It has been a only a short while since Lor’themar Theron was asked to join the Alliance. However, even more recently, Sylvanas fought the Night Elves in Dark Shore, and ended the War of the Thorns most brutally by burning down Teldrassil. Combine this with the visible of effects of the purified Sunwell, and there is a good possibility that the Blood Elves will reconsider joining the Alliance.
The Alliance & the Blood Elves.
I will not focus on everything from before the launch of World of Warcraft, so not about the Second or the Third War.
The Blood Elves joined the Horde during the Burning Crusade. While the decision was controversial, the Blood Elven leadership decided it was for the best, especially after the Kal’dorei refused to reconciliate and the help of the Forsaken in the Ghostlands. The Blood Elves proved to be a useful ally, being able to open the doors of Dalaran for the Horde by representing them in the city.
However, after the Burning Crusade, the Sunwell was purified with the help of the Prophet Velen, and the Blood Elves decided to enter a new direction: no longer would they drain the powers of the Naaru to have access to the Light, and no longer would they use Fel magic to keep themselves nourished. The roads were open for a more virtuous life, and Blood Elf society reached new heights.
When Garrosh Hellscream became Warchief, the Blood Elves fell victim to the Orc-superiority policy of Hellscream. They felt like the Horde was not able to protect them any longer, and constantly being used like a tool, Lor’themar Theron decided to open negotiations with the Alliance again, to join their cause. These ended abruptly after Jaina Proudmoore found out that the Sunreavers - a faction that was supposed to be as neutral as possible - had worked together with the Horde to steal the Divine Bell. She quite literally purged the City of Dalaran by removing the Sunreavers from the Kirin Tor, causing Lor’themar Theron to end the negotiations instantly.
It was only during Legion when the Blood Elves were asked to join the Alliance again by no one else but Alleria Windrunner, a war hero of Quel’thalas (of the past) who finally surfaced together with Turalyon. Lor’themar however, refused. It must be noted that this was not a formal proposal; Alleria was not given orders to ask the Blood Elves to rejoin the Alliance.
What has changed?
If we are to look why the Blood Elves might want to join the Alliance now, we need to look at what happened in order to determine why the Blood Elves are to reconsider their stance.
Most notably, the home of the Night Elves was burned down. While this might not be interesting at a first glance, there are a few things that make this interesting. First of all, the Blood Elves are still related to the Night Elves. But, considering the history of both Elf races, this should not matter a lot. The tree was also burned by a former Farstrider, which implies some sort of damage to the reputation of the military organisation, and Silvermoon itself.
However, more importantly is the fact that the Alliance decided to attack the Ruins of Lordaeron after the War of the Thorns. Sylvanas was unable to defend it, causing her to slowly lose control over the Eastern Kingdoms. While there are still battles and skirmishes going on (most notably the Battle for Stromgarde), there is no reason why the Blood Elves can still expect the Horde to protect them. They were unable to defend Lordaeron with the majority of the army present, and the Horde is slowly being pushed away from the Eastern Kingdoms. What if the Alliance decides to attack Quel’thalas? Surely, the Blood Elves will not stand a chance without the help of their allies! What guarantee do the Elves have that they will be able to defend their city?
Apart from that, what about the direction that the Horde has turned into? Instead of being the faction of the “underdogs”, seeking to survive in a hostile world, they have become the hostility quite clearly. The Blood Elves however, have evolved. Paladins, Priests, but also Mages now use the powers of a restored Sunwell, imbued with the Holy Light. It should be obvious that the restoration of the Sunwell has also changed the way of life of the Blood Elves, creating a more direct relationship with the Light itself (as is clear from Lady Liadrin’s transformation during the Sunwell Plateau dialogue with Velen, for example, and her current lines during the Arathi Warfront), and moving away from their more Warlock-ish lifestyle. Not to mention that the Blood Elves will find reconciliation with the Draenei easier, since they purified the Sunwell in the first place and, like the Blood Elves, are users of the Holy Light as well.
At this point, they, of all Horde races, should realise that their goals do not align with the Horde’s. Instead of a faction that is able to support them, both ideologically and militarily, it has become a faction associated with things that the Blood Elves don’t want to be - a leader who is Undead, conflicting with the ideals of the Light, just to name an example.
And that all has changed. The Horde is perverted, being only a shade of what they used to be. For the Blood Elves, nothing good will come out of supporting them.
And apart from these arguments, there are others to mention too. First and foremost, the Blood Elves have never really been a ‘part’ of the Horde. The only thing that made them a Horde race in the first place was their fall from grace when they decided to use fel magic to sustain their addiction. Apart from that, the Blood Elves are not barbaric and sometimes savage like the other Horde races (apart from the Nightborne, and maybe the future Zandalari) but live in a proper city, and live a modern life not matched by any other Horde races.
By becoming a member of the Alliance, the Blood Elves will gain a more strategical position in the Eastern Kingdoms, and can help in ensuring a safe world for the people located there. In turn, the Alliance can protect them from the Horde when necessary. It is not match made in the Light itself, but it surely is a better allegiance than their pledge of loyalty to the Horde. It has been a only a short while since Lor’themar Theron was asked to join the Alliance. However, even more recently, Sylvanas fought the Night Elves in Dark Shore, and ended the War of the Thorns most brutally by burning down Teldrassil. Combine this with the visible of effects of the purified Sunwell, and there is a good possibility that the Blood Elves will reconsider joining the Alliance.
The Alliance & the Blood Elves.
I will not focus on everything from before the launch of World of Warcraft, so not about the Second or the Third War.
The Blood Elves joined the Horde during the Burning Crusade. While the decision was controversial, the Blood Elven leadership decided it was for the best, especially after the Kal’dorei refused to reconciliate and the help of the Forsaken in the Ghostlands. The Blood Elves proved to be a useful ally, being able to open the doors of Dalaran for the Horde by representing them in the city.
However, after the Burning Crusade, the Sunwell was purified with the help of the Prophet Velen, and the Blood Elves decided to enter a new direction: no longer would they drain the powers of the Naaru to have access to the Light, and no longer would they use Fel magic to keep themselves nourished. The roads were open for a more virtuous life, and Blood Elf society reached new heights.
When Garrosh Hellscream became Warchief, the Blood Elves fell victim to the Orc-superiority policy of Hellscream. They felt like the Horde was not able to protect them any longer, and constantly being used like a tool, Lor’themar Theron decided to open negotiations with the Alliance again, to join their cause. These ended abruptly after Jaina Proudmoore found out that the Sunreavers - a faction that was supposed to be as neutral as possible - had worked together with the Horde to steal the Divine Bell. She quite literally purged the City of Dalaran by removing the Sunreavers from the Kirin Tor, causing Lor’themar Theron to end the negotiations instantly.
It was only during Legion when the Blood Elves were asked to join the Alliance again by no one else but Alleria Windrunner, a war hero of Quel’thalas (of the past) who finally surfaced together with Turalyon. Lor’themar however, refused. It must be noted that this was not a formal proposal; Alleria was not given orders to ask the Blood Elves to rejoin the Alliance.
What has changed?
If we are to look why the Blood Elves might want to join the Alliance now, we need to look at what happened in order to determine why the Blood Elves are to reconsider their stance.
Most notably, the home of the Night Elves was burned down. While this might not be interesting at a first glance, there are a few things that make this interesting. First of all, the Blood Elves are still related to the Night Elves. But, considering the history of both Elf races, this should not matter a lot. The tree was also burned by a former Farstrider, which implies some sort of damage to the reputation of the military organisation, and Silvermoon itself.
However, more importantly is the fact that the Alliance decided to attack the Ruins of Lordaeron after the War of the Thorns. Sylvanas was unable to defend it, causing her to slowly lose control over the Eastern Kingdoms. While there are still battles and skirmishes going on (most notably the Battle for Stromgarde), there is no reason why the Blood Elves can still expect the Horde to protect them. They were unable to defend Lordaeron with the majority of the army present, and the Horde is slowly being pushed away from the Eastern Kingdoms. What if the Alliance decides to attack Quel’thalas? Surely, the Blood Elves will not stand a chance without the help of their allies! What guarantee do the Elves have that they will be able to defend their city?
Apart from that, what about the direction that the Horde has turned into? Instead of being the faction of the “underdogs”, seeking to survive in a hostile world, they have become the hostility quite clearly. The Blood Elves however, have evolved. Paladins, Priests, but also Mages now use the powers of a restored Sunwell, imbued with the Holy Light. It should be obvious that the restoration of the Sunwell has also changed the way of life of the Blood Elves, creating a more direct relationship with the Light itself (as is clear from Lady Liadrin’s transformation during the Sunwell Plateau dialogue with Velen, for example, and her current lines during the Arathi Warfront), and moving away from their more Warlock-ish lifestyle. Not to mention that the Blood Elves will find reconciliation with the Draenei easier, since they purified the Sunwell in the first place and, like the Blood Elves, are users of the Holy Light as well.
At this point, they, of all Horde races, should realise that their goals do not align with the Horde’s. Instead of a faction that is able to support them, both ideologically and militarily, it has become a faction associated with things that the Blood Elves don’t want to be - a leader who is Undead, conflicting with the ideals of the Light, just to name an example.
And that all has changed. The Horde is perverted, being only a shade of what they used to be. For the Blood Elves, nothing good will come out of supporting them.
And apart from these arguments, there are others to mention too. First and foremost, the Blood Elves have never really been a ‘part’ of the Horde. The only thing that made them a Horde race in the first place was their fall from grace when they decided to use fel magic to sustain their addiction. Apart from that, the Blood Elves are not barbaric and sometimes savage like the other Horde races (apart from the Nightborne, and maybe the future Zandalari) but live in a proper city, and live a modern life not matched by any other Horde races.
By becoming a member of the Alliance, the Blood Elves will gain a more strategical position in the Eastern Kingdoms, and can help in ensuring a safe world for the people located there. In turn, the Alliance can protect them from the Horde when necessary. It is not match made in the Light itself, but it surely is a better allegiance than their pledge of loyalty to the Horde.