The reason why I love Blood elves so much personally is because it reminds me of home. Their culture, their ships, their lore.
I see many Middle Eastern inspirations. The Lynxes for starters represents the Lynxes found in Arabia. Same color and everything.
The wooden doors, Arabian style lanterns, curtains, curved doors, domes and spires, Bazaar, Shisha, pillows on the floor (floor seatings), fountains, Gold accessories worn in body and hands, Hairstyles, and so on. Even the ships represents the ships found in my country, and according to Wowpedia it is in fact inspired by Arabian ships.
So I did some research, and according to Wowpedia the Blood elves and their architecture has inspirations from:
How is tempest keep doing these days? Kael might come back and steal it again. With these assests on our side we have finally something to match the might of the Vindicaar the alliance has for good.
Most buildings that looked like that (cultural) were mostly gone over the years. Nowadays there is mostly European or modern inspired houses everywhere
The closest that comes to mind is the castle in Aladdin 1992, especially Jasmine’s room.
However, you can still see elements and stuff like that in some houses.
I guess the closest thing would be “Old Baghdad city” specifically during Islam’s golden age between 8th-14th Century. It was the city that was most advanced during that time, where they studied astrology, music, and even invented Algebra. They had a huge Library of Knowledge which got burned down when the Mongols invaded.
I will not be pleased until the Alliance is wiped from the face of Azeroth. This is my final goal. Destroying the Alliance for good. Because their continued existence hurts my gaming experience. That is what I fight for. SO that alliance filth like yourself can’t hurt me any longer. Killing you and all of your friends in cold blood is self defense.
Yeah, that might fit as well, since Silvermoon has a round layout and Baghdad was called “The round city”. So, we have Old Baghdad, but mysteriously teleported into a Central European decidious forest in eternal autumn, with hawkstriders instead of camels, and Robo policemen.
B-But Erevien, my bro, I actually like you! I didn’t mean it in a demeaning way. I’d love to RP-duel you someday tho.
Not surprised. Suramar is a city state, and they consider most outsiders barbarians.
After some reconsideration, I think “Roman” was too eurocentric from me. The theme “Advanced and elegant, but corrupt / decadent” also applies to other cultures. In Medieval Asia, Blood Elves would be the Ming Dynasty: Isolationist, rigid social hierarchy, threatened by Hordes at the border (like in the Second War). “Roman” came to mind because the red-gold phoenix banners resemble Roman heraldry, and because they like wine.
Just want to point out that Red and Gold are also popular in the Middle East.
Most Arab countries especially near the Gulf sea had red flags in the 1700’s
That’s true.
Though again it could be tied to the Middle East as well. For example Jesus turned the river into Wine. And he was from the Middle East. Just something to think about
Also today in Art History class, we learned that the Ancient Iraqis (Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians) worshiped many Gods, one of the most common art of them we found was the Sun God “Shamash”
Talking about hawkstriders and camels, I’m not sure why the Vulpera seem to prefer Orgrimmar over Silvermoon…other than Orgrimmar being in the middle of a desert, I’m quite sure the Vulpera would find the architecture of Silvermoon much closer to their own tastes. Historically the city was also founded by Dath’Remar and his Highborne who were effectively exiled from Kalimdor, and nomads for a long time before reaching Quel’thalas, so there’s another historical connection with the Vulpera in Zandalar.
Also Unicorns were a racial mount and symbol of the High Elves, to add to the magical setting. But Blood Elves seem to have dropped them almost completely for unclear reasons in favour of Hawkstriders, Dragonhawks and Phoenix themes, as only the High Elves in Dalaran and the Alliance seem to keep using them (alongside Kaldorei Hippogryps rather than Dragonhawks as well)
Gameplay reasons obviously. Why would developers put Vulpera in Silvermoon where anywhere outside RP realms this city is a complete ghost town? You have to place new race where the playerbase does reside.
As for Blood Elven culture I agree they take a chunk of Middle-Eastern references. But I do fail to see Islamic touch there and more ancient Persian one with heavy lean to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Mesopotamia. Times way before Islam came to those lands.
Blood Elves give strong Aladdin-esque vibe. Blood Elf females wear very beautiful, very vibrant and very sensual outfits. If it was Islamic influences there, Elven women of Quel’thalas would wear way less impressive garderobe.
As for color palette that dominates Quel’thalas.
Red color is rather new addition that fully replaced blue. It represents their new name they took in honor of their fallen brethren due to massive tragedy that fell upon them.
It was a sort of turning point for them which concluded in few years of more strict government and usage of reckless techniques in the name of survival. It too had some influence on their current upbringing.
What I find quite amusing is the appearance of the elves with much darker skin tone. I like to belive this is a sort of Sunwell influence that takes hold of them. Those who work much closer to it get a fine tan to the point where their skin is almost pitch black. But as they move away from it, they slowly get more pale.
Too bad that Void Elves have this skin tone aswell. It would be quite the feature showing further distance that both races slowly making from one another, as Ren’dorei are deprived of Sunwell’s blessed touch.
Good. It means that fantasy did it’s job. Thalassian Elven race is it’s own creation that takes few things from the real world and uses them to usher something absolutely beautiful and unique.
Ancient Middle-Eastern Culture, Persian culture. Present one is completely different entity to what it used to be largely due to Islamic influence that reshaped it. Now in great simplification we call it Arabic Culture. If Princess Jasmine lived today she would look more like a mobile mailbox rather than what we used to see her as.
Current culture in Middle-East is a stark contrast to it’s Ancient counterpart. Blood Elves with their assets lean more toward the latter rather than former.
