What is your opinion about the Void Elves ?

#66

People come up with all sorts of excuses to make their characters get out from under being a void elf.

Just because they, say went with their families and got caught in the blast, so to say, it doesn’t mean they’re all fine and dandy and don’t need to deal with the whispers. It’s poor character design, to be frank.

They can just play a high elf with a void elven model (which many actually do) if they really want a “normal” character.

But still, sure, velf civilians can be pulled off right. if they’re pulled off right. What I truly despise with a burning passion is emotionally barely if at all stable, nervous wrecks or shy little girls wanting to hide behind mommy’s skirt at the lightest breeze. If they even stutter, just to make it even more annoying, I’m just exploding.

Like, really… no. Just no. Please.

#67

Also, about void elves in Nazmir, I believe that was a strictly volunteerers only mission. I imagine most void elves there were fairly certain they’d fail to contain the whispers sooner or later and decided to die in battle instead of getting reduced to a crazy void lunatic that needs to be put down by their own friends.

(Mithcha) #68

OOC I don’t care about them, in either direction. It’s not necessarily a concept I agree with in terms of blizzards direction, but it is what it is. Most people don’t fully explore the concept anyway and just play “blue elf” so it’s borderline irrelevant anyway.

IC it depends, my Troll is much like myself, she doesn’t care. She has no -reason- to care, they are not her problem.

My Dwarf isn’t a fan because he is a light devout old man who dislikes change and things that link people to things he’s been told all his life are bad. But he accepts the kings decree and works with them. With a good few meters between them and him.

(Rorick) #69

Please stop underselling other races to make a point about the Void Elves’ magical expertise and capabilities. The lore is littered with examples of humans, Gnomes and others holding their own against and surpassing (Void) Elves on that front. Not every Void Elf is an Umbric-level specialist. Besides the obviously powerful and talented magisters leading the project there must have been countless assistant-researchers, household guards, retainers and family members that were involved and got ‘turned’. It’s utter nonsense to think that a normal dude by definition has no chance against the whispers or that the only the most talented survived with their sanity intact.

I’m not saying every Void Elf should be an underpowered rookie but that doesn’t mean the opposite is true either. As with all races the Void Elves probably count people of all levels of skill among them.

#70

I know I came on a little strong in my IC post, but I think I pretty much agree with you.

Not all void elves are void-Illidan or void-Malfurion skill/power level, but kind of like with warlocks, demon hunters, and death knights; the weak perish early.

For Ren’dorei, ‘weak’ (to me) means unable to suppress/endure the void whispers.

I imagine that ability / strong will is beneficial when studying/training spellcasting or combat techniques, but it obviously doesn’t make anyone an instant suoerhero.

If the Lich King and old gods can be killed, surely a blade though the heart, or massive blood loss or head trauma, kills a void elf just as quickly as it kills any other elf.

#71

Atynar is a void elf innkeeper located in the Telogrus Rift.
Danessa is a void elf blacksmith
I doubt they are higly htrained mages or such… they are just… well… common ex-high, ex-blood elves

There is a trio of Ren’Dorei, the Riftrunners in Boralus:
Shadeweaver Zarra’s gossip is “What? Who said that?”
Duskrunner Lorinas’s gossip is “Embrace the void!”

They are kinda funny and… crazy

(Mahlificia) #72

All races/factions do vary in terms of skill and talent. However, the average of each would be different.

I do love my exaggerations, I.E saying they would make others look like novices. But more reasonably, you would read it as “Void Elves have better spellcasters on average”. Or “Your average 500yr old Void Elf mage would be better than your average 40yr old human mage.”

The elves have plenty of their own failures and idiots; which is abundantly clear in their lore. But as Umbric’s expedition was a highly specialised expedition of talented magi and their fellows, the quality of the people they took with them was likely to be higher than the average of the pool they drew them from. You’ll still find underachievers among the Ren’dorei, but they will be fewer by average.

And besides, if the Void Elves didn’t have a distinct qualitative advantage, they would not even be registered as a threat by the Horde due to their small numbers.

Quantity is still power. Just because you’re individually better than 1 person does not mean you’ll automatically win if they bring 2 of their buddies. If the Ren’Dorei are to make significant impact, they’ll need a powerful equalizer.

#73

Sadly, Gonk found a new hobby : collecting Ren’Dorei heads :t_rex:
Stay away from Zuldazar little voidlings!
The world would be much bleaker without you :octopus:

(Mahlificia) #74

You and I both know Gonk would look much cooler in a new, shadowy, void-infused form!

Especially if you got to ride it through Zuldazar~ :space_invader:

#75

Can I have a void-infused Gral too? :shark:
:heart_eyes:

#76

You know what we really need? Void infused dragonhawks.

(Shalim) #77

I partly agree with Mahlificia. I think that for example humans have better dispositions on being strong warriors or heavy fighters. While on the other hand for example night elves should be on avarage better druids… That leads me to conclusion, that if there is a person that can withstand the wispers and not going completely insane, it must be strong willed individual. That means that avarage void elf warlock should be more skilled or at least have better possibility for being more skilled than human or gnome warlock.

In Nazmir assault world quests Shandris Feathermoon says something like this “We have fought for countless years, the horde are just children in comparison”.
We can say that this at least means that part of elves consider themself stronger because of their longer lifespan = longer training and they are also getting old at slower rate…
Just imagine elven archer who is 2000 years old and compare it to human hunter… It is unlikely that the human would be more skilled.

#78

IC Allyra has extremely mixed feelings, since someone close to her chose to join Umbric and follow his teachings. She thinks that everyone has a reason to do things, until it’s proven that they don’t if that makes any sense.

OOC I don’t mind’em. They’re alright, I really liked their concept.

(Rorick) #79

Of course Shandris would say that. She’s got a pretty high opinion of her people. Facts are that these “children” have been defeating her people at almost every turn in the Ashenvale/Darkshore/Teldrassil campaign. That’s not to say (at all!) that Night Elves are useless but maybe Shandris isn’t the most reliable source.

In addition to that I don’t think simply having a very long lifespan will always win out over a shorter-lived race. I mean, Gnomes have a specific racial titled Expansive Mind which means they’re (probably?) more experimental and quicker learners than the others. Besides, the Draenei have a history of being defeated by Orcs and the Night Elves aren’t doing too well against the Horde right now.

Longer lifespan and slower aging does mean that a Night Elf (or Draenei) is going to be staying at their physical peak for longer than for example humans and orcs and your average Night Elf has more time to get experienced.

Still, a shorter lived character should within reason be able to keep up with an ancient elf physically.

I’m not saying this to try and prop Rorick up as the greatest hunter ever (he pretty good but nowhere near the greatest) but I think you’re vastly underestimating the shorter-lived races.

(Shalim) #80

That is true. In my opinion this is a bad writing from Blizzard. Night elves are being used as an punch bag for whole BfA story. Malfurion got axed from behind like an amateur when he tried to stop Sylvanas during war of thorns.
Then again with Tyrande who was infused with Night Warrior power, they were unable to stop Nathanos.
Yes, they can be defeated. But I wouldnt expect the most powerful druid to fall before Saurfang in single blow, nor to be able to only root Nathanos during Darkshore scenario.

Yes my personal opinion, that might not be supported with lore is that humans and orcs are physicaly stronger than elves. If it came to wrestling, in my opinion elves would lose in most cases :slight_smile:
But on the other hand. I would say that most elves (Nighhtborne, Sin’dorei) would be better mages. And night elves better druids… Because they are in lore mostly situated around these classes and they were practicing their craft even before humans and orcs were present in Azeroth.

#81

Malfurion isn’t immortal. If he gets a giant axe in his back, he’s as injured as anyone else.

(Shalim) #82

Well but someone like him shouldn’t get the axe in his back so easily. In my opinion it was just lazy. They needed to remove Malfurion and Tyrande from the scene in order to justify burning of Teldrassil.

#83

He wasn’t “Just” axed out of the blue. He was fighting Sylvanas.
I’m fairly sure that’s a valid enough excuse not to see someone come up from behind you, stop several meters away, then not be able to dodge a projectile coming your way, again, from behind your back, where you’re not looking and while you’re fighting a fairly powerful opponent that should require your full attention.

(Shalim) #84

Fair enough, but I still think that he is in most cases portraited really badly. During Legion we needed to save him from Xavius, he looked like some ordinary NPC who got captured.
And again in Darkshore in fight with Nathanos… He didn’t do anything meaningful.
The only place where he was presented like a Malfurion I read about was in Darkshore cinematic… But in game he seems poor to me.

#85

Malfurion is a bit like Saruman in this case
Gríma Wormtongue killed Saruman by slitting his throat with a dagger, on the very doorstep of Bag End… anticlymatic like hell
Yet somehow fiting… just a guy with a knife, and its over
But I think Malfurion is the victim of the the Worf Effect…