First of all, the term “Highborne” were the upper class and a sect of the ancient night elf civilization. The Darnassian word “Quel’dorei” means “children of noble birth” in Darnassian.
So a Kaldorei Quel’dorei is literally “children of the stars children of noble birth”.
They were and arguably still are the nobility of the Kaldorei society (but of course, they are not treated as nobility by the rest of the night elf society, and in practical terms the caste ceased to exist over ten millennia ago) and NOT a seperate race. At least not yet.
According to Brann Bronzebeard, there is little physical difference between the Highborne and the rest of the kaldorei (save perhaps the Highborne being slightly pastier), but they consider themselves different enough. But in truth, they are not different, just were on the rode to become one; many Highborne NPCs are of fair skin, with white hair and no tattoos on their face.
Now, this is not supported by in-game lore, but I strongly suspect some eugenics were in work; selective and planned breeding for racial improvement; eg. the Nobles mated witha chosen or only with other Nobles to keept the blood pure and noble, and paired with the Arcane (witch is just as additctive and prone to cause mutations/rapid evolution like its counterpart, the Fel) eventually could have led to a different race.
Actually its happened eventually, the exiled Highborne became the High Elves, and kept the term Quel’dorei to call themselves and even with the lingual change, in Thalassian the world “Quel’dorei” means “children of noble birth” too. And you could say the Nightborne became a different race, or at least aa sub-race, not radically different, like how the Dark Trolls became Kaldorei thanks to the Well of Eternity, but the Sunwell and the Nightwell, both are great fonts of Arcane energies, transformed the Highborne in to High Elves and Shal’dorei (and they mutated even further in to the Fal’dorei, those half spider monstrosities thanks to the explosion of the first Arcan’dor tree)
Anyhow, back to the Highborne!
You could say, every Highborne is a Kaldorei, but not every Kaldorei is a Higborne!
Malfurion Stormrage’s battle with Queen Azshara collapsed the Well of Eternity, killing many Highborne and condemning those who survived to the sea floor where they were transformed into the serpentine Naga
Technically every Naga is a Highborne ex-Kaldorei, and this is where the fact it was just a class description, not a racial description came forth: like with the High Elves and the Nighborne, the isolated Nobles decided, Primus inter pares, first among the equals is totally fine excuse to transform their society, and some nobles were more noble than the others. Thats why in all the three offshots, tho’ all of them are noble descendants, you can find “commoners”, and have their own nobility.
Xavius transformed a nice number of Kaldore High- and Lowbornes (Xavius spread the demonic curse to other creatures- at first primarily other power-hungry Highborne who lived in Zin-Azshari) in to the immortal Satyr and enough slipped away to cause problems later. So while not all of them were Highborne, the majority were… at first. They are technically a race of demons, but there are a precious few instances when a Satyr was transfomed back to its Elven form.
BUT many Highborne did not meet their fate at the bottom of the sea. Some had betrayed their queen at the last minute, having realized the horrors she would unleash upon the world. These defectors had fled the capital city of Zin-Azshari, site of the Well, and were thereby spared when the Great Sundering tore Kalimdor apart.
Others remained hidden away in far-flung strongholds such as Eldre’Thalas.
Now of course, since they are too individuals, and we are speaking of RP, it is totally in the realm of possibility to think there were many “good” Highborne, noble Nobles, who, like Prince Farondis, the ruler of Nar’thalas or Elisande, “Queen”/Grand Magistirx of Suramar turned their back to the rest of the Nobles and decided to help the Resistance
Nobility is not just princes, lord and ladies, and so on, Nobility is a social class that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. So technically you can be a noble but not have any meaningfull title, be a noble, but not an aristocrat, nor rayalty. Just your blood is more “noble” than say, a Lowborne. Hence the term, Lowborne.
According the Lore, those Highborne who had joined with the rest of their shattered peoples fled the rising waters of the Great Sea, eventually arriving at the base of Mount Hyjal, where they helped to rebuild the night elven civilization in the newly reshaped world. They were not entirely welcome: the night elves, now led by Malfurion, reviled Queen Azshara’s former servants and were doubtful of their loyalty. Still, without the Well to supply their magic, the Highborne were considered little threat, and were permitted to rejoin night elven society.
Eventually they were exiled, but many felt the pangs of their magical addiction and were tempted to use the power of a new Well of Eternity created by Illidan Stormrage, who from then on would be termed “the Betrayer” for his terrible crime. Though the use of arcane magic was forbidden on pain of death, 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.
This happened 7,300 years before the Dark Protal opened and around that time, the Shen’dralar Highborne led by Prince Tortheldrin began feeding on demonic energies.
Now thats… a very nice 2700 years of living together with the Lowborne.
Totally in the realm of possibility again, love raised its ugly head and since there were no “official” cast system anymore, Highborne and Lowborne pairs formed. The fact, the old cast system was no more not necesarily means the Nobles forgot it, nor that they abandoned it; safe to assume, some of them wanted to keep their family name/blood alive and maybe their mates supported this, who know? It is RP, letss ay the noble son of the Moonlance Family tied the knot with the not so noble daughter of the Featherwinds and secretly thought their sons and daughters their heritage lived on, “and one day my son, our family will rose to power again. Stay low. Wait. We are immortals…”
Actually the Kaldorei with the bans and exiled were a bit hypocrits, since the Highborne’s Arcane heritage in a form survived in the Society (who knows, maybe it was the work of these nobles, working to preserve what they had) since Insciption and Enhancing flurished enought to survive to the World of Warcraft era, wehere these professions have solid reputation and trainers among the Kaldorei. And the Mist that hid Kalimdor for a few thousand years were quite magical, or at least I think it was…
The Shen’dralar, “Those Who Remain Hidden” of the city of Eldre’Thalas under Prince Tortheldrin protected their city, not unlike how Elisande did with Suramar, the Shen’dralar wove a great spell to shield Eldre’Thalas from the destructive forces of the Sundering. Although they had saved their city, then Shen’dralar soon discovered that the Well of Eternity had been consumed in the Sundering. Without the fount of power to draw on, Tortheldrin and his followers saw their immortality greatly diminished. Tortheldrin eventually formulated a plan to revitalize the Shen’dralar. He forged pylons in the halls of the west wing of Eldre’Thalas, constructing a prison to house a new source of power behind a grand force field: a demon named Immol’thar. To the shock of the other Shen’dralar, Tortheldrin had covertly summoned and bound the terrifying creature to siphon the demon’s power and give it to his followers.
Interestingly enough, the Highborne led by Dath’Remar Sunstrider, who were exiled and bacme the High Elves had some contact with the Shen’dralar or at least were aware of each other’s existance; Verinias was aware that Dath’Remar and his followers left Kalimdor, and intended to join them after he believed the Shen’dralar fell to corruption. Telmius Dreamseeker of Quel’Thalas also managed to find and reach their ancient city in Feralas after Silvermoon was destroyed by the Scourge, only to be killed by Prince Tortheldrin, who, unlike his fellow Highborne Lorekeeper Lydros, openly objected to one of the high elves intruding upon his domain. The high elf priestess Aurora Skycaller helped Alliance adventurers reforge the Crystal of Zin-Malor, and their blood elf kin in Silvermoon also occasionally sent groups to Highborne settlements in Kalimdor, such as Ruins of Kel’Theril in Winterspring
In Year 25, the majority of elves, including the prince, was killed by the Horde when they raided Dire Maul. The surviving ones fled the ruined city and wandered in the woods for years, trying to wean themselves off demonic power and feel whole again
The Shen’dralar Highborne first resurfaced around the time of the assault on the Icecrown Citadel, with Daros Moonlance coming to the Silver Enclave in Dalaran and Mordent Evenshade arriving to Darnassus in order to seek an audience with High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind
The Highborne Shen’dralar sorcerers from Dire Maul eventually settled in Darnassus. Many night elves were wary of their guests as they dredged up painful memories from the past. The Highborne in particular were treated with suspicion and even open hostility. They began training new night elf mages.
Over the next few years, Mordent Evenshade and his Highborne followers continued to serve the Darnassian night elves and the Alliance, but when Teldrassil burned, Shen’dralar lost a second home to the Horde…
Back a bit further, Quel’Thalas flourished, other Highborne communities across the world struggled to survive. One such community dwelled in the city of Shandaral, a repository of arcane relics and artifacts, which now found itself isolated in Northrend in the wake of the Great Sundering. For centuries these Highborne scoured the surrounding forest of Moonsong for a means to sustain themselves. During this time the Highborne would witness the blue dragonflight using spells to crystallize living things and draw power from them. Recognizing it as means to end their suffering forever the Highborne attempted to interact with the dragons but were met with indifference or hostility. 6,000 years before the opening of the Dark Portal a group of Highborne sorcerers infiltrated the lair of the dragonflight, the Nexus, and succeeding in learning the dragons’ techniques. However, greed drove them to steal powerful relics stored within the Nexus and they thus triggered the wards in place and ensnared the dragon’s ire. When the dragons confronted them in the forest the elves attempted to crystallize part of the area and draw magic from the crystals to fight the dragons off, but the spell was much more powerful than anticipated and transformed the entire region as well as twisting the elves’ spirits. It is not impossible, your Highborne escaped this destruction and wandered to find another way to survive.
Various night elf magi are seen actively contributing to the Alliance war effort in the Fourth War, such as Squallshaper Auran in Boralus and Valrisa Windcoil in Vol’dun, as well as part of the 7th Legion Arcanists in Faction Assaults throughout Kul Tiras and Zandalar. Some of the Nar’thalas magi also appear in Stormwind, apparently affiliated with Darnassus and the Alliance, opening a permanent portal to the Crumbled Palace of the Court of Farondis in Azsuna.
So, all and all?
Yes, you can RP as a Highborne or Highborne descendant, it would be totally lore friendly, and you don’t even have to be from Eldre’Thalas (tho’ that is the easiest) if you are creative enough, be a noble blood hiding among the lowbornes and when the Shen’dralar joined, you showed your true face, or a wandering Shandaral survivor (I don’t suggest trying the transformed back Satyr/Naga/Nar’thalas ghost route. It could work, however it is possible you would meet some… disapproval from other roleplayers, on the other hand, it IS RP and maybe could work? Risky)
If you were trained by a Shen’dralar Arcanist but born as a Lowborne? That would not made you a Highborne.
As for the
The Alliance don’t have any problem with Highbornes… they even tolerate Warlocks and from a non-biased source? Aluneth said: “The Naga wield magics, yes, but without finesse. There was a time Azshara’s people had the potential to rival the titans.” And this came from Aluneth itself, a powerful entity of pure arcane energy hailing from another plane of existence. So if anyone it would know… and Alliance looove powerfull allies, see the Ren’dorie
As for the Kaldorei society? The night elves still regard the Highborne with wariness and suspicion, as can be evidenced from Sentinel dialogue when asked for Mage Trainer locations in Teldrassil, Rhyanda stating that many still held their order responsible for the actions of the forebears, and Shandris Feathermoon openly declaring that she would have been duty-bound to slay them had it not been for Tyrande’s recent mercy and Maive started to hunt them and kill them left and right untill she was stopped.
On the other hand, the Highborne Mages were essential and helped a lot during the evacuation of the burning Wolrdtree, kept open the portals and teleported as many as they could; in the survivors eyes this could mean something if not full redemption.
