It might be like a drug of somekind.
Based on the description of Kael’thas in Rise of the Lich King and the elf descriptions in Traveler, it’s to do with their otherworldly appearance. They’re more creatures of myth and legend than living, breathing things in the eyes of others which is admittedly uncanny, but also awe-inspiring and disarming – a fact, which as established, elves know to exploit.
but then you also have elves who are really just Human+ in Dalaran and Stormwind RP 
What is considered eternal grace and beauty in WoW terms to the point that all humans seem to agree that elves are pretty?
Like are there no plus size elves canonically in wow or are the writers just vague again (this is probably the right answer)?
Jaina was the daughter, if not of royalty, of nobility and of a ruler. Her father, Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, ruled the city-state of Kul Tiras, and Jaina had grown up accustomed to interaction with nobility. And yet, Prince Kael’thas unnerved her. She wasn’t quite sure what it was. He was handsome, certainly, with that grace and beauty that all elves possessed. Tall, with hair like spun gold that fell halfway down his back, he always looked to her like a figure out of legend rather than a real, living person. Even though he was currently clad in the simpler violet and gold robes of a mage of Dalaran and not the lavish robes he would wear to official occasions, he never seemed to lose his stiffness. Perhaps that was it—there was a sort of…antiquated formality about him.
It’s more to do with the way they carry themselves. And humans struggle to read elves because of their antiquated formality.
I could be wrong but I believe the same goes for their facial epressions? That it’s very hard to see the subtleties of change, unless you are an elf yourself? Or if you are very familiar with them, I suppose.
I can see people who interact with elves on a daily basis being able to understand them better and possibly be less “awed” by them.
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Not sure of what exactly you’re pointing at.
They lose their magic once you’ve lived in close proximity, shared the runs on campaign and had a few lose their composure over getting historical minutiae wrong. If you’ve lived ancient history, you become a lore nerd. An insufferable lore nerd.
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On a somewhat related note, Medivh asks Khadgar in The Last Guardian if elves had been seen in Loraderon* of late, and Khadgar replies not for a generation, making them a rare sight even pre-First War due to their tendency for isolation. Before WoW, most people had never seen an elf in their life, and much less a night elf before they became refugees in Stormwind.
Traveler is set during early/pre-patch Mists of Pandaria, and even then night elves are considered something of a distant legend to the common man in Redridge, and the reason why Aram’s father warns him of night elves during the voyage to Kalimdor is because even as recently as MoP is because it wasn’t uncommon for night elves to attack their supposed allies in the backwater Feralas regions who had no regard for the concept of the Alliance – they have been fine on their own for thousands of years, why would they need humans now?
The further in land they go, the less relevant the Alliance-Horde distinction becomes in Kalimdor. They may be nominally part of the faction, but remote villages are ultimately loyal only to their people and enemies to whoever they perceive as threats. Blue or red banner is irrelevant.
*I specify Loraderon, because Dalaran had elves, but Dalaran’s demographic is not an accurate representative of the northern part of Eastern Kingdoms.
There’s a special brand of second life RPer that’s drawn towards elves, but their portrayal of it is as though they were a juvenile human. Swap their race, and literally nothing about the character changes; them being an elf holds no impact besides pretty character model.
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Oh. Yeah…
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I believe a large part of this is headcanon, but it would make sense. Eyes are the windows of the soul, but with glowing eyes like the elves have, a human can’t read an elf’s eyes. And their ears and eyebrows are probably a large part of their non-verbal communications, with how expressive they are in emotes.
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A few Farstrider hand-signals for wordless communication in the field.
Arm extended: get to the ground.
Palm up: hold position.
Hand on heart: prepare to fire.
Lower hand, fingers splayed: stand down.
Amani trolls were considered vermin by some Farstriders, and little else. Lireesa brought a young Sylvanas to one of the grim territorial markers to show her how savage they were. Elf skulls were a common display (reversely, troll ears were a typical Ranger’s trophy.)
Human couriers did occassionally visit Quel’Thalas with messages for the King. Nathanos Marris was one such messenger, sent from Lordaeron on suspicions of a Horde-Amani partnership.
He was also the ugliest, smelliest person Sylvanas had ever seen.
The Sunwell seemed to offer “near perfect health” to the elves of Quel’Thalas.
Nathanos muses that the Sunwell might be the reason High Elves shrank in height.
Thalassian bows and arrows appear to be of a finer make than those of Lordaeron, though Nathanos adeptly proves that a superb marksman can make a shot as good (if not better) than someone wielding superior arms. He comes across as a prodigious archer, rivaling Lireesa and Sylvanas.
As the orcish Horde fought its way up the Eastern Kingdoms, politicians spent days at a time in the Sunfury Spire. Meetings were that long, and Anasterian struggled with increasing indecision.
The Sanctum of the Sun’s floating orbs represent the stars.
A bit of a clue as to why Sylvanas felt an attraction to Nathanos, is that he’s ugly by elven standards. Pretty, perfect, beautiful people ultimately became the dull norm - and Nathanos stands out on being none of that.
Sylvanas muses that Farstriders stand apart from other elves, because they see the true face of the world where most elves do not.
(Note: this is before either Horde or Scourge broke the relative tranquility of three millenia.)
On a perhaps obvious note, Farstriders spent time hunting, working pelts, and mending/making their own equipment when not fighting trolls.
Lireesa and Verath Windrunner journeyed to Lordaeron as ambassadors of Quel’Thalas, to engage in talks about the rising orcish threat. They were ambushed while making camp, killed, and state secrets stolen. Amani seemed to be behind the attack - in truth, the Horde had assisted in the massacre, and removed their orcish arrows to try and hide their presence.
According to Sylvanas, the Sunstrider Court was a dangerous arena, its denizens driven by greed, pride etc. Verath Windrunner, chief advisor, imposed that warning on Sylvanas more than once.
Amani archers tend to apply poison to their arrows.
Good to see Nathanos can be wrong, at least. I don’t get why he knows that Night Elves even exist. Did Sylvanas tell him?
Based on what Cirelle said, I don’t think it necessarily means he knew of the night elves. I imagine the arrival of the exiled Highborne would have been pretty big news that spread like wildfire amongst the human tribes and petty kingdoms living in Lordaeron, something they later passed on to their descendants. Including how the elves shrunk in stature and lost their purple hues.
That seems oddly specific for a very decentralised society. I guess it is possible, but I always saw those tribes as very isolated, so any real passing on information seems strange.
That theory also wouldn’t be in line with Nathanos’ musings, seeing as the elves must have left the humans alone once they had the Sunwell, cutting of what few relations they had until much later
Maybe old legends of taller elves exist from when they first arrived on the continent and old humans witnessed them and he just theory craft why the Amazonian tall ladies of myth now barely reach his own height.
I would have to go back and find the quote again, but I’m 99% certain that he does mention the night elves by name. Which in hindsight is quite curious indeed.
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Just another ret-con added to the pile I guess?
“It (the Sunwell) made you shorter than the Night Elves you’re descended from.”
Yup, he plainly says it.
This pain I am feeling right now.
it is the pain I get for caring about the lore of this setting for about 20+ years.
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“I, Nathanos, a human, descendant from Vrykul, descendent from sentient watchers forged by titans, recognize that you, a high elf, are descendent from Night Elves from the forgotten continent of Kalimdor across the great ocean, past the maelstrom that is surrounded by a hidden naga city, the naga of course also descended from the aforementioned night elves, and it dawns on me that it could be the mystical energies of your sunwell, which goes without saying is an offshoot of the night elven well of eternity and should not be confused with the nightwell, could have impacted your height.” Nathanos said with a wry grin before he flexed his pecs and swooned the elven woman with his human ugliness.
Just hire me now, Blizzard, I’ll do it for free.
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in ten characters