confused about night elves

[Deleted]

Just to get my facts straight, I thought the nightelves evolved from trolls about 15,000 years ago and the Sundering happened 10,000 years ago, meaning the nightelves live in northern Kalimdor for at least twice as long as their kaldorei empire lasted.

Every night elven influenced zone on the Broken Isles has at least one temple of the moon and this somewhat confuses me, because on Kalimdor there are only 3 zones with temples which were suggested to be destroyed during the Sundering and only one that is still being used, which was just recently built. I mean the one in Darnassus.

I always figured the Sisterhood’s importance rose after the Sundering, since the high priestress now leads the night elves, so why is there not a single temple of the moon on nightelven territory after the Sundering?

And why do they have barely any proper settlements if they had twice the time they had to build their grand empire? Why aren’t there more houses styled like those in Suramar or Azsuna if basicly the same people live there?

[InDecisive]

Because they're done doing grand empires, they live in the forest and shun empire building and dangerous magic.

[Super Kami Dende]

Just to get my facts straight, I thought the nightelves evolved from trolls about 15,000 years ago and the Sundering happened 10,000 years ago, meaning the nightelves live in northern Kalimdor for at least twice as long as their kaldorei empire lasted.

Every night elven influenced zone on the Broken Isles has at least one temple of the moon and this somewhat confuses me, because on Kalimdor there are only 3 zones with temples which were suggested to be destroyed during the Sundering and only one that is still being used, which was just recently built. I mean the one in Darnassus.

I always figured the Sisterhood’s importance rose after the Sundering, since the high priestress now leads the night elves, so why is there not a single temple of the moon on nightelven territory after the Sundering?

And why do they have barely any proper settlements if they had twice the time they had to build their grand empire? Why aren’t there more houses styled like those in Suramar or Azsuna if basicly the same people live there?

They had bases both Destroyed and currently usable all over though. Feralas, Teldrassil, Felwood, Moonglade, Silithus, Darnassus, Stonetalon, Desolace, Hyjal, Ashenvale, Darkshore, WinterSpring. The only zones that don't really have a Night Elf Stronghold are places that are/were hidden from even them (Uldum) or places that had a large Troll/Tauren population.

[Gambit5555]

Because they're done doing grand empires, they live in the forest and shun empire building and dangerous magic.

Basically this. The big push for power and empire nearly wiped their people out. It was a learning experience

[Better]

They only really held Northern Kalimdor. Which is why they were first encountered in Ashenvale in WC3. Nightelves also aren't too big on buildings. Mostly (in WC3) their units came from ancients, so it kinda makes sense for them to have less buildings than one would expect to see.

[Ryon21]

Their religion was very important to the NE even before the Sundering. Tyrande wasn't the only High Priestess of Elune there has been more before her. Also there are more Temples of the Moon, go down to see them https://wow.gamepedia.com/Temple_of_the_Moon

About the Empire I think that decided to live more in the nature rather than building great palaces again.

[rcshaggy]

Well look at their home in there new area.
Not a big fan of the other faction, but I know they constructed their home city https://wow.gamepedia.com/Darnassus and that's where the Night Elves live who are among the other faction.

Still too that is only https://wow.gamepedia.com/Teldrassil as a home for them as well.
Really like that they are on their own island that they crafted and use for their benefits.

[zlygork]

Their religion was very important to the NE even before the Sundering. Tyrande wasn't the only High Priestess of Elune there has been more before her. Also there are more Temples of the Moon, go down to see them https://wow.gamepedia.com/Temple_of_the_Moon

About the Empire I think that decided to live more in the nature rather than building great palaces again.

If I may add, Tyrande was only just an initiate priestess as of the beginning of WotA, she was promoted to high priestess during the events.

[DeicideUH]

I think immortality, plus a sizable number of males being sleeping for ages, made the kaldorei stop increasing their numbers. They started from scratch after the sundering, became more reliant on their nature allies and stopped to spread their civilization, mostly keeping themselves within their forests. The second coming of the Legion and the loss imortality brought them back into the world, so to speak. They probably have been more active these last two decades than they were over the last 10,000 years.

[Deleted]

They had bases both Destroyed and currently usable all over though. Feralas, Teldrassil, Felwood, Moonglade, Silithus, Darnassus, Stonetalon, Desolace, Hyjal, Ashenvale, Darkshore, WinterSpring. The only zones that don't really have a Night Elf Stronghold are places that are/were hidden from even them (Uldum) or places that had a large Troll/Tauren population.

And yet none of these regions have stone made houses. At best they have wooden crafted houses, sometimes they just live in trees. I know they avoided magic and love to live in the forest.
However you don’t need magic to build stone made houses simply because the majority of other races who live in stone made houses don’t build them with magic. And in order to build wooden made houses you need to get wood first. In order to get wood first you need to chop trees that are sacred to you. How exactly is that better for the nature surrounding them than to build stone made houses?
Especially if all their old settlements were made of stones. I mean they could have just gotten a good chunk of their resources from recycling their old ruins and rebuild them.

Their religion was very important to the NE even before the Sundering. Tyrande wasn't the only High Priestess of Elune there has been more before her. Also there are more Temples of the Moon, go down to see them https://wow.gamepedia.com/Temple_of_the_Moon

About the Empire I think that decided to live more in the nature rather than building great palaces again.

I know, but still they weren’t leading the society. Queen Azshara was and she was a mage. And even regions were ruled by mages, like Azsuna (Farondis) or Suramar (Elisande). Yes, Elune has always been their main belief but the Sisterhood didn’t become leaders until after the Sundering but they didn’t build or use a single Temple of the Moon [b]post sundering[b] until Darnassus and Teldrassil was build (which was after WC3) and especially not in Northern Kalimdor, where their main forces are associated to.

[Morgomir]

The Night Elves harvest wood via Wisps bonding to a tree and growing the tree and then dropping pieces of the tree off. The Night Elves can also use a wisp to fuse different pieces of lumber into one solid piece rather than cutting and sawing as humans, dwarves, orcs etc have to do. Their buildings are living wood rather than dead wood.

[Super Kami Dende]

And yet none of these regions have stone made houses. At best they have wooden crafted houses, sometimes they just live in trees. I know they avoided magic and love to live in the forest.

What? Nearly every single one of the places I listed have Night Elven Architecture in them. Stone and Wood.

[Netherspark]

And yet none of these regions have stone made houses. At best they have wooden crafted houses, sometimes they just live in trees. I know they avoided magic and love to live in the forest.
However you don’t need magic to build stone made houses simply because the majority of other races who live in stone made houses don’t build them with magic. And in order to build wooden made houses you need to get wood first. In order to get wood first you need to chop trees that are sacred to you. How exactly is that better for the nature surrounding them than to build stone made houses?
Especially if all their old settlements were made of stones. I mean they could have just gotten a good chunk of their resources from recycling their old ruins and rebuild them. .

You're missing the point. They don't WANT to live in stone cities, they completely abandoned that culture after the sundering. The whole basis of their civilization is being close to nature.

[Ryon21]

And yet none of these regions have stone made houses. At best they have wooden crafted houses, sometimes they just live in trees. I know they avoided magic and love to live in the forest.
However you don’t need magic to build stone made houses simply because the majority of other races who live in stone made houses don’t build them with magic. And in order to build wooden made houses you need to get wood first. In order to get wood first you need to chop trees that are sacred to you. How exactly is that better for the nature surrounding them than to build stone made houses?
Especially if all their old settlements were made of stones. I mean they could have just gotten a good chunk of their resources from recycling their old ruins and rebuild them.


I know, but still they weren’t leading the society. Queen Azshara was and she was a mage. And even regions were ruled by mages, like Azsuna (Farondis) or Suramar (Elisande). Yes, Elune has always been their main belief but the Sisterhood didn’t become leaders until after the Sundering but they didn’t build or use a single Temple of the Moon [b]post sundering[b] until Darnassus and Teldrassil was build (which was after WC3) and especially not in Northern Kalimdor, where their main forces are associated to.

Well they may have been using the ones that are still in Azshara or around. About the stones buildings they prefer to use wood instead of stone I would guess, except form the temple of Elune in Darnassus. They build that because Darnassus was to become their cultural center, the place were they would flourish again as a civilization and building a temple like that it wouldn't be an easy task so they decided to do it that time because they think it so.

[Deleted]

What? Nearly every single one of the places I listed have Night Elven Architecture in them. Stone and Wood.

Let’s leave ignore Silithus and Feralas for a moment, simply because they are military fortresses. Only some of the civilian houses have stone pillars. some have stone-made floors and some rocks are at the edges.
The majority of the house is nevertheless wooden. The walls, the inner floor in some, stairs, roof, decoration stuff, etc. And looking at the roof beams you clearly see the cut edge. same for the walls, they look like rl plank made walls not like magically grown without harming a tree.

You're missing the point. They don't WANT to live in stone cities, they completely abandoned that culture after the sundering. The whole basis of their civilization is being close to nature.

Nightelves do have cities. Even if the trees didn’t take the slightest damage by the wisps, the houses are still dead wood. If all the nightelven houses were replaced by the models of Azsuna, how is that even remotely contradictory to being close to nature again? I mean take a look at the settlements of Azsuna, they look very natureish to me. Lots of trees and plants all around:

[Beloren]

Just to get my facts straight, I thought the nightelves evolved from trolls about 15,000 years ago and the Sundering happened 10,000 years ago, meaning the nightelves live in northern Kalimdor for at least twice as long as their kaldorei empire lasted.

Every night elven influenced zone on the Broken Isles has at least one temple of the moon and this somewhat confuses me, because on Kalimdor there are only 3 zones with temples which were suggested to be destroyed during the Sundering and only one that is still being used, which was just recently built. I mean the one in Darnassus.

I always figured the Sisterhood’s importance rose after the Sundering, since the high priestress now leads the night elves, so why is there not a single temple of the moon on nightelven territory after the Sundering?

And why do they have barely any proper settlements if they had twice the time they had to build their grand empire? Why aren’t there more houses styled like those in Suramar or Azsuna if basicly the same people live there?

According to my housemate, the northern Kalimdor night elves didn't build anything during their 10k year long vigil. Without the use of the well of eternity and the arcane for spells and the change in philosophy. They fulfilled their duty as watchers if female/pact with Ysera if Druid without any thought to rebuilding civilisation unlike the high elves they kicked out. Basically they were obsessed with ensuring the legion never returned and no one on Kalimdor would abuse magic to cause it and devoted their lives to that. Didn't stop the highborne, nightbirne or high elves tho

But That's why nothing new is ever seen from them till after the 3rd war. All night eleven groups whether arcane or nature have been in isolation living in the same place they gathered after the sundering. Which is Suramar if nightborne, dire mail if highborne and Hyjal/Ashenvale forest for the main night elf group. Nighthaven was the only village they built and it served like the seat of government until they came out of isolation.

All night elf groups have been in isolation till recently. They are part of the ancient world.

broken isle architecture architecture looks different mainly because it's 2016 tech vs 2004 and the blizzard artists are much better.

Suramar is what most night elf cities were like but remember it was especially beautiful hence why it is called the jewel of the night elf empire

The sisterhood has always been a major part of night elves up to the sundering. After the sundering they only play a major role in the Hyjal group as the High Priestess is with them. Suramar has been missing the priesthood it was capital to since the sundering. This is why Occuleth fondly remembers the prayers to Elune that use to ascend from the temple of Falanaar, but neither nightborne nor highborne have shown any signs of the priesthood influencing then since the sundering.

The study of magic first developed by the night elves originated from the priesthood who's fascination with the well led to the divining of Elune and learning the arcane , developing into a form of art. It was only much later that Mage and priest became two separate things. Prob because of Azshara and her obsession with the arcane well without much regard for her goddess or nature. The highborne became their own thing in time b/c of her favor on them breeding a disgusting arrogance and the relationship worsens up till the first invasion. I think Azshara is the reason the priesthood relocate their HQ to Suramar as opposed to remaining in Elunedal (renamed Zin'Azshari). But I think the Cathedral of Eternal night has always been their most holy site after the Well itself. And especially once the Empresss was running things and had everyone enamoured with her.

Anyway it's not surprising Suramar (broken isle) architecture would be different from Vashj'ir which in turn would be different from Dire Maul. As well as have similarities. This was a global empire that was vast. The ruins in the broken isles are far more detailed and better preserved than anywhere else. Dunno if this is a lore reason or more just tech reason

[Deleted]

According to my housemate, the northern Kalimdor night elves didn't build anything during their 10k year long vigil. Without the use of the well of eternity and the arcane for spells and the change in philosophy. They fulfilled their duty as watchers if female/pact with Ysera if Druid without any thought to rebuilding civilisation unlike the high elves they kicked out. Basically they were obsessed with ensuring the legion never returned and no one on Kalimdor would abuse magic to cause it and devoted their lives to that. Didn't stop the highborne, nightbirne or high elves tho

But That's why nothing new is ever seen from them till after the 3rd war. All night eleven groups whether arcane or nature have been in isolation living in the same place they gathered after the sundering. Which is Suramar if nightborne, dire mail if highborne and Hyjal/Ashenvale forest for the main night elf group. Nighthaven was the only village they built and it served like the seat of government until they came out of isolation.

All night elf groups have been in isolation till recently. They are part of the ancient world.

broken isle architecture architecture looks different mainly because it's 2016 tech vs 2004 and the blizzard artists are much better.

Suramar is what most night elf cities were like but remember it was especially beautiful hence why it is called the jewel of the night elf empire

The sisterhood has always been a major part of night elves up to the sundering. After the sundering they only play a major role in the Hyjal group as the High Priestess is with them. Suramar has been missing the priesthood it was capital to since the sundering. This is why Occuleth fondly remembers the prayers to Elune that use to ascend from the temple of Falanaar, but neither nightborne nor highborne have shown any signs of the priesthood influencing then since the sundering.

The study of magic first developed by the night elves originated from the priesthood who's fascination with the well led to the divining of Elune and learning the arcane , developing into a form of art. It was only much later that Mage and priest became two separate things. Prob because of Azshara and her obsession with the arcane well without much regard for her goddess or nature. The highborne became their own thing in time b/c of her favor on them breeding a disgusting arrogance and the relationship worsens up till the first invasion. I think Azshara is the reason the priesthood relocate their HQ to Suramar as opposed to remaining in Elunedal (renamed Zin'Azshari). But I think the Cathedral of Eternal night has always been their most holy site after the Well itself. And especially once the Empresss was running things and had everyone enamoured with her.

Anyway it's not surprising Suramar (broken isle) architecture would be different from Vashj'ir which in turn would be different from Dire Maul. As well as have similarities. This was a global empire that was vast. The ruins in the broken isles are far more detailed and better preserved than anywhere else. Dunno if this is a lore reason or more just tech reason

very interesting. though it kind of really sucks that nightelves were doing basicly nothing the past 10k years.. i personally hate to see these past great and impressive civilizations at their peak and then looking at the same race or even the same people and they simply just don't develop further. I hated that in WoD as well.

[Zulkhan]

I thought the nightelves mutated from trolls about 15,000 years ago

Fixed thxbai.

OT: I suppose other people said that already but it's pretty clear the drastic change of mentality of modern Night Elves compared to the Highborne-led empire. Many of the amazing things they achieved were obtained through the exploitation of the arcane and the Well of Eternity (reason why High Elves, despite the Sunwell being a way inferior version of the original Well, built a way more impressive kingdom than modern Night Elves did) and once Druids became an integral part of society Night Elves embraced once again their nature-friendly approach.

It's worth remembering that before Highborne took over, Night Elf society didn't spawn beyond the borders of the Well of Eternity and was exactly what is today, a nature-friendly race. After the Sundering they just got back to those roots with the added factor of the Vigil pulling all of their attention towards the protection of the World Tree.

If all the nightelven houses were replaced by the models of Azsuna, how is that even remotely contradictory to being close to nature again? I mean take a look at the settlements of Azsuna, they look very natureish to me. Lots of trees and plants all around:

Natureish? Seriously, seems pretty obvious to me that's not how these buildings looked like during the Night Elven empire. All that vegetation is definitely result of abandoned ruins residing into a clearly damp place.

[Lahis]

Nightelves do have cities. Even if the trees didn’t take the slightest damage by the wisps, the houses are still dead wood. If all the nightelven houses were replaced by the models of Azsuna, how is that even remotely contradictory to being close to nature again? I mean take a look at the settlements of Azsuna, they look very natureish to me. Lots of trees and plants all around:

Azsuna was built by Kaldorei empire before the Sundering. The area was likely metropolitan like Suramar city, with no real untouched nature within, only some gardens. Those plants you see on the ruins have grown on them after they were abandoned an no-one were there to take care of them.

you can't compare pre-Sundering and post-Sundering Kaldorei civilizations and say they were the same. They hold completely different values.

[Deleted]

Natureish? Seriously, seems pretty obvious to me that's not how these buildings looked like during the Night Elven empire. All that vegetation is definitely result of abandoned ruins residing into a clearly damp place.

Azsuna was built by Kaldorei empire before the Sundering. The area was likely metropolitan like Suramar city, with no real untouched nature within, only some gardens. Those plants you see on the ruins have grown on them after they were abandoned an no-one were there to take care of them.
you can't compare pre-Sundering and post-Sundering Kaldorei civilizations and say they were the same. They hold completely different values.

thats not what i wanted to at all. I wanted to illustrate that you could have the pre sundering architecture (aka stone mason architecture) and still get a natureish look and vibe without living inside trees or wooden houses. And I think todays Azsuna is a good example for this, even though it probably looked a lot more like Suramar City back in the day.