Night elf
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- See Night Elves (D&D) for the fictional race from Mystara in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.
Image:Warcraft NightElfs.jpg Night elves are a fictional race of elves in Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft series of computer games and novels.
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Background
Night Elves (or "Kaldorei" in their native tongue) have a skin colour that goes from deep lavender to marble white, long ears, and hair in various shades including blue, purple, green, white and black. Their eyes have a subtle glow to them. The whole race is tall, with the men standing around 2.15 m (7 feet). The men are always of a slim yet well-muscled build, with the women having a similar build, although they appear shorter than their male counterparts in World of Warcraft. Unlike most other Elves, Night Elf men often have thick beards and bushy eyebrows. In Warcraft III, the Night Elves live on the continent known as Kalimdor and were never seen by Orcs or Humans until they were introduced to the Warcraft Universe in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. In World of Warcraft, they live on the tree/island of Teldrassil, which is north and slightly west of Kalimdor.
Most of the male elves are druids while most of the females are warriors in a group known as the "Sentinels." In World of Warcraft, however, "Sentinels" are not (yet) a playable class, and both male and female can take on the role of druid, warrior, hunter, rogue or priest indiscriminately. In Warcraft III, the Night Elf faction was known as "The Sentinels," but in World of Warcraft they have become a part of the Alliance. In World of Warcraft, the night elf racial mount is the sabre cat. The other races of the Alliance can also learn how to ride a sabre cat if they are exalted with Darnassus.
Before the end of Warcraft III all Night Elf druids were male, and slept for thousands of years in the Emerald Dream, while the women were left to protect their society. This brought the females to become hardened. They were described by Grom Hellscream in Warcraft III as too savage to be High Elves.
Society
For the most part, Night Elves are lean and agile, more suited to quick and deadly combat than slugging it out as an Orc or Tauren might. The Night Elves are a people who have dedicated their individual lives, as well as the very organization of their entire society in the pursuit of the protection of the natural world. They are at one with the subtle ebb and flow of the Kalimdor forests they call home.
Night Elves rely on their magic and the benefits of the natural world around them to maintain their society. Their magic is druidic in nature and flows straight from the natural world. They use this magic and their affinity for nature to shape the trees and make friends with the animals around them. It is with these skills rather than engineering, steam power or metal craft that they survive. Rather than drawing from the chaotic and darker side of magic, theirs is pulled from Azeroth itself. Stone, root, flora and fauna all are avenues through which their magic travels. Druids are able to change into animal forms, snare their foes with roots or harden their skin like stone. Their warriors are not to be taken lightly either. When it comes to skill with a bow, there are none who can compare with the Night Elves. Their accuracy and ability to melt away into the shadows of the night make them deadly adversaries. Few use common weapons such as swords, most preferring the glaives of their own people. War panthers, hippogriffs and even the mighty chimera have all be known to aid the Night Elves in battle. The Night Elf priestesses maintain an elite warrior force known as the Sentinels. These warrior-women practice both the art of combat, as well as that of healing and life-giving, in the name of Elune. The Sentinels are considered the elite fighters among the Night Elves, and are lead by the warrior Shandris Feathermoon.
History
Night elves were immortal until the destruction of the World Tree at the end of WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos. In the final battle of Mount Hyjal, Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind decided to sacrifice the World Tree to save the world from the Burning Legion, and in doing so, gave up their immortality. When they were immortal, the druids of their people spent ages walking in a spectral realm created by the great Green Dragon Ysera the Dreamer. After the third war, they gave up their immortal nature to fully rejoin the world and fight for its survival.
After the wars played in Warcraft III and Frozen Throne, which caused the destruction of most of the High Elves, the Night Elves are the most numerous Elves in the world of Azeroth.
Highborne
Image:Forsaken-logo-for-the-world-of-warcraftgif.gif The Highborne were the personal servants of Azshara in Kalimdor. Upon discovery of the Well of Eternity, they began to probe the well for secrets to discover the nature of its power. However the Highborne began to spend large amounts of time around it and it began to adversely affect them. Many began to shy away from speaking with the other Night Elves outside of the Highborne circle and increasingly delved into work concerning the Well, now consumed by its magical powers. Azshara made a pact with Sargeras, leader of the Burning Legion, and in return for untold power Azshara and the Highborne would open a portal into Azeroth for Sargeras and his minions. However Malfurion Stormrage, with the help of Tyrande Whisperwind, Cenarius, and fellow Night Elves were able to drive the Burning Legion back. But because the summoning was interrupted the spell went awry and resulted in a terrible explosion that destroyed part of the land of Kalimdor, giving away to the Maelstrom. After the terrible destruction Malfurion and his followers reached the mainland with a few remnants of the Highborne. Malfurion did not punish them; he was content that the surviving Highborne could do no more damage without the Well's power. The ones that survived eventually left, under the leadership of Dath'Remar, to look for a new home. However Azshara and some of her followers survived the explosion and sank to the bottom of the sea, eventually evolving into the Naga, biding their time for the right opportunity to strike back.
Highborne ruins dot the lands of Kalimdor, from Darkshore all the way to Feralas and all the way back again to Azshara (the land named after the Highborne queen). Bashal'Aran and Ameth'Aran in Darkshore are the ruins of two large Highborne settlements that are occupied now only by demons and the tormented spirits of the Highborne. The Ruins of Eldareth in Azshara are all that remains of the Highborne Night Elves' ancient capital city. It is now overrun with a tribe of the vile Naga known as the Spitelash. Perhaps the most intriguing Highborne ruin in Kalimdor is Dire Maul. At the height of Highborne power, Dire Maul was known as the city of Eldre'Thalas, inside whose high walls were guarded many of Queen Azshara's most prized and powerful arcane secrets. Though it was ravaged by the Great Sundering of the world, much of the ancient city still stands. The three distinct districts of the city are overrun with a variety of dangerous creatures including Highborne spectres, demonic satyrs and the Gordok Ogre tribe.