The first void elves were blood elves, but the rest?

[Zulkhan]

That was propaganda based on the fear that they would die without the Sunwell, and was used to justify leeching mana off creatures and using fel energy. IIRC, there were NPC events in Silvermoon were dissenters would be arrested and exiled by Lorthemar after calling out this lie. And it was a lie, because the High Elves survived by practicing restraint, mediation, and getting magic from trinkets instead of creatures.

Yeah and which convenience Lor'themar would have had in doing that? Like, literally none. And no, those dissenters merely complained about the Blood Elves' allegiances, not the methods chosen to survive, meaning yours is the actual lie.

High Elves survived just fine because the vast majority of them were rangers and they only had to care about themselves. The people in Quel'Thalas needed far more effecient methods to survive and keep fighting the threats besieging their kingdom.

[Arrashi]

It is likely the Void Elves will be expanded a bit during BfA, but then forgotten.

Oh im sure as hell they gonna be expanded on both deviantART and fanfiction.net.

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah and which convenience Lor'themar would have had in doing that? Like, literally none. And no, those dissenters merely complained about the Blood Elves' allegiances, not the methods chosen to survive, meaning yours is the actual lie.

High Elves survived just fine because the vast majority of them were rangers and they only had to care about themselves. The people in Quel'Thalas needed far more effecient methods to survive and keep fighting the threats besieging their kingdom.

But he is member of the horde. So he is clearly evil. And evil is value on itself.

[Combatbutler]

That was propaganda based on the fear that they would die without the Sunwell, and was used to justify leeching mana off creatures and using fel energy. IIRC, there were NPC events in Silvermoon were dissenters would be arrested and exiled by Lorthemar after calling out this lie. And it was a lie, because the High Elves survived by practicing restraint, mediation, and getting magic from trinkets instead of creatures.

The young, the sick and the old would die from withdrawal, not to mention the entire kingdom was constantly besieged by scourge and amani. Before these teaching were brought to the people they barely held onto the ruins of their city, once Rommath did spread them they actually reclaimed territory and rebuild half of their city almost overnight. It is true individually they didn't them not to die, but the survival of their kingdom and the vast majority of their people did depend on it.

The high elves were not the only ones meditating, the blood elves did as well. Getting magic from trinkets is not suitable for such a big population.

[Friendlyimmolation]

That was propaganda based on the fear that they would die without the Sunwell, and was used to justify leeching mana off creatures and using fel energy. IIRC, there were NPC events in Silvermoon were dissenters would be arrested and exiled by Lorthemar after calling out this lie. And it was a lie, because the High Elves survived by practicing restraint, mediation, and getting magic from trinkets instead of creatures.

As already several people pointed out how you were wrong on this, I'll add that blizzard outright said practicing restraint and trying forgo magic lead to possible permanent mental and physical damage.


Lor'themar was justified in booting out people who would apparently rather see their country dead than dirty their hands to save their weak young and old.

[ninthbelief]

Sorry to disappoint you but the argument "You like Void Elves, therefore you could not be die hard Ethereal fan" is pure garbage. Try to say anything logical other than simply being toxic.

That wasn't what I (or you) said at all. You said blue blood elves satisfied the need for Ethereals "as a diehard Ethereal fan". I think that sentence speaks for itself.

[DeicideUH]

Ah, void elves...

I could have liked them if at least Blizzard gave them the minimum attention required for a new race.

Everything about them is implied, never shown or explained.

Can new elves be turned void elves? It's implied that yes, but we don't know.
My guess: Yes, other elves can be turned, and are being recruited within both blood and high elves.

How are new void elves made? We don't know.
My guess: Willing subjects, after some training to resist the whispers, experience a ritual in Telogrus that turns them.

Can void elves reproduce? We don't know.
My guess: No idea.

What does the transformation mean? Does it change your senses? Does it make you stronger/faster/precognitive? We don't know.
My guess: Only dedicated void users (Warlocks and Priests) really "master the void". Other void elves just enhance their strength/agility, or get new senses (like precognition skills).

Why are there warriors/hunters/monks among them? We don't know.
My guess: As said above, the transformation can augment any skills.

Why would any sane elf want to be infused with dark power that is known to be heavily corruptive? We don't know.
My guess: The void elves are more of a super-elite force than a real "race". The ones seeking the transformation do so to either study the void or serve the Alliance. Their "civilian" population (however tiny it may be) will end up being normal elves.

Why would blood elves abandon Silvermoon and all they love to become void-infused? We don't know.
My guess: The void infusion frees the elf from magic addition. Those who were unhappy with the Silvermoon government but couldn't leave due to be "chained" to the Sunwell choose the transformation to overcome those limits.

Why would high elves, who were known to reject dark magics and even magic in general, want to turn void? We don't know.
My guess: They are interested in freeing themselves from the Sunwell, as well as drawing more elves away from Silvermoon.

How many void elves are there? We don't know.
My guess: Less than a hundred currently, but potentially growing.

What's their relationship with the Alliance high elves? It's implied that they get along fine, but we don't know.
My guess: The Silver Covenant is working together with the ren'dorei, as their leaders are sisters, and some of them are joining the void elf ranks. However, the void elves aren't entirely trusted and are closely watched.

What exactly are Alleria's powers? What can she do, really? We don't know. So far, it's "whatever the plot demands" ability.
My guess: I think Blizzard really intends to keep her powers as "whatever the plot demands" ability.

What are the void elves' innate powers? Same as above.
My guess: I think the transformation enhances your innate skills and gives you a connection to the void. However, it doesn't get any better than that unless you delve further into void magic (Warlock/Priest).

What do other Alliance races, specially draenei and night elves, think of void elves? We don't know, thought a few in Darnassus imply the night elves, for whatever reason, seem to tolerate them.
My guess: Again, the void elves aren't entirely trusted and are closely watched. The night elves only tolerate them as long as they are useful, but would gladly kick them out.

What seems to be direction the story will go with them? We don't know.
My guess: I won't even try to guess that.

[MechaCThun]

High elves are also making their trek to become void elves.

It was established in the beginning that the first wave/generation of void elves were blood elves. Now we know some of the remaining high elf population is doing the same.

[delus]

High elves are also making their trek to become void elves.

It was established in the beginning that the first wave/generation of void elves were blood elves. Now we know some of the remaining high elf population is doing the same.

Along with even more of the blood elves. Both groups are represented in large numbers (for wow).

[Zulkhan]

High elves are also making their trek to become void elves.

It was established in the beginning that the first wave/generation of void elves were blood elves. Now we know some of the remaining high elf population is doing the same.

That will never stop to be funny. High Elves have become nothing but a tool to widen the Void Elves' numbers and a complete joke in order to serve that purpose.

[rogueMatthias]

Hmmm Elves have always had issues with addictions and temptations. I don't see this ending well.

The fact so many Blood Elves were so dedicated to researching the void that they were more than fine being outcast by Silvermoon is troubling - makes you wonder if it's getting in to their minds already. The temptation for so much power, at least, is clearly already interfering with their better judgement. If they saw it as a reasonable trade off to lose their homes and families in the quest for power, what are they willing to trade for even greater power?

It'd be cool for some lines from Lore'themar in battle saying "Are the Alliance insane? Those elves abuse of the void could lead to the destruction of the whole of Azeroth"

It's a shame that Blizzard likely won't pursue their story much further. Actually addressing the growing numbers of Void elves and their power as a serious concern could be interesting.

[DeicideUH]

It's a shame that Blizzard likely won't pursue their story much further. Actually addressing the growing numbers of Void elves and their power as a serious concern could be interesting.

Agreed.

So far BfA seems to skip the void elves almost entirely. I found only one void elf NPC in the 8.0 databases yet (Riftblade Kelain, no idea where he will appear or what role he will have).

[MechaCThun]

That will never stop to be funny. High Elves have become nothing but a tool to widen the Void Elves' numbers and a complete joke in order to serve that purpose.

Honestly I feel like some of the developers are doing a slow burn telling the story of the entire high elf population sooner or later becoming void elves. Blizzard's stance already of "not enough high elven population to warrant a high elf playable race" and "just play blood elves" was the first step, and now this.

Personally I like the idea of the remaining high elves wanting to attain more power in order to fight the good fight. Perhaps the execution of introducing the void elves as a separate race is the only reason why the high elf fanatics dislike it.

I guarantee if there was more effort/time invested into a "_____ elf" that kept the same story of "high elves wanting to become this new elf race" people would dig it.

[DeicideUH]

I guarantee if there was more effort/time invested into a "_____ elf" that kept the same story of "high elves wanting to become this new elf race" people would dig it.

Yep. I've always said that very clearly in all the past high elf threads.

The problem with void elves is that they are a rushed barely explained non-race shoddily tackled together. You know a race is bad when most NPC races, like Saberon or Pygmies, have almost as much lore as it.

[Nynax]

Honestly I feel like some of the developers are doing a slow burn telling the story of the entire high elf population sooner or later becoming void elves. Blizzard's stance already of "not enough high elven population to warrant a high elf playable race" and "just play blood elves" was the first step, and now this.

Personally I like the idea of the remaining high elves wanting to attain more power in order to fight the good fight. Perhaps the execution of introducing the void elves as a separate race is the only reason why the high elf fanatics dislike it.

I guarantee if there was more effort/time invested into a "_____ elf" that kept the same story of "high elves wanting to become this new elf race" people would dig it.

The Irony of this direction....Is that the High Elves left Silvermoon specifically because they disagreed with the use of fel. For them to later turn to the Void would mean they left Silvermoon to avoid one source of corruption, only to accept another.

[DeicideUH]

The Irony of this direction....Is that the High Elves left Silvermoon specifically because they disagreed with the use of fel. For them to later turn to the Void would mean they left Silvermoon to avoid one source of corruption, only to accept another.

Bad writing at its finest. But canon is canon. If Blizzard decides to go that way, that is.
So far we know some high elves are interested in the Void, but we don't know what the high elves, as a race, will do or become.

[Deleted]

Btw:

Aren't the Blood Elves in this scenario just hypocrites? I mean, the Forsaken and the Trolls already have Shadow Priests who are not trained in fully controlling the Void like Alleria and the Void Elves are and those are okay, but the Void Elves are suddenly a threat? The Main Religion of the Forsaken is the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow, so Lor'themar is basically just stating that the spiritual and religious believes of Warchief Sylvanas Windrunners people and maybe even of herself are evil and shouldn't be practiced. I mean, if I were Sylvanas, I would ripp Lor'themars ass apart, maybe even replace him as the Leader of the Blood Elves, for insulting the religion of her people and allowing the Alliance to get a group that could have teached her Dark Clerics and the Trolls Witch Doctors a deeper understanding and control of the void and its powers which would have surely boosted the power of the Horde by alot.

[Schattenlied]

Really depends, those text strings from the data-mined dump lack a good deal of context. So far there have been three primary ways of parsing what they mean:

1.) The Void Elves themselves seem endless, which supports your above assertion.
2.) The Void Elves are actually being overrun themselves, presumably by a Horde column pushing through from the Undercity.
3.) The Void Elves are using Void tears to pull in summoned aberrations from the Void as a shock tactic.

Any of those scenarios fit the data-mined text strings absent known context - so it still remains to be seen what the real population of the Void Elves is.

I assume it's #3, it makes far more sense than the others...

[frogger237]

The Irony of this direction....Is that the High Elves left Silvermoon specifically because they disagreed with the use of fel. For them to later turn to the Void would mean they left Silvermoon to avoid one source of corruption, only to accept another.

Most of the high elves were kicked out for refusing to drain creatures to sustain themselves.

[Aucald]

I assume it's #3, it makes far more sense than the others...

I think so as well - but I guess the jury's out until we see the full scenario in-game.

[Nynax]

Btw:

Aren't the Blood Elves in this scenario just hypocrites? I mean, the Forsaken and the Trolls already have Shadow Priests who are not trained in fully controlling the Void like Alleria and the Void Elves are and those are okay, but the Void Elves are suddenly a threat? The Main Religion of the Forsaken is the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow, so Lor'themar is basically just stating that the spiritual and religious believes of Warchief Sylvanas Windrunners people and maybe even of herself are evil and shouldn't be practiced. I mean, if I were Sylvanas, I would ripp Lor'themars ass apart, maybe even replace him as the Leader of the Blood Elves, for insulting the religion of her people and allowing the Alliance to get a group that could have teached her Dark Clerics and the Trolls Witch Doctors a deeper understanding and control of the void and its powers which would have surely boosted the power of the Horde by alot.

The Nightborn unlock scenario expanse this:

spoilers: Remember that the Blood Elves have the Sunwell again, and are using that for their magic once again (no longer using fel). However, when Alleria visted Silvermoon after the events on Argus, her Void powers reacted negatively and [I]violently[/I] to the Light infused Sunwell (beyond her ability to control). Almost allowing Void beings to corrupt the Sunwell and once again plunge Silvermoon into mana starvation. It's not safe for Void infused anything to be anywhere near the Sunwell, apparently. And so Alleria (and any like her) were banished.

Oh and it has to be mentioned. The Void Elves start with Alleria, who is already part of the Alliance...and not likely to leave it and her family, and supposedly the High Elves that were also already a part of the Alliance.

You are right that if a member of the Horde was the one to learn to control the Void, instead of Alleria, things might be different (and the spoiler above would never happen). But that person could be Sylvanas herself, so we will see!