Bathel’daelune, Kaldorei!
Are you perchance considering creating, or already have, a Warden affiliated character that seeks purpose and story-driven adventure? If you hear Elune’s call to mete out justice, fight in defense of the Kaldorei’s heritage, and work amongst the shadows to ensure the resurgence of what once used to be a dominant civilization… then look no further, for Nightwish has formally launched and is recruiting!
Overview
About Nightwish
Nightwish is a guild long in the making (pretty much February 2022, easy guess there), born from the beloved WarCraft III roots of the Night Elf Wardens—yet which is only now just launching, given the awaited arrival of the Trading Post Warden transmog. We are an exclusive community (guild-specific Discord server & in-game guild), interested in recruiting those looking to affiliate or who are already affiliated with the Wardens faction, both Body 1 and Body 2 welcomed. Our guild is dedicated to immersive roleplaying and fostering a social environment that should ideally extend beyond mere event participation – share memes, meet people, make new friends and lasting connections, and maybe even find a long-term home amongst our wandering Wardens.
Seeking Experienced Roleplayers
It is not necessary to have roleplayed Night Elves before, for we trust that an experienced RPer will be versatile enough! Our aim is to build a roster of dedicated players, not mere alts, who are passionate about engaging in meaningful interactions and forging long-lasting bonds, while filling in books’ worth of histories with either heroic or questionable choices, as they undertake a formative journey.
We value active participation and encourage our members to contribute – in their own small, but meaningful ways – to our collective understanding of Warcraft’s Night Elf history and, hopefully, our very own roleplaying community’s soon-to-be fabled deeds.
Rank Structure
Nightwish operates under a clearly designated rank structure. Within our guild, you will find the ranks of the order that are also present in-game, such as Watcher, Warden Vigilant/Trainee, and the fully-fledged Warden – showcasing both a character’s progression and authority held, as part of our internal chain of command. At the top of the hierarchy, the Lieutenant and Captain ranks are reserved for those who exhibit exceptional leadership qualities and demonstrate a profound dedication to our sub-group’s story-driven missions (IC Officers and GM).
You are encouraged to engage with the narrative framework and explore the roles of command, the crafted storylines easily accommodating everything you may need or want for this role. Should you desire such responsibility, the path to leadership awaits you.
Content & Progression
Thrilling Events and Immersive Storytelling That Will Make You Forget There’s Work the Next Day
You will embark on thrilling adventures alongside your fellow vengeance-driven armored amazons as Nightwish will host 1 scheduled, prepped & readied, large event every week(end). It might seem like a flimsy number, but these carefully crafted experiences are made in such a way that the focus is on player engagement, choices and overall a fun experience – enhanced by immersive visual assets and selected/curated soundtracks/playlists, posted in a dedicated channel within our Discord – to support and enhance what’s conveyed on-screen, and help create (what we hope to be) an engaging narrative.
Each event weaves into the overarching plot, connecting our group of Wardens and their affiliates in an epic storyline centered around our Wardens trying to figure out how their traditional values, morals and duties figure into this newfound role within the Kaldorei society, and indeed the Alliance – the last couple expansions seemingly having mended the rift caused all the way back during the Wolfheart novel.
Join us for a globetrotting adventure that will take us through the long-since-trodden parts of Azeroth, as we rediscover ancient knowledge and clash against equally (if not more) ancient foes…
Off-screen Content (Guild Systems, Minigames, Stories, Reports etc.)
Apart from the in-game social presence and event participation, our Website and Discord platforms will host plenty other content catered to the player – (maybe) map systems to engage with and writing prompts, emboldening you to take charge and either in a few lines, or in a few pages, dictate the how/what/why things happen. As you might’ve deduced by now, we value a good story like nothing else, and hope that, together, our interactions will make for a fine retrospective where those cool moments and heights of earned character progression will shine and be forever enshrined in our memories—whether via a story that nods towards in-game roleplay, or the other way around!
Your Warden, Your Way – Player Mechanics and Character Customization
Within Nightwish, we understand the importance of a roleplayer’s need for individuality and the ability to express themselves – exhibit A being the very tongue-in-cheek guild name selection: to outsiders we may simply be the Night Wardens, but to you, and those duty-bound Kaldorei that would shoulder these burdens alongside you – we are Vin “Kalecgos” Diesel’s favorite thing: Family a cold, damp and dark place to return to and lick your wounds at the end of the night… under the fateful moniker that brought us together, when we first set sail from Nendis. Just like the Cataclysm-era Shadow Wardens under Captain Saynna Stormrunner, we are a sub-group of the larger faction that operate with some independence.
With this preamble out of the way, we actually offer extensive customization options for your Watcher, Warden Trainee/Vigilant, or Warden character, allowing you to shape their appearance and ‘loadout’ to align with your vision, trying out different items, builds, and help bring your Warden to life exactly as you might’ve wanted to when Warcraft 3 came out and Maiev was the coolest character we had ever seen (basically your weapon customization and this thing we came up with called Orb Stance, because, yes, we’re big fans of the Shadow Orb and it’s sort of the characters’ Artifact like in Legion – the more fragments you set out to retrieve, the more stuff it can do… but the more seductive its whispers will get, too).
Further driving this point home: there are no precise uniform requirements, other than matching the overall color identity of the Wardens. Basically, you can wear anything you want, as long as it feels like something the Wardens would wear and is either green, dark or the more recent silvery-white. We have faith you’ll come up with some great, aesthetic sets! However, given the undeniable perks of looking like an actual Warden (or WoW’s idea of it), we can only encourage the collection and use of the Burden of Unrelenting Justice mog (obtained from the Trading Post meta achievement). Both green and white variants are accepted, as it will display your commitment to the lethal, ambulatory arsenal that is the Warden.
As far as Sira’s Extra Cloak (Legion Warden appearance toy) is concerned, it is your prerogative if you wish to use it, and it’s obviously good enough for any rank you might hold, too.
Progression and Power Unleashed
Our guild not only focuses on character progression through the intensive martial training and wide weapon expertise required to become a Warden, but also provides a power progression path through the acquisition of items. This doesn’t mean training events, don’t worry—unless you like them, then we can head down that road, but after 16 years of those, I’ve personally had my fill.
Attendance at events forms the bedrock of this advancement, as consistent participation is rewarded (you get loot opportunities and coins that you can use to spend on useful items, enchantments, and weapon oils – the works! – giving you options in terms of selecting the right tools for the right job). Moreover, a second avenue of character progression is fostered through RP emotes, scenes, and story-driven prompts, enabling you to delve deep into your character’s essence and explore their actions within the fabric of our world (Text-RP prompts, our own contribution to the Warden lore: Anathema Vaults – the hideouts of old enemies repurposed into the equally old Wardens’ F.O.B.s – some of these sealed & secretive caves or tunnels have been unopened since the old wars, who knows what useful goodies we may find inside… maybe even a crystal-cased prisoner that never made it back to the Vault, whoops).
Themes
Embracing the Warcraft 3 Heritage
Nightwish is a guild founded upon a deep love and dedication for the Warcraft 3 identity conferred to the Wardens. We understand the significance of preserving what we can from that remarkable era, and our adventures will be thematically inspired by this clash of forces. As we embark on our quests, we shall strive to honor the legacy of the Wardens, keeping that original, vague, and retconned-to-death spirit alive within our hearts, at the very least.
Convergence of Old and New
Our guild stands as a bridge between the past and the present, blending the nostalgic threads of Warcraft 3 with the unfolding story of World of Warcraft in its most modern expansion iteration (today, Amirdrassil, tomorrow… who knows!). The idea is to weave a narrative that will allow us to portray ourselves through actions that honor both realms, creating adventures that reflect the timeless struggle of “old meets new”, as a meta-contextual theme. So… you best be prepared to embark on thrilling quests where echoes of the past intertwine with the challenges of the present, sprinkled with the flavor of espionage movies or thriller novels and similar things, in what we hope to be a worthwhile endeavor for everyone involved as well as the encompassing Kaldorei community, as a whole.
Preservation in Systems and Themes
Our systems echo the dedication to preserving the old RTS game’s identity, therefore the guild mechanics and events pay homage to the gameplay and narrative elements of that beloved era – but, you know, in RPG form instead. Through (hopefully enough) attention to detail, we aim to create an immersive experience that captures the essence of what once was, infusing it into the heart of our guild, as much as current lore feasibility and character standing would allow (there’s a map system too). Yet until we delve into the maps, we’ll definitely keep busy with the regular ol’ character items purchased at the Ancient of Wonders, in exchange for very nourishing ley-rich Azsharan Coins – or found within the Dark Chest of Wonders, which is a fitting reference for taking your earned Keys and unlock the more potent and dangerous arsenal found within the Vault of the Wardens.
Recruitment
Reach out to us
To join our ranks, reach out to us in-game via a whisper or kindly go through the website application form. The OOC part of the recruitment process is what we really value here, the application form itself being centered around that, as we believe that getting to know more about you will ensure the perfect integration into our community for both you and your desired character. After that, IC recruitment can come in many forms, and we’d like to generally leave that choice to your preferences! (ex. Transfer orders, initiation rites, display of specialized skills that make us come to you, emergency recruitment, and volunteer service - kinda what they’re doing now on the Broken Isles, I suppose)
Should the web application process prove too difficult, whisper Jai’are Everdream [Jaiare] or Morningtide [Morningtide] in-game!
If you feel prepared to walk our elvenpath and don the mantle of the Night Wardens, then join us in our pursuits and reclamation of the Night Elf heritage.
However, remember: this isn’t just my vision, it’s a collaborative effort, so if you do decide to join, and wish to see some of your own favorite items from Warcraft 3 make an appearance, or otherwise have insightful game design knowledge and wish to add to the progression systems and make our Wardens do MORE cool stuff, in more ways, then we’ll improve, revamp, expand—do anything we like to nail that perfect feel! The RP world is our oyster, and if Blizzard won’t make a Warden class… screw it, we will.
May the night shroud you in shadow, and the moon illuminate your foes!
PS: It would sure be cool if you’re a fan of the band, too!
Out of character and out of a sales-pitching voice, I would like to take this opportunity to give special thanks to the existing Warden and Watcher guilds for including us in Warden meetings, even before we were ready to brave the world. Thank you for making us feel so welcomed in this community already! Similarly, I’d like to use this post to acknowledge and give special thanks to Anaelisa – for all the suggestions, contributions, and back-and-forth discussions – having taken the time to share her knowledge and interpretations of the existing Watchers/Wardens lore. You’re the real OG, and I’m glad we can keep the memory alive of what those early Warcraft days felt like!
I would love for you to explore our proposed concept, in a few slides, available at:
You can also peruse our guild website at your leisure; use it for character applications if you can’t find us online; read about our justifications for the proposed rank structure & the acceptance of males, or anything else you might wish to do there – if you can see it, it’s there for you to enjoy and participate.
Hours of activity are typically 19:00 Server Time onwards, with scheduled events likely starting at 20:00 Server Time. Events may require tabbing to Discord for off-platform assets support (detective UI, environment or NPC representations, mp4s, music playlists)
While we do not have a fixed “home”, as being allegiant to the Warden faction foremost has a lot of our characters “based” out of the Watchers’ isle, you may still frequently find us behind Amirdrassil’s roots or Stromgarde’s walls.
Yes, an odd choice for Night Elves to hang around Arathi Highlands, but the clash of cultures and unfussy martial mindset of our lifestyle can lead to a perfect fit – the contrast of races highlighting those differences that can be the flavor of roleplay, and the assets there, alongside the great community, provide excellent immersion and support.
And similarly, given our maritime aspect, Amirdrassil’s Belanaar Harbor, Evenfall Tower and Arlithrien Lodge sound like wonderful places to kick back and relax (read: do side-quests, because vengeance does not sleep) after a near-death experience.
), the Night Wardens have:
But we thoroughly enjoyed the warm welcome, and I believe our expectations were more than fully met: it was a great joy to portray unique Kaldorei aspects in emotes and says.
) got away for a little while… but he would soon learn that no place in the bustling bastion could hide him.
and I followed the same guiding principle when making pictures my friends could look at, but I bet tonight they didn’t mind if I made them squint at times. The payoff was cool enough.
Tonight, we will witness the New Moon Ritual, as done by Priestess Cilyrah Mistborn, Saturday we’re attending the rite of passage for Trainee Nightsong, and Sunday a special bonding ceremony for one of our very own!