Night Elves

The Night Elves are a species that feature in Warcraft.

History

Night elves (or Kaldorei, for "Children of the Stars" in Darnassian) were a race of Elves who formed on the world of Azeroth. Their origins were traced to 15,000 years ago where originally they were Troll race. These Dark Trolls sought only a peaceful connection to the world which meant that they were not concerned with land or power. Thus, their travels led to them settling in the area around the translucent waters of the Well of Eternity. The waters contained a primal source of magic that transformed these Trolls changing their forms to match their spirits as they became taller, stronger, their skin tone turned purple and they became much more intelligent and virtually immortal as a result. The tribe began to abandon their ancient tradition and practices as they turned to worship a moon goddess named Elune who they believed resided in the fount during daylight hours. Through communion with their goddess, they came to learn of Titan-forged words where they discovered relics around the Well of Eternity. This led to the tribe adopting the name of the Kaldorei which in their native tongue meant 'children of the stars'.

The early night elf priests and seers studied the Well with an insatiable curiosity, driven to plumb its untold secrets and power. As their society grew, the night elves explored the breadth of Kalimdor and encountered its myriad denizens. The trees, flowers, and woodland creatures watched the night elves flourish, whispering news of them to the Wild Gods of Mount Hyjal. In time, the night elves' curiosity led them to meet and befriend a number of powerful entities, not the least of which was Cenarius, a mighty demigod of the primordial forestlands. The great-hearted Cenarius grew fond of the inquisitive night elves, claiming kinship with their race and spending a great deal of time teaching them about the natural world. Cenarius adored the night elves and believed they had the potential to become great caretakers of nature. He befriended the fledgling race and taught them about the natural world. It was Cenarius' hope that the night elves would strive to live in harmony with the wilds. Some night elves were so transformed by the teachings of the demigod that they never left his realm, choosing to remain by Cenarius' side as his defenders. These few would cease to be elves and became woodland guardians physically altered forever. The tranquil kaldorei developed a strong empathy for the living forests of Kalimdor and reveled in the harmonious balance of nature. This grew alongside their curiosity of the Well and their continuous draw to its arcane essence. For many centuries, the night elves lived in harmony and balance with the world and their natural affinity for the arcane. They built a graceful society around the Well of Eternity and the capital of their small nation Elun'dris or "the Eye of Elune" sat on the shores of the font of power, where they continued uncovering the secrets of the Well and honing their ties with the surrounding woodlands and their myriad inhabitants. The only creatures that gave them pause were the ancient and powerful dragons. Though the great serpentine beasts were often reclusive, they did much to safeguard the known lands from potential threats. The night elves believed that the dragons held themselves to be the protectors of the world, and that they and their secrets were best left alone. Cenarius guided the night elves when necessary, pleased by the wisdom and benevolence that thrummed in their hearts.

In time, they established the great Kaldorei Empire that dominated the entirety of Kalimdor. In time, many of the night elves yearned for a different life, drawn to the arcane, they became obsessed with unlocking the Well of Eternity's secrets. They rigorously studied the fount's arcane energies becoming learned sorcerers. They harnessed the powers of the arcane lake and constructed wondrous temples and roadways around it. Magic became an inseparable part of life as the night elves reveled in the power at their fingertips. Pushing the boundaries of their intellect became the driving force of their culture. It was during this era of unprecedented growth that Queen Azshara came to power. She was adored by night elves of every social standing, seemingly immune to the ire the lower castes developed against some of their Highborne nobles. The elves were so enamored with her that they renamed their wondrous capital Zin-Azshari, or 'the Glory of Azshara'. Sharing the priests' curiosity towards the Well of Eternity, Azshara pushed the educated Highborne to plumb its secrets and reveal its true purpose in the world. The Highborne buried themselves in their work and studied the Well ceaselessly.

Overview

In appearance, the Night Elves were a race of humanoids that were imposing in stature. Males stood on average 7 feet tall. Male kaldorei are very muscular, with broad chests and shoulders, indicative of the strength that lies within both their minds and bodies. Female night elves have that same strength lying in their minds and bodies; they are stunningly beautiful, lithe and curvaceous, yet extremely muscular and strong. The race’s prominent eyebrows, long pointed ears and natural aspects imply a feral grace. Skin tones range from pale white to blue to violet to black or even ruddy red, and their hair ranges in color from bright white to woodland green to lustrous black

A religious group among the Night Elves was the Sisterhood of Elune who were the oldest faith in their people and were dedicated in the worship of the moon goddess Elune. Another body within their society was the Cenarion Circle named after Cenarius that served as a body that united all druids in the world together to guide them and watch over their practices.

Their military arm consisted of the Sentinels that were an army of devout and well-trained warrior women.

Another group within their society were the Watchers who served as jailers and marshals that guarded the barrow-prisoners or hunted down dangerous criminals. The highest rank within the Watchers was that of a Warden. They maintained a maximum security prison called the Vault of the Wardens located on the Broken Isles where they kept the most dangerous of prisoners. It was considered a secret facility that had been built into the mountainside deep in Azsuna with magical wards serving as seals to keep intruders out whilst ensuring its dangerous prisoners never escaped.

Wisps can also be found among the crews of night elven boats, as well as used to gather wood resources and repair broken structures.

Members

• Tyrande Whisperwind :
• Malfurion Stormrage :
• Fandral Staghelm :
• Jarod Shadowsong :
• Maiev Shadowsong :
• Shandris Feathermoon :
• Desdel Stareye :
• Illadin Stormrage :
• Queen Azshara :

Notes

• The Night Elves were created by Blizzard Entertainment where they featured in the setting of the Warcraft universe.
• In World of Warcraft, the Night Elves were one of the playable races in the MMORPG that were part of the Alliance faction.

Appearances

• Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos:
• Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne:
• World of Warcraft:

External Links

• World of Warcraft Gamepedia Entry

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