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 
) 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.
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.
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.
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
References
The Horde Uprising - Quest
Elegy, page 8
Elegy, page 25
The Light of Elune - Quest
A Soft Glow - Quest
A Looming Threat - Quest
A Threat from the North - Quest
Action This Day - Quest
The Guidance of Our Shan’do - Quest
On Whispered Winds - Quest
Shores of Fate - Quest
In Darkest Night - Quest
Teldrassil: Passing Awareness - Quest (Shade of the Kaldorei dialogue)
Teldrassil: The Refusal of the Aspects - Quest (Shade of the Kaldorei dialogue)
Book: Stormrage, general premise
Teldrassil: The Coming Dawn - Quest
Elegy, page 88
Terran Gregory interview - timestamp: 00:58:08
Terran Gregory interview - timestamp: 00:55:22
Story and Lore Developer Live Stream - timestamp: 00:52:58
The Dead of Night - Quest
How to Kill a Dark Ranger - Quest