Just been there in the Court of Stars, breath taking place. I really hope they don't let this be another Skywall, so amazing, yet used only for one expansion and only in an instance, no major use beyond raid/instance. It is such an epic city, centrally tied to the Elves, the only remainder of the once great Empire, it deserves to play an Epic role for the future and re-building of the Elven races, and they need to gain some of their mojo that has seemed missing throughout WoW, since WC3 actually.
So, I'm hoping we can actually win it back for the Elves! See night elf, highborne, high elf/blood elf, nightborne rebels/nightfallen freedom fighters all finally unite under this city and maybe even have it as the main base of operations possible for the Thal'dranath campaign? Like Sunwell and the Shattari - but with a post raid phase that will be full city and quest hub to launch from.
An Epic Tale!
It would be an epic tale, the culmination of elven involvement and central role in the motivation and galvanisation of their race to thwart the legion this 3rd time round. Elves united in a new Elven united NPC faction made up of our night elves, our high elves, our blood elves, nightfallen and nightborne - united to drive this city back.
It's been really well done, Blizzards best city art work to date, and I didn't think anything would beat Skywall in Cata. But seeing this, THIS ! you are struck with the sense of wonder that really makes you believe the narrative when it said the Elven civilization was the zenith point of Azeroth, the golden age, that no other has come close. Mordent Evenshade remarks in Darnassus that the wonders of this age pale in comparison that of the past. You see what he means.
It is significant for an epic Elven tale to be written, we haven't really had one night elf centred, encompassing their whole society past and present in wow's existence, had the druids in Hyjal but that was it. and no fist bump moments or them coming to light like before.
But this - this is the sort of setting that would tug at the heart strings of any elf - Suramar, thought lost to the seas, forgotten by all but a few ancients alive, only tales to younger generations of Elves. a faded memory, now there, not partially ruined, not crumbling but in the splendour of an age gone by. What sort of reaction does this produce.
All of a sudden, night elves remember what they really lost, highborne and non-highborne alike, the profound sense of what the legion really took, the magic the non-highborne gave up, the years of living in the forest not rebuilding society, constant vigil, no rest, war and horror, then losing their immortality, - it's like it was the last straw, this visage, this city in the flesh, and they remember they were once very great, but for the demons who came and messed it all up, destroying the great forests and cities and the millions -
Suramar for the ancient night elves brings both the joy and the pain back. Enough! The life and determination that will fill them..
no, they will not have this lost to them, not this, not the Broken Isles, not Azeroth, not anything. The Legion must be destroyed, gone and very petty seeming now are the animosities against demon hunters, or highborne or non-highborne or blood elves or high elves, they seem small compared to what they stand to lose if the legion wins, and what they stand to win if all elves unite once more for the first time since pre-Legion.
and so the Night elves lead, gathering the different elven groups - and we have a new NPC faction.
The Younger Night Elves:
They only heard of it in tales of horror, that taught of the errors of pride, a thing they should have been ashamed of, magic running in their blood yet forbidden to touch, lest a horror return. But the horror did return, and yet more was lost, magic returned in the returned highborne, but what could it do that druidism couldn't, mages of the alliance had struggled like any in the 3rd war.
Now enter Suramar, so this was what Elves could do when nature, arcane and divine worked together in unison, and learning was at its peak, this was what the Elves had and were shaping the world when horror and nightmare entered. The elves were very great together, and now after losing so much, these demon filth have returned to take every thing away, no, this time they would not be permitted, they will fight.
The High Elves and The Blood Elves:
Quel'thalas seemed a paradise, measured against the excuse for civilization the younger race lived in, yet it was brought to its knees. The Ancients returned, although they never experienced the exile, their ancestors spoke of the group that expelled them for wanting to do nothing but continue, bathed in power yet refusing to use it, admiration and fear turned to contempt and disdain, they chose to live animals, yet they were capable of so much more, why won't they use what they have, why did they cow away from rebuilding? What was so important that they didn't restore.
Then they behold Suramar - and the extent of exactly how much was lost, forest and city how it use to be, the heavy price, the shame, and now the demons, the ones responsible for all of this. The ones that fractured the elven people and robbed them of their legacy. Contempt for the ancestors fades with understanding in the light of the scope of what was lost, high elf contempt for the Illidari Demon hunters numbed and replaced with grudging respect for those who sacrificed everything to eliminate the evil of the legion. Blood elves face fresh again with teh prospect of greatness ruined and lost again even put aside power plays against their kin, No! All must unite.
I havne't seen much of our night elves (save for the druids), hardly anything of our blood elves, nothing of the high elves where the elven groups should be the stars of this expansion. Maybe they lead us in the final offensive against Gul'dan uniting under this new npc faction, then later on the same city, their new capital, from where they send us to the last zone.
Nightfallen and Nightborne:
Those that called to us for aid, who reached out, and who we worked with, the moment the likes of Tyrande, Mordant Evenshade, Alleria Windrunner, Malfurion see what has become of their relatives and friends, the desire to save as many nightborne from the clutches of Gul'dan who threatened them, give them hope that they are not isolated like they were misled to believe, and remove the traitors. No way would the legion claim this last bastion of the glory of the Elves, nor will they have Azeroth.
The nightborne and night fallen have helped us in the zone quests, they are all to happy to once more be one people again. They will form the bulk of the populace of the city once rescued. AFterall, the night elves and Blood elves are still part of the Alliance/Horde racially, though now many have become this new nation faction. We help out, but still stay with the horde/alliance because the rest of the work is not done. But the new group aim to rebuild the broken isles and the restore the lost kingdom of the elves.
Conclusion:
In truth, the Elves are fired up now, it took Sargeras to sway the Queen, and to their credit her group was in the vast minority, they fought - unlike the Eredar, who the resistors were instead in the vast minority. Yet the Queen controlled the well, and the might of the Legion on their side, yet the Elves united the planet, and saved the day. But it cost them, very dearly, for 10,000 years they would not rebuild, and not use magic, those that did, would instead hide in their cities or new lands content to stay hidden, they won, Azeroth was saved, but they were broken.
I'm so pleased they did this so well, I was so disappointed with Azshara's palace in Cata, it did not look at all like the wonder the narratives had spoken about.
initially I thought the ruins of Nar'thalas was what they giving, and I was also saddened, thinking, no, it should be much better, they do such amazing work on cities, they should go all out for this.
I'm so pleased I was wrong, this really lives up to it. And this is why I feel it needs a special role and theme thrusting into the future.
Suramar shows all elves, Night elves, blood elves, high elves, highborne shen'drelar a glimpse of what could have been if not for the Legion, and it also gives them hope of what could still be, afterall, it's just a matter of repair and rebuild, and they have the knowledge in the ancients/ Since elves thrive on beauty, I think this should push them over the edge and past their differences, not all of them ofc, but certainly for the remainder of legion, and permanently for large enough group to work together.
I hope they make more of it in the story, I'm tired of the story not always living up to the breathtaking scope of the art. Breathtaking art, breathtaking story. Legion is very dark, this can be at least a light of hope, and maybe the start of turning tide for Azeroth. The elves have come alive again, and remind the world that the need to build a world worth protecting.