elisande redemption

[Lynneiah]

elven commonwealth

Commonwelf.

[Abstieg]

Well, considering how they had to maintain control over the people and keep them operating optimally to maintain their bubble shield over the city to protect themselves from the Legion, and how the Arcwine made from the Nightwell sustained them through the millennia when food and water would have run out long ago, that gets a pass from me.

Nobody was ever banished until after Gul'dan came, the barrier came down, and they discovered that going without the Nightwell's energies turned them into like weird thingies. It was impossible to banish anyone before the barrier was dropped, because they couldn't leave the city.

Also, I like elves (Silver Covenant don't count because they're rabid dogs, not elves) because they banish dissenters, not execute/murder/purge them like humans do.

If I recall correctly, someone states they didn't find out what happened to those banished until the barrier came down, i.e. they thought it was just a death sentence, not one of slowly withering into madness. They clearly were exiling people before the Legion showed up. (Just look at the audio dramas, there's Nightfallen picking over Gul'dan's boat the second he arrives.)

[kencloudli]

Nice! Didn't expect that but good to see some redemption here.

[Deleted]

It would be interesting to make them closer to the blood elves (wich they are in their way of life) and make some of them join the horde as a sub "night/dark elf" race so the high elves can finally be playable on the Alliance side ! (

Aside from the purpose you suggest, which I highly doubt to see happening, I think they are indeed more akin to blood elves in term of.. well, everything.

At least that's how they rub me.

Nice! Didn't expect that but good to see some redemption here.

This is one of the very few cases redemption worked almost too well.

[Zaelsino]

Nice, the nightborne get to redeem their Kael'thas character. I'm jealous. I just hope she doesn't immediately die in the Gul'dan encounter.

[Krazzorx]

Extra note: Gul'dan won't be tested in beta so that question won't be answered for quite awhile

[Koryn123]

If I recall correctly, someone states they didn't find out what happened to those banished until the barrier came down, i.e. they thought it was just a death sentence, not one of slowly withering into madness. They clearly were exiling people before the Legion showed up. (Just look at the audio dramas, there's Nightfallen picking over Gul'dan's boat the second he arrives.)

Ah, thanks for clarifying. Now I know

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Nice, the nightborne get to redeem their Kael'thas character. I'm jealous. I just hope she doesn't immediately die in the Gul'dan encounter.

Blizzard has an awful track record with squandering tons of potential, so she probably will.

[Sorshen]

Nightborne are one of the better (sub)races that have been introduced, much potential. Hope they stay in the spotlight.

[Mace]

That's excellent news.. I'm actually quite glad this has happened good on her.

It changes a lot of things. Elisande survives

It was always ab it sad that she did cast in her lot with the Legion, but she never seemed to be all in it either, not like some of the others.. So I'm glad she's not.

[Wishblade]

Huh, well that's kinda cool actually, even if she apparently dies and then shows up again. As if Warlords didn't have enough wierd time magic stuff going on.

But hey, I can get behind that. Nice to see that we don't kill another leader and leave a people all messed up, entirely at least.

[Mace]

Nightborne are one of the better (sub)races that have been introduced, much potential. Hope they stay in the spotlight.

Indeed, they are, when it comes to the night elves, blizzard tendt o come out with good stuff - but only when they focus on them. I like their model, I think it's a nice alternative to the night elf. I'd love them to be playable - as a sub-race of night elf or a full race I don't really mind. But lately they gave me an idea.. the nightborne seem like a re-envisioning of the night elves (artwise) , just like the Zandalari were kinda a different version of the trolls. I think every race needs an alt race in one of their sub-races.. Largely it's because when they were doing the model revamps they were bound by sticking to the original race models, and I think by giving sub-races different models they can really give us interesting alternatives of our main races, as a sub-race and no one would complain.

I can imagine Half-orc being a straight backed orc, leaner, human face but with smaller tusks, and a lighter green - garona style - now this new version could be incredibly popular for those who never liked the actual orc model that much, and in the Mok-nathal , they could go the other way, an even more brutal looking bigger and scary orc. Half-elves could be the alternate model for both humans and blood elves. and available to both factions - this way people who prefer the half-elf model to their blood elf or human don't have to switch sides, being it's unique model with it's silhouette blizzard could do intersting things - like allow you in character creation to alter the ears/eyebrows to go from full elven to full human or anything in between - have some fun. Nightborne seem like the alt race sub race for night elves, just like Zandalari seems like the ones for Troll, Mecha gnomes for gnomes, frost dwarves for dwarves, Yaungol for Tauren, Broken or Man'ari Eredar for Draenei - actually most races already have one, and they could always do more. e.g. recovering wretched but give them a cool name like Suntouched or Sunfallen - could be another alternative Blood elf model, whiles Cenarians could be another alternative night elf sub-race - i mean most races can have 2. and not every one needs to be an alternative model - some can be close to originals, like Leper Gnomes, Darkfallen, Dark Irons and Taunka - but you have that option.

One of the reasons I'm liking the nightborne so much is that they make the night elves more interesting. By having a new model, you are really giving a distinctive look to the night elven highborne i.e. nightborne, and by using such a city linked to the current night elves like Suramar is, altho they're a new race, they feel like an expansion of the night elf race by bringing in this arcane element. Night elves were feeling really stale as almost pidgeon holed into nature buddies, and nothing else to them... which was a shame because their rich lore had them really super accomplished with the arcane and also strong on the priesthood too. But in WoW, everything else took a back seat to the druid side while races kept expanding and pulling in all parts, night elves seemed to kick off with their arcane side only in the record and their priesthood seemingly only really relevant in WC3.

In total, I'm really hoping for lots more of them, I like that they're sort of opposites or inverses to the blood elves, like their counterpart amongst the night elves. Which is what it should be they are highborne and it owudl be nice to see the highborne side of the night elves a lot more prominent - it can make for both conflict and friendship with the blood elves.

I would love a situation where generally the highborne in the nightborne (As they are the largest highborne group) were generally trying to bring the elves together. Both their night elven kin, and the descendants of the Zin'Azshari highborne, the blood elves and high elves too. I think in the high/nightborne the blood elves can start relating to the night elves than before. WE all know the night elves could really use the nightborne and the nightborne could really use the night elves but blizzard could do both friendship and conflict with the blood elves. Especially through Illidan under whom blood elves and night elves work in unison, yet at the same time, for the horde/alliance conflict, it can be pretty intense, with the nightborne being the ones fighting with the blood elven magic users every time we see a night v blood elven thing. However most conflicts in wow aren't simple, so whiles you get the fights, you still get those that collaborate. The DHs are doing it why not the Elves?

The blood elves have no reason to hate any highborne even though some might hate them for joining up with the night elves, it means high/nightborne can be an effective mediator between the two. We could also see the high elves play a role here, for e.g. the first mediation is the friendship between the high/nightborne and the high elves. Nightborne seem a friendlier lot too so we'll see, whiles highborne seem haughtier

I have many hopes for this, but whatever ends up, i hope something nice for a change or even amazing happesn esp where night elves and nightborne are concerned.

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how Thalyssa take this?

she'd probably be overjoyed Elisande has come to her senses and work with her. You know what this means, this almost means salvation for the nightborne is certain, only the ones who partook in Fel and gave themselves heart and soul over, would perish. Either that, or we'll get two factions of nightborne , one led by Thalyssra that is night elf friendly, and one led by Elisande more mistrusted possibly neutral or make them horde friendly.

[ravenmoon]

@Mace I'm just glad something more than trees and druidism is prominent concerning night elves. Regardless what the nightborne end up doing. It's not like I care. They showed the arcane side of the night elves in it's glory, and it's in the present world (not a timewarp) it means it's here to stay. It's what I wanted most out of that racial group.

The minute they make them playable, it's good bye night elf, hello nightborne for all by my night elf toons except my druid (who'd remain night elf). This was the side of the night elves I always wanted to see from day 1. I'm glad they got a different model too, it's nice to change things up, and I'm no longer bothered where they'd align themselves but for lore's sake I hope it would be night elf, as i'm keeping my druid night elf even if nightborne can become them later on due to interaction with the night elven Val'sharah refugees that have teamed up with them. And I like broken things made whole again.

Already I'm liking alot the mettle of the nightborne, especially Thalyssra and Lunastre they are reminiscent of Tyrande, Shandris and Liandrin - tough women who'd do what is right by their people for the greater good. For me, it makes them on par or puts them at the same calibre as the night elves, so should they indeed team up, they'll do so as equals equally committed to fighting the legion and pursuing excellence in a good way. Rather than needing to be bailed out because they can't quite manage to organise themselves or organise. And Elisande coming round is actually nice too oddly enough. I guess they aren't going to kill them all.

I always felt the wow's dark elf fantasy was not quite complete, and i'd feel much better on a nightborne mage than a night elf one. I think i might even play 2 mages, a blood elf and a nightborne

[derpkitteh]

i am very happy about this.

good stuff, definitely.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I'm actually all-for this. Elisande is one of the first racial leaders I didn't want to stab in the face.

[Yarathir]

Always nice when bosses are more than just glorified target dummies that spew out loot and die if you hit them enough.

[Hellspawn]

Thats rad, was certainly hoping it would end like this. Elisande seems to be one of the best elven leaders so far imho.

[The Hero of Legend]

Hope this means Nightborne as a sub race is more likely now.

[Hellspawn]

@Mace I'm just glad something more than trees and druidism is prominent concerning night elves. Regardless what the nightborne end up doing. It's not like I care. They showed the arcane side of the night elves in it's glory, and it's in the present world (not a timewarp) it means it's here to stay. It's what I wanted most out of that racial group.

The minute they make them playable, it's good bye night elf, hello nightborne for all by my night elf toons except my druid (who'd remain night elf). This was the side of the night elves I always wanted to see from day 1. I'm glad they got a different model too, it's nice to change things up, and I'm no longer bothered where they'd align themselves but for lore's sake I hope it would be night elf, as i'm keeping my druid night elf even if nightborne can become them later on due to interaction with the night elven Val'sharah refugees that have teamed up with them. And I like broken things made whole again.

Already I'm liking alot the mettle of the nightborne, especially Thalyssra and Lunastre they are reminiscent of Tyrande, Shandris and Liandrin - tough women who'd do what is right by their people for the greater good. For me, it makes them on par or puts them at the same calibre as the night elves, so should they indeed team up, they'll do so as equals equally committed to fighting the legion and pursuing excellence in a good way. Rather than needing to be bailed out because they can't quite manage to organise themselves or organise. And Elisande coming round is actually nice too oddly enough. I guess they aren't going to kill them all.

I always felt the wow's dark elf fantasy was not quite complete, and i'd feel much better on a nightborne mage than a night elf one. I think i might even play 2 mages, a blood elf and a nightborne

I'm with you on this, fingers crossed we get that subrace. Shen'dralar was nice but nightborne show their power and culture in all glory. Personally I enjoy these elder-elven archetypes very much.

[Mace]

Hope this means Nightborne as a sub race is more likely now.

hope so too, man, they scream "play me, play me" - we do get to run about in nightborne "costumes" for part of the Suramar city quests, i hope that is a pre-cursor and not only a tease.

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Aside from the purpose you suggest, which I highly doubt to see happening, I think they are indeed more akin to blood elves in term of.. well, everything.

At least that's how they rub me.

Don't know much about the highborne? well this is exactly what the nightborne are like, because of the night elvenness of the whole thing - you know night elf highborne = nightborne (it's even in the name).. you should be thinking almost entirely highborne. Afterall this is the night elf arcane culture not in ruins, highborne led that you are seeing - in it's glory.

Blood elf culture is derived off this, because the blood elves were originally Zin'Azshari highborne who after 3k years of no magic, got exiled and went to rebuild a brand new vision of elven dom, whiles they would change a lot of things away from the night focus of the past, they would continue the arcane legacy the Vigil group dropped, but in a different way to their dark-skinned night counterpart former selves and kin - you now have found out and should know by now that the vigil group were not the only night elven group that survived, 2 highborne dominated groups survived and continued in the arcane tradition, the Shen'drelar of Eldre'thalas and the nigh elven main groups very own city of origin, Suramar who was instead saved by magic and the highborne and now become the nightborne, a new version of night elf, a new race that is very night elven arcane culture.

You're supposed to be seeing what night elven arcane life looks like and this is it, it will have similarities to the blood elven one which comes from it, but like a night version versus the day version of the high/blood elves. a Moon/stars version versus a Sun version. Blizzard started giving the arcane element of the night elves back from cataclysm, and have majorly expanded on it with Suramar and the nightborne.

Some people are surprised ofc, but it shouldn't, not only has this been happening since cata, but blizzard has shown every time they focus on a race they expand it. you get to see a lot more of it, it's just that you haven't seen much of night elves since WC3, because they have not been the major focus or even secondary focus of any expansion till now. So all you saw them were the druid bits in wow, you didn't even see the amazonian female warrior bits that were common in WC3.

But for Legion you are seeing a strong arcane wing in the nightborne, the amazonian femal warrior bit comes back in the Wardens, a new demon hunter/demon bane wing is introduced by demon hunters becoming a thing now, and not just a 1-off in Illidan alone, and ofc it won't be night elf if there wasn't a section on the druids. Which you also get.

Being about Legion it will contain strong night elf themes that go back to the great event that really shattered and fractured their people into isolated groups of kal'dorei, quel'dorei and shal'dorei -all living separate and unaware of each other for 10k years till now, and now their mortal enemy returns, the reason every single one of them have suffered like they have.

1. The reason the main vigil group gave up magic, impriosned a hero, and went on a 10k year long assignment - not bothering to rebuild or even bear the thought of the past that was utterly destroyed - not to mention the self blame of their hubris - all because of the legion
2. The nightborne group may have had many of their needs provided by their arcane well, like the vigil group had the tree via the Well, but they were confined in a space for 10k years, the amount of discipline and control that would take to mention having to re-invent so much like even clothes and food which is why they now have this predicament with the nightwell and turning withered if they don't use it for food - all because of the Legion
3. The shen'drelar group suffered too, they trapped a demon rather foolishly, to continue living like before, but before you pour scorn on them, unlike the Hyjal survivors, they had an intact city, they didn't need to restart or change philosophy, just power up- bad thing for them is they did via a demon and it drove their prince insane who ended up murdering most of the populace to keep himself immortal - consequently an amazing bastion of arcana fell to ruins, to the extent that when real trouble came in the form of the cataclysm, the shen'drelar who weren't corrupted were almost powerless to help and had to come crawling back to their kin

So yearh, all the groups have been greatly affected, it's characterized all the changes all the hard living - it's not easy to live like the vigil group lived you know, constnatly on the move, constantly defending, feeling so bad about the past and so committed to your duty you don't even rebuild your civilization and ofc the thing you all loved the most magic usage, the thing that would have allowed you to rebuild everything, you sacrifice to prevent the demons from return (at least you thought it would - you did not know they would come back anyway and didn't trust Illidan's word for it because he had just killed some guards and you did not know you could successfully mask it's usage from the twisting nether -because you didn't trust Darth'remar entirely feeling he was been driven by addiction and stretching the truth) = it's not easy, being shielded up in a bubble for so long, away from nature, away from expanding and recaliming lives thinking the world outside is uninhabitable and full of horrors that would rip you to shreds, even in facing starvation rather than drop the shield you find away to live off magical energy - it would later come to bite you in the ass too creating a terrible condition if you stop using it for food - all that is because of the legion.

So yeah, this is significant for them alright

[Volardelis]

Extra note: Gul'dan won't be tested in beta so that question won't be answered for quite awhile

You would think after the horriblly balanced fight that was Ra-den since he never got tested, and again with mythic Archi, blizzard would allow players to fully test bosses, even on the higher difficulties