on the following during this chapter:

  • Ritual of the Night Warrior
  • Dark Rangers/Wardens

Ritual of the Night Warrior

When Tyrande leads the Night Elves into Darkshore, she eventually performs the Ritual of the Night Warrior. Maiev Shadowsong explains that, according to old legends, Elune bestowed her fury upon the greatest warriors of the kaldorei. In this sacred ritual, the strongest among these warriors became Elune’s avatar, the so-called Night Warrior. She also makes a point in stating that the ritual is dangerous. No ritual since the initial has gone well, as Elune’s raw power apparently simply tore apart the ritualists.

When you, as player character, find Tyrande at the Well of Purity in Bashal’Aran, she is already underway with the ritual. You defend her and, eventually, a cinematic plays and shows us that Tyrande “demands” to wear Elune’s darkest face: the fabled black eyes. Elune imbues Tyrande with her power, and she is then made into Elune’s avatar, the Night Warrior.

This ritual gives Tyrande great powers. She smites an entire camp of Forsaken and drops a miniature moon/star(?) on a Val’kyr to immediately kill them. She wreaks havoc in Darkshore.

Perhaps most interesting, however, is that the Ritual also seems to affect Tyrande’s so-called “Army of the Black Moon.” They bear the same black eyes as Tyrande herself due to her ritual. This, in turn, also opens up the option for player character Night Elves (and thus roleplayers!) to have black eyes.

To find out what the black eyes mean and what they do, I have two handy quotes from the Story and Lore Developer Live Stream and an interview with Terran Gregory, respectively.

“It’s very much Sentinel and Warden inspired. Right? And Wardens are, as we know, the keepers of vengeance. And while they were crafted very specifically they’re still, you know, at their core a Night Elf institution. The concept of wielding vengeance as a weapon. And I felt that actually factored into this. This was just my feeling in putting this story together. If they are capable of being empowered by vengeance, then that means they’re more powerful after they lost Teldrassil than they were during the fight of Teldrassil.” [19]

“Elune has the power to do this. We’ve established that she does. And here it is again. She calls upon it. The unnatural dark falls upon Darkshore. And it gives the Night Elves a battle, you know, enhancement. Right?” [20].

These two quotes give us some insight on what black eyes are, what they do and what they embody. They embody the Night Elves wielding their vengeance as a weapon and give the Night Elves a battle enhancement. However, the definition of battle enhancement in this case is kept vague and we’re left to guess. I have my own take on what the battle enhancement may include, but keep in mind that this is not confirmed. The following paragraph is thus headcanon.

Once Tyrande finishes her ritual, the player is imbued with a buff called “Fury of the Night Warrior”. This buff increases the player’s damage, health regeneration and health in general. I like to believe, personally, that the black eyes are a more permanent (possibly lighter?) version of this buff, serving as a general battle enhancement.

We know now where the black eyes came from, what they are and what they do. But I can hear you think – surely, since only Tyrande and her army can get these darkened eyes, my normal Night Elf couldn’t?

Incorrect. From the Blizzard Story and Lore Developer Livestream, we also know the following:

"At the warfront all the NPCs that are Night Elves actually have the darkened eyes. So theres definitely a sense that in proximity, fighting on behalf of the dark element of Elune, under the darkened moon, thats what happens. (…) “But I think in the story sense, that any night elf that is fighting on behalf of Elune in that confrontation, their eyes would be darkening. [21].

That’s right, any Night Elf that fights in Darkshore on behalf of Elune gains the black eyes. They are likely very common to any elf that partakes in the faction war, considering that Darkshore is the Warfront.

Seemingly, the eyes are not bound to Darkshore. They are obtained there, but we see sentinels in Boralus with black eyes, suggesting that the black eyes do not immediately fade upon leaving Darkshore.

With all that said, this covers the Ritual of the Night Warrior and the black eyes!

Dark Wardens and Dark Rangers

These are very, from what I’ve noticed, very controversial. People look at the Dark Warden, Sira, and immediately begin to frothe at the mouth – surely this doesn’t make sense! How could Sira Moowarden possibly side with her enemies? In this chapter, I hope to answer that and shed a light on who the Dark Wardens/Dark Rangers are and why they do make sense, at least in my eyes.

First things first, I’d like to start off by explaining what they are. Dark Rangers and Dark Wardens are, respectively, Night Elf Sentinels and Wardens raised to serve the Forsaken. At the moment, there is one Dark Warden (Sira Moonwarden) while there are several Dark Rangers (Delaryn Summermoon, for one).

To understand why it makes sense for these characters to so loyally serve Sylvanas and her Horde, we need to go a little bit back, back to the Burning of Teldrassil. During the Burning of Teldrassil, as explained before, the Night Elves were genocided. It is stated in Elegy that the numbers of the kaldorei remaining in the world are “few, too few”[4].

The Night Elves have revered Elune for millenia. But when these loyal worshipers needed her aid, her protection, Elune left the kaldorei on their own. Teldrassil burned, and many kaldorei died. After revering her for so long, one may begin to question their faith in this deity – why didn’t Elune intervene? Why didn’t she save her worshipers?

It is also stated in the Horde introduction that both Sira Moonwarden and Delaryn Summermoon believe that Tyrande and Elune left the kaldorei to die. They abandoned their people and left them to die. Delaryn Summermoon states that she is forsaken.[22]

Add to that that the curse of Undeath brings with it its own mental side-effects, and you can very easily imagine that Sira and Delaryn would willingly fight against those that they believe abandoned their people, Tyrande and Elune. The Dark Wardens and Rangers symbolize the despair of the Night Elves in their times of need.


Zandalar

In Battle for Azeroth, Night Elf lore stretches as far as the new zone Zandalar. There, Shandris Feathermoon and some of her Sentinels are involved in the Alliance’s War Campaign in Nazmir. She makes an appearance in other zones, but her main involvement is in Nazmir, where she and her Sentinels try to cripple the Horde’s operations in Nazmir and weaken Sylvanas’s forces (in this case a Dark Ranger). [23]

Overall, Shandris plays a relatively big role in the War Campaign. Although she isn’t as prominent in other zones as she is in Nazmir, she is still present – more than can be said for certain other racial leaders.

Adding to that, black eyed Night Elves show up in Boralus Harbor and a Stone Giant is present in Vol’dun.


Mission Table Tidbits

In this final chapter, I’d like to give some attention to the various Mission Tables we get. They have a lot to say about Night Elf involvement in Kalimdor. For example, the Night Elves assault the Crossroads in the Barrens, and places like Ashenvale are under attack by the Horde. I’ll be providing dropdowns for the zones that have missions attached to them!

Ashenvale
Zoram'gar Strand

Zoram’gar has been turned into a Horde port. In one of the mission table missions, the Alliance goes to place depth charges near it to prevent a naval assault on Azuremyst Isle, while the Horde goes to place depth charges to prevent a naval assault on the port.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1893/out-of-our-depth

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1931/out-of-your-depth

Silverwind Refuge

In this mission, sentinels from the Stardust Spire launch attacks on the Silverwind Refuge, which is held by the Horde. This implies that the Alliance holds Stardust Spire and states the Horde controls Silverwind Refuge.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1910/recapture-silverwind-refuge

Splintertree Post

This mission tells us that Splintertree Post is held by the Horde. Sentinels (kal’dorei :angry:) attack Splintertree Post.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1947/posting-reinforcements

Warsong Camp/Forest Song

The Shreds of Warsong mission tells us that the Alliance (or dryads, rather) hold Forest Song and attack the Warsong Lumber Camp from there.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1919/shreds-of-warsong

Maestra's Post

In this mission, we are told that the Alliance controls Maestra’s Post and with it, the pass between Ashenvale and Darkshore.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1887/ashenvale-pass

Astranaar

Siege of Astranaar is the mission that gives clarity on the status of Astranaar. We are told here that a certain Horde commander marches against Astranaar. This indicates that Astranaar is held by the Alliance, and thus allows for RP there.

The Horde attempts to infiltrate and take down the remaining commander of Astranaar.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1866/siege-of-astranaar
Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1925/siege-of-astranaar

Stardust Spire

Here, it is confirmed that the Alliance controls Stardust Spire; the Horde lead an assault there.

https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1902/stardust-spire-counterattack

Blackfathom Deeps

This mission tells us that the Blackfathom Deeps aren’t held by either faction. They go there to investigate and claim whatever they find for their respective faction.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1900/deeps-scouting
Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1940/deeps-scouting

HOWEVER, the Alliance find Twillight’s Hammer agents there harvesting Azerite. They stop them and secure the Azerite for themselves, implying that they may hold the location.


Darkshore
Lor'danel

The Horde attempt to slay Dentaria Silverglade in Lor’danel to hinder the evacuation of Teldrassil’s survivors. The Alliance attempts to stop this army.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1926/teldrassil-evacuation
Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1882/teldrassil-evacuation

Shatterspear War Camp

The Horde entrenches themselves in the north of Darkshore, around the Shatterspear War Camp. The Alliance attempts to eliminate their chief engineer to stop them.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1901/darkshore-drilling

Shatterspear Vale

The Night Elves have a hippogryph roost in the Shatterspear Vale that threatens the Horde’s aerial superiority. They send in a strike force to try and destroy the roost.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=2087/explore-the-roost

Grove of the Ancients

Apparently, the Horde have bestiaries near the Grove of the Ancients. In this mission, the Alliance tries to to set fire to these bestiaries to hinder the coming of wolf raiders.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=2079/bestiary-cleanup

Auberdine

The Goblins of the Horde have a new Azerite-infused shredder that dismantles the ruins of Auberdine. The Alliance tries to stop them by either stealing or sabotaging these shredders.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1916/return-to-auberdine


The Barrens
The Crossroads

The Alliance attempts to capture the Crossroads in order to disrupt Horde troop movement in Kalimdor.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1886/at-a-crossroads

Great Gate of Mulgore

The Great Gates of Mulgore are being sieged, and Taurajo is being looted. The Horde stops the looters, who are equally the looters of Taurajo’s ruins.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1937/great-gate-of-mulgore

Fort Triumph/Desolation Hold

The Alliance attempts to re-establish Fort Triump and use its location to march soldiers against Desolation Hold.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1885/our-fort-was-a-triumph

Bael Modan

The Alliance uses Bael Modan as a staging point to launch attacks on Mulgore. The Horde attempts to take care of this.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1936/barrens-at-war

Northwatch Hold

The Goblins install Azerite cannons on the northern shore of the Great Divide to try and attack Northwatch Hold.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1934/blockade-of-northwatch

Theramore Isle

The ruins of Theramore are scouted by the Horde to see whether it is suitable for a base. The Alliance do the same.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1959/lingering-in-theramore

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1891/lingering-in-theramore

Hunter's Hill

The Alliance lay siege to Hunter’s Hill to try and control the passage between the Barrens and Stonetalon Mountains.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1918/barren-supplies

Honor's Stand

The Horde lays siege and tries to starve the Alliance out of Honor’s Stand; without supplies, they cannot survive.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1956/barren-supplies

The Overgrowth

Animals from the Overgrowth seem to react to the Azerite in the Wailing Caverns. Both factions seem to want to capture and research them.

Alliance/Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=2080/overgrown-animals

Ratchet

The Steamwheedle Cartel attempts to prevent the Alliance from discovering about their smuggling operations to the Horde.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1944/steamwheedle-alliance


Durotar
Orgrimmar

Azerite Weaponry

The Alliance attempts to discover what doomsday weapons the Horde makes with Azerite. They send in scouts, before it is too late.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1905/azerite-weaponry

Bilgewater Sabotage

Gallywix’ gun gets sabotaged by the Alliance, or so they try.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1858/bilgewater-sabotage

Orgrimmar Armory

The Night Elves have apparently begun a campaign against Orgrimmar. The Horde attempts to track their movements across the continent.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1943/orgrimmar-armory

Razor Hill

The Alliance tries to set fire to the storehouses in Razor Hill to prevent supplies from passing through as easily.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1890/razor-hill-supplies

Echo Isles

The Horde tries to construct greater defenses around their port against Alliance raids on Echo Isles.

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1951/echo-isles-navy

Tiragarde Keep

The Alliance attempts to recover salvage of Tiragarde Keep. The Horde tries to forcefully beat them out of Tiragarde Keep.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1896/salvaging-tiragarde

Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1923/tiragarde-ruins


References

  1. The Horde Uprising - Quest

  2. A Disturbance in Ashenvale Quest

  3. Elegy, page 8

  4. Elegy, page 25

  5. The Light of Elune - Quest

  6. A Soft Glow - Quest

  7. A Looming Threat - Quest

  8. A Threat from the North - Quest

  9. Action This Day - Quest

  10. The Guidance of Our Shan’do - Quest

  11. On Whispered Winds - Quest

  12. Shores of Fate - Quest

  13. In Darkest Night - Quest

  14. Teldrassil: Passing Awareness - Quest (Shade of the Kaldorei dialogue)

  15. Teldrassil: The Refusal of the Aspects - Quest (Shade of the Kaldorei dialogue)

  16. Book: Stormrage, general premise

  17. Teldrassil: The Coming Dawn - Quest

  18. Elegy, page 88

  19. Terran Gregory interview - timestamp: 00:58:08

  20. Terran Gregory interview - timestamp: 00:55:22

  21. Story and Lore Developer Live Stream - timestamp: 00:52:58

  22. The Dead of Night - Quest

  23. How to Kill a Dark Ranger - Quest

26 Likes

I am getting the whip if I don’t upvote this post. :frowning:

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Thanks for taking over this, Mythundis!

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I thought I might as well ask this here. Night Elf Worgen exist right? Elves who have the same condition as most Gilneans. Is there any difference between them and the Gilnean worgen besides the fact that one is a human who turns into a dog and the other is an immortal tree person who turns into a dog?

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I am sure the Darkwoods and perhaps WEIRD will need a mention soon

Night Elf worgen do exist. From what we see, the curse does not change when the race of the host changes. In the comics, Curse of the Worgen, we don’t see any physical difference between Kaldorei worgen.

I’ve spent a bunch of time checking the comics for you to get some proof to back up what I am saying:
https://imgur.com/a/nPD0KYI
As you can see, Greymane’s form does not differ a lot physically from Ralaar’s, except for maybe fur color.

EDIT: We likely see Night Elf worgen in-game, too. it is heavily implied that Denmother Ulrica in Talonbranch Glade, Felwood is a Night Elf worgen. She says some of the worgen there had been around since before Velinde Starsong used the Scythe of Elune. This, in turn, makes them Night Elf Worgen.

Thank you for the heads-up! I will add them soon!

2 Likes

Lunar Festival 2019 could use a mention! It’s happening tomorrow in Moonglade.

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We also see night elves affected by the worgen curse in Val’sharah. As a Balance Druid you were able to reverse the curse through the Scythe of Elune.

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Added to the upcoming events section! Slightly late and one day in advance, but it’ll be moved to the archive after!

I have removed the Darkwood Sentinels, as they have gone inactive. The guild list is unchanged otherwise!

To respond to this: I’ve added (and removed, unfortunately) Darkwood, but I have opted to leave out WEIRD Company. After speaking with Framarr, I’ve come to the conclusion that, although WEIRD Company contains several kaldorei, they’re not kaldorei focused. They’re mixed race and simply happen to have a lot of kaldorei.

In other news, I have poked Dialythe of Moonlight Embrace and have added them to this forum thread with their permission!

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Subtle Bump! Would love to see Feathermoon become active again, its gone quite!

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Astranaar Patriots > Feathermoon Cowards

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With current content focusing more on the northern part of Kalimdor, most guilds have taken to (surprisingly) the northern part of Kalimdor. Instead of Feathermoon, most people linger around Astranaar in Ashenvale or even in Darkshore.

I’ve changed some things to the forum thread, again! I’ve added the Heart of the Forest event to the Upcoming Events tab and moved the Lunar Festival to the archives.

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Added the Court of Dawn to the guild list!

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Can I ask how Ashenvale/Astrannar RP actually works, given the lore?

What is the current situation in Ashenvale and Astrannar and how does that reflect the war in Darkshore?

You may very well ask, yes!

Ashenvale, as a zone, is contested. We know this because various missions of the mission board (both Horde and Alliance, I should clarify) speak of various attacks on settlements there.

Since I have some free time on my hands, I figured I’d take the time to make a large forum post to compile the missions from the mission table.

Zoram'gar - HORDE

Zoram’gar has been turned into a Horde port. In one of the mission table missions, the Alliance goes to place depth charges near it to prevent a naval assault on Azuremyst Isle, while the Horde goes to place depth charges to prevent a naval assault on the port.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1893/out-of-our-depth
Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1931/out-of-your-depth

Silverwind Refuge - HORDE

In this mission, sentinels from the Stardust Spire launch attacks on the Silverwind Refuge, which is held by the Horde. This implies that the Alliance holds Stardust Spire and states the Horde controls Silverwind Refuge.

https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1910/recapture-silverwind-refuge

Splintertree Post - HORDE

This mission tells us that Splintertree Post is held by the Horde. Sentinels (kal’dorei :angry:) attack Splintertree Post.

https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1947/posting-reinforcements

Warsong Lumber Camp - HORDE / Forest Song - ALLIANCE

The Warsong Lumber Camp mission tells us that the Alliance (or dryads, rather) hold Forest Song and attack the Warsong Lumber Camp from there.

https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1919/shreds-of-warsong

Maestra's Post - ALLIANCE

In this mission, we are told that the Alliance controls Maestra’s Post and with it, the pass between Ashenvale and Darkshore.

https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1887/ashenvale-pass

Astranaar - ALLIANCE

“Siege of Astranaar” is the mission that’s also important to answering your second question. We are told here that a certain Horde commander marches against Astranaar. This indicates that Astranaar is held by the Alliance, and thus allows for RP there.

The Horde attempts to infiltrate and take down the remaining commander of Astranaar.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1866/siege-of-astranaar
Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1925/siege-of-astranaar

Stardust Spire - ALLIANCE

Here, it is confirmed that the Alliance controls Stardust Spire; the Horde lead an assault there.

https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1902/stardust-spire-counterattack

Blackfathom Deeps - ALLIANCE(?)

This mission tells us that the Blackfathom Deeps aren’t held by either faction. They go there to investigate and claim whatever they find for their respective faction.

Alliance: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1900/deeps-scouting
Horde: https://www.wowhead.com/mission=1940/deeps-scouting

HOWEVER, the Alliance find Twillight’s Hammer agents there harvesting Azerite. They stop them and secure the Azerite for themselves, implying that they may hold the location.

All in all, from these missions we can tell that both factions launch multiple assaults on each other. Thus, Ashenvale is contested; neither faction really seems to have the upper hand.

Astranaar RP works the same way. The fact that it is contested is simply limiting to civilian characters, but military characters can most definitely hang out in Astranaar or Ashenvale.

EDIT: I’ll be adding a NEW tab to the opening post with regards to the current lore for the Night Elves; I understand it can be fairly confusing. I will work out some more lore in zones like Darkshore and Feralas, but also newer content zones like Nazmir.

5 Likes

Thank you Mythundis
Here is our guild info post ( Elven, Worgen RP) Court of Dawn

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I’ve added two new guilds, the Handmaidens of Elune and the Blackmoon Outrider(s?). I wish them the best of luck in starting up!

Adding to that, I’ve added the Moonlight Intercession event to the Upcoming Events tab.

Quick reminder also that the Heart of the Forest market commences on the 13th of April and lasts two days!

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I’ve made some minor adjustments to the style of the thread’s archive and moved Heart of the Forest from up-and-coming to the archive.

I’ll be looking to finally add in the new tab in the upcoming week, when I’ll have some time off due to Easter. Are there any things in specific (i.e darkened eyes, Nazmir) that people would like to make sure I include?

3 Likes