Night elf definitely not your wood elf type and never were savage

[Syegfryed]

Still just a comparison to high elves.

Grom Hellscream: These women fight with unmatched savagery! I've never seen their equal. They are... perfect warriors."

this is not a comparison to high elves

[Aucald]

Well said, Aucald. I think this nails things on the head, and shows why people could see the Night Elves as primitive or savage when comparing them to what they once were. I personally think the OP is off in his assumptions, and feel that the Night Elves are definitely more violent and aggressive than his interpretation. I wouldn't even call them peaceful necessarily, because nature isn't peaceful, and they have been following the teachings of Cenarius and Elune for quite some time now. As long as people leave them alone and don't disturb them, sure, they're peaceful. But threaten their territory or their kin and they'll come at you with all the viciousness of a raging animal.

The Night Elves are in many ways like the nature they cherish - capable of quiet serenity one moment and then tempestuous and savage the next, the way a clear and gentle day can give way to a torrential downpour without much warning.

[Techno-Druid]

I think saying that arcane is a major part of modern night elves is like saying fel is a magic part of modern orcs. Spellcasters remain outliers and basically function in their own society in seclusion from the wider society which has, in the case of kaldorei, come to embrace nature magic and in the case of the orcs, come to revive and embrace the elements and ancestral, natural spirits.

[ravenmoon]

Well said, Aucald. I think this nails things on the head, and shows why people could see the Night Elves as primitive or savage when comparing them to what they once were. I personally think the OP is off in his assumptions, and feel that the Night Elves are definitely more violent and aggressive than his interpretation. I wouldn't even call them peaceful necessarily, because nature isn't peaceful, and they have been following the teachings of Cenarius and Elune for quite some time now. As long as people leave them alone and don't disturb them, sure, they're peaceful. But threaten their territory or their kin and they'll come at you with all the viciousness of a raging animal.

What makes you think you cant be highly civilised and savage-like at the same time?

I agreed with many of your earlier comments, but what I was trying to emphasize in this post is that night elves aren't savage like people think, savagery of the night elves is in how the sentinels fight, how a druid as a bear or cat fights, there is a savagery there, but the race isn't savage in that type 2 definition someone quoted earlier.

My main beef was that too many people interpreted the, to be savage in the wrong way, like they are some sort of savage race, while the lire blizzard shows, shows them to be anything but that kind of savage.

Night elves are juxtaposed opposites, that I actually quite like, there won't be any juxtaposition if there wasn't some aspect of savagery contrasting with gentleness.

It is the type of savagery and exactly what that means is what I've put the focusing lens on, by highlighting many aspects of the lore that is lore no one can deny in order to foster headcanons of night elves been some feral savage race they never were in Warcraft.

I actually like the savage ferocity, if you want to use the term savage, that the sentinels met Grom with, and I for one agree that side of the, is part of their lore and should have been shown more in wow, but my whole point is that fighting savagely in combat, even if a horde hero like Grom comments , does not mean the race, or the culture are savages.

I live the night elves having g that savage aspect to them, and the lovely contrast of while you see this incredibly civilised and tranquil people, you have no idea if they will flare up and behead you because you have done some inexcusable thing... And their nature and wisdom would mean their judgement and assessment of your action was flawless, but the heavy hand that comes down is also a shock as we are not use to benign, benevolent and wise, peaceful beings moving with such ferocity and finality with such swiftness, that the term savage can apply.

Sadly the night elves have not quite lived up to that side in wow, like they haven't to many other aspects wc3 also pegged them as. Some of made a comeback in Legion, but, much needs to be done.

What I found annoying is that people had run away with the term savage, the way they were talking about night elves in remembrance of Warcraft 3, was making them seem like savages.

Now the writers may not realise they came across as that, but several people who I live with that started playing wow after me, missing the wc3 game Tec, started thinking night elves were originally a savage race in wc3. I set the record straight of, but I found out they didn't get that impression from the game, but from forum topics where people kept using the word savage. New people who don't know the nuance the posters speak of cos they never played wc3, believe that the night elves are completely savage in wc3, and living in trees or caves is the co formation, citing words Elisande speaks as some sort of proof as they really haven't experienced night elf lore in the correct perspectives.

Topics like this are started to correct the mis-representation, by presenting a fuller picture of the night elves from the very wc3 and many of the earlier books in the hopes it would be clear exactly in what way Groom's savage meant, and they won't be like most 1st worker city folk who just gross generalise anyone who lives in rural setti vs as primitive and savage - where for this race it certainly isn't the case ergo.

[Techno-Druid]

What makes you think you cant be highly civilised and savage-like at the same time?

I agreed with many of your earlier comments, but what I was trying to emphasize in this post is that night elves aren't savage like people think, savagery of the night elves is in how the sentinels fight, how a druid as a bear or cat fights, there is a savagery there, but the race isn't savage in that type 2 definition someone quoted earlier.

My main beef was that too many people interpreted the, to be savage in the wrong way, like they are some sort of savage race, while the lire blizzard shows, shows them to be anything but that kind of savage.

Night elves are juxtaposed opposites, that I actually quite like, there won't be any juxtaposition if there wasn't some aspect of savagery contrasting with gentleness.

It is the type of savagery and exactly what that means is what I've put the focusing lens on, by highlighting many aspects of the lore that is lore no one can deny in order to foster headcanons of night elves been some feral savage race they never were in Warcraft.

I actually like the savage ferocity, if you want to use the term savage, that the sentinels met Grom with, and I for one agree that side of the, is part of their lore and should have been shown more in wow, but my whole point is that fighting savagely in combat, even if a horde hero like Grom comments , does not mean the race, or the culture are savages.

I live the night elves having g that savage aspect to them, and the lovely contrast of while you see this incredibly civilised and tranquil people, you have no idea if they will flare up and behead you because you have done some inexcusable thing... And their nature and wisdom would mean their judgement and assessment of your action was flawless, but the heavy hand that comes down is also a shock as we are not use to benign, benevolent and wise, peaceful beings moving with such ferocity and finality with such swiftness, that the term savage can apply.

Sadly the night elves have not quite lived up to that side in wow, like they haven't to many other aspects wc3 also pegged them as. Some of made a comeback in Legion, but, much needs to be done.

What I found annoying is that people had run away with the term savage, the way they were talking about night elves in remembrance of Warcraft 3, was making them seem like savages.

Now the writers may not realise they came across as that, but several people who I live with that started playing wow after me, missing the wc3 game Tec, started thinking night elves were originally a savage race in wc3. I set the record straight of, but I found out they didn't get that impression from the game, but from forum topics where people kept using the word savage. New people who don't know the nuance the posters speak of cos they never played wc3, believe that the night elves are completely savage in wc3, and living in trees or caves is the co formation, citing words Elisande speaks as some sort of proof as they really haven't experienced night elf lore in the correct perspectives.

Topics like this are started to correct the mis-representation, by presenting a fuller picture of the night elves from the very wc3 and many of the earlier books in the hopes it would be clear exactly in what way Groom's savage meant, and they won't be like most 1st worker city folk who just gross generalise anyone who lives in rural setti vs as primitive and savage - where for this race it certainly isn't the case ergo.

Are you accusing people who consider the WC3-Vanilla era night elves savage as not knowing lore? Because I've been a night elf roleplayer for as long as I've played WoW and I've studied everything there is to learn about modern kaldorei. To the point where the vast majority of other kaldorei roleplayers (I call them "purple humans" or "city elves") pretty easily annoy me, that's not to say I haven't met a lot of great kaldorei roleplayers though.

I know everything from their history (the Kaldorei Empire, the Sundering, the Banishment of the Highborne remnant, the Long Vigil, the War of the Shifting Sands, Third War, etc). To what they eat (rice, mainly, eat it with raw fish or turn it into flour to bake rice bread, they also like kimchi, sweet potatoes and baby octopi) to their religion (which is actually polytheistic, worshipping Elune as the goddess above deities) to their general lifestyles (kaldorei traditionally do not marry akin to humans, instead becoming 'life partners' which happens after a long male-initiated courtship, they also lean towards more community-oriented, children being raised as a part of a greater community rather than having two parents as well as generally shunning physical affection).

Hell, I don't even like using the word night elf over kaldorei (mainly because it rolls off the tongue better and is pretty used by every roleplayer over the word night elf).

[TheRagebear]

Word salad

Do you make such large, wordy, ridiculous posts because you think it'll distract from how hollow your arguments are?

[Frontenac]

THey are more interesting than that. For the night elves, each of the orders is like an actual nation in and of itself. Take the three main groups, the priestesses of the Moon, the druids and the highborne.

Each of these groups have great variation between them, highly organised functions and their own way of life.
The priestesses obviously dedicated to mother moon, living in temples mostly: They have their military wing in the fierce sentinels, the police and guards in the Wardens, the spies and scouts in the huntresses, then the gentle priestesses themselves

The druids and highborne have equal variation too, one focused on nature purely with the calm restoration druids, the feral bear/cat druids, the spell wielding balance adjusting balance druids, the scouts and spies in the talon druids etc - they have their won culture and life , structures entirely separate from the priests or the highborne.

The highborne culture we know much off too from the WotA and Suramar, they are also quite structured, tehir military wing in the moongaurd/dusk guard, the researchers, general city folk in a diverse number of works of life and professions.

The orders are more than just a class, they are like a clan, or a nation, where within them you have thier own society. Druids live in nature, like you see in Val'sharah, and is why i detest those who feel all night elves should be like this - it's only the druids, don't want to lose the priestesses, highborne, demon hunters and their unique and interesting facets only to pigeon hole into druids because some players can't handle or won't accept there are other parts to the night elves. The priests ofc are in the temples and they are like castles with their own system, traders, professions systems etc, the highborne ofc in cities..

Darnassus was quite unique in the way for its short existence, everyone lived together in a central place, but i bet you the druids would prefer to stay in the wilds, the priests not far from their temples, and the highborne rebuild their cities.

THe night elves are like a world of their own. To reduce them to just one thing, whether arcane, nature or amazonian warrior women regardless if that is your favourite aspect willl rob them of much of this richness.

The funny thing is that it's all there in their lore, but some people only focus on the nature druid thing (hence the wood elf comparison) some only on the priestess amazonian warrior side (hence the savage fierce night elf - even if they forget how gentlre the moon priestesses are very much unlike the sentinel), and some only on the arcane highborne side. But the night elves are all of these, and lets not forget the demon hunters, who favour scorched fel places full of raw power to continue their fight against all things demonic.

I don't see the different orders within kaldorei society as clans or even less nations with their own societies. They are institutions that each play a different role in the one kaldorei nation (I'm talking about the playable Night Elves, of course). Just like the humans in Stormwind have the Church of the Light, the House of Nobles or the SI:7. It would be silly to call each of these a nation. And it would not work especially with the kaldorei since, before the Third War, druids were all males and priests were all female.

-The Sisterhood of the Moon are the spiritual leaders of the Night Elves, of course. But since it is a theocracy, they are also their political leaders and their armed force. The priestesses of the Moon are not as "gentle" as you say. They are the military leaders of the Sentinels, who are members of the priesthood themselves for several of them. There is a duality there too: Elune is the Mother Moon, but she is also the Night Warrior. Therefore, the priestesses are not only staying in their temple and healing. They are out there leading the army and scouting their sacred forests. They are as much interested in protecting nature than the druids. They are fierce in battle, but that doesn't mean they can't be magnanimous in victory.

-The druids of the Cenarion Circle are the scholars and the thinkers. They are less interested in politics and are more concerned with threats that would directly attack nature. However, they too can join the fight if need be. They also have a great political influence because they are the ones behind the ideology of natural balance driving Night Elven society. And they worship Elune just as much as any other Night Elf.

-The Watchers/Wardens are another institution, serving as secret police, spies, jailors, marshalls.

Now, there is a bit of political game between these institutions. Archdruid Fandral Staghelm did not agree with Tyrande. But it was always clear that Tyrande was the one calling the shots for her people in the end.

As far as I know, there are no institution overlooking the few mages of the returning Highborne and their disciples. Showing how trivial the magic arts still are in kaldorei society. The Demon Hunters are exiles.

Then you have all the rest, the people, who are neither priests, sentinels, druids, wardens or highborne. Are they their own "nation?"

So you don't have priestesses cloistered in their temples, or druids only living in nature, and the towns we see in Valsharah are not that different from the ones we see on Teldrassil or in Darkshore or Ashenvale. Because the Night Elves are their own type of wood elves. Priestesses, druids, wardens and simple people are each all of that: Elune worshippers, nature lovers and fierce, savage warriors. Magic user is marginal.

[ravenmoon]

Are you accusing people who consider the WC3-Vanilla era night elves savage as not knowing lore?

Not all, but some. Only those who interpreted the whole race (all groups, orders etc) as savage and primitive merely because they live in the wilds and fight fiercely. Not those who interpreted it as "there is a savage side they can display in combat and is not a complete description of their whole culture or race, who understand they have this duality.

Because I've been a night elf roleplayer for as long as I've played WoW and I've studied everything there is to learn about modern kaldorei. To the point where the vast majority of other kaldorei roleplayers (I call them "purple humans" or "city elves") pretty easily annoy me, that's not to say I haven't met a lot of great kaldorei roleplayers though.

I hear you, though I also respect those who are drawn to that city side of the night elves because it is also real, and is shown by blizzard too. There is a duality to the night elves, what I think is sad is when players generalise the whole race as their favourite portion, they are not all savage nor are they all human like purple toned variations only on the surface. I think their duality is quite unique in the way all the facets of their race is shown, there are some similarities to our human culture, but they aren't quite human almost like they are not on that centre, because they are not human (and they are not supposed to be), and this is part of what makes them different and what I like, it's not an easy feat to create and all to easy to fall back into thinking of them as humans do and interpreting their behaviour and character as such, especially when they look so different.

Still I recognise some prefer a more savage approach others a more city civilised one, but those who deny the existence of the other and only uphold the aspect they like are wrong and aren't taking in all of the lore blizzard has shown.

I know everything from their history (the Kaldorei Empire, the Sundering, the Banishment of the Highborne remnant, the Long Vigil, the War of the Shifting Sands, Third War, etc). To what they eat (rice, mainly, eat it with raw fish or turn it into flour to bake rice bread, they also like kimchi, sweet potatoes and baby octopi) to their religion (which is actually polytheistic, worshipping Elune as the goddess above deities) to their general lifestyles (kaldorei traditionally do not marry akin to humans, instead becoming 'life partners' which happens after a long male-initiated courtship, they also lean towards more community-oriented, children being raised as a part of a greater community rather than having two parents as well as generally shunning physical affection).

As do I, and I love all these extra details, I read all the rpg game books of them also, and discounted all of its contributions when it was disqualified as canon, and had to refocus my impression of them, when parts of their origin story was retconned for wow, I initially had a difficult time with it, but had to accept it. And from then on, I chose to form my impressions entirely off all blizzard showed, not just my favourite parts. Some parts i didn't like, but I did incorporate them into my image of them.

Hell, I don't even like using the word night elf over kaldorei (mainly because it rolls off the tongue better and is pretty used by every roleplayer over the word night elf).

And I've written essays on the difference of both, what it incorporates, gone into the perspective of the world from a night elf's bearing in mind the standard the game views it from is human one - one result of that is the realisation that no kaldorei would have coined the term night elf, it would be like a human calling themselves day human, they are only night elf because humans called their day versions elves first, therefore distinguished them by affixing night.

This is what makes nightborne , still night elves, yet not kaldorei - the elves would not view themselves in terms of who is purple skinned or peach skinned, who is nocturnal or diurnal at all, that's not how they have distinguished themselves.

I use to be a huge fan of them and still like their general set up. I really like that high society highborne group exist , as well as The very different savage/fierce in countenance and fighting aggression sentinels reminiscent of Amazonian female warriors from dc universe comics wonder woman comes from, and I don't consider them savages because they fight savagely or live in rural settings, and so don't consider this part of the night elves savages even though they fight savagely, and when you switch to the druids, you again get something distinctly different yet still part of the same race and group.

I qualify this as interesting and well done, because it is reflective of the type of variation we have here on earth with such rich extremes of the same human race while in Warcraft still managing to achieve something that is actually not human, unlike the blood elves who come off as just very rich/smart humans. Highborne night elves in their 3 main stages (pre addiction, post addiction-pre sundering and post sundering) have never felt as human as blood elves - and they are the group of night elves most similar to them). Not that i hate high elves or blood elves, quite the opposite, just tat the nightnelves' un human pure elvenness, actual gives relevamce and credibilkitynto the high elves and blood elves, with their story allowing us to understand why high elves and blood elves are more human like, which they are meant to be.

I like the Thalassian elf more than the night elf because of its higher relatability, but the depth and clearly non human nature of the night elves is very intriguing, so sharing concepts I can understand as a human, they fascinate me by this nature they have, that isn't human, and I like that. I like it a lot, for after reading very many fantasy books and series, getting something uniquely elven, that qualifies as definitely another sentient and highly intelligent race, has not been achieved satisfactorily in my view since Tolkein.

That's not easy to achieve, and I think it's because of the core of night elves built in their introducing lore at a state humans may like to be or aspire, have potential to be to be but have never really achieved on a societal level.

[TheRagebear]

And I've written essays on the difference of both, what it incorporates, gone into the perspective of the world from a night elf's bearing in mind the standard the game views it from is human one - one result of that is the realisation that no kaldorei would have coined the term night elf, it would be like a human calling themselves day human, they are only night elf because humans called their day versions elves first, therefore distinguished them by affixing night.

Hey loremaster. Kaldorei translates to "children of the stars."

I'm pretty sure they don't give a damn about the name night elf.

[Blizzard Moneybot]

Did he talk with them? Did he experience their culture, understand their history? He met them in battle and they were no pushover, gave no QUARTER?

This is just empty bloviating. When humans called Orcs savage they didn't do any of the following and Orcs gave no quarter to the humans when they met in battle. Grom thought the Night Elves were savage, considering his pedigree of murking ogres and orcs all over Draenor before curbstomping humanity I'd say he has rather astute opinion on savagery; perhaps he measured their actions against his own.

And that's the problem. The way they are portrayed in the Alliance would remind Grom of the spineless pushover scum from Quel'thalas, hardly a perfect footstool, much more warrior.

[ravenmoon]

This is just empty bloviating. When humans called Orcs savage they didn't do any of the following and Orcs gave no quarter to the humans when they met in battle. Grom thought the Night Elves were savage, considering his pedigree of murking ogres and orcs all over Draenor before curbstomping humanity I'd say he has rather astute opinion on savagery; perhaps he measured their actions against his own.

And that's the problem. The way they are portrayed in the Alliance would remind Grom of the spineless pushover scum from Quel'thalas, hardly a perfect footstool, much more warrior.

It was certainly one of the impressive things that struck me about the night elves compared to humans and high elves. Their reaction to Grom and behaviour in WC3 gave them a very dangerous feel, the difference might be that I don't use the word savage to describe as it's connections go further the the context it was used allows it to.

I liked how when they saw a threat, they responded to it quickly, no debates, no time wasting, able to see through manipulative red tape delays. You are a threat, they responded in kind, aggressively and heavily.

But savage really depicts, tearing off peoples heads and chewing on them to most people where I am from, and having no sense of civility or etiquette, so I could never wholly describe them as savage and would always affix fighting style to the savage reference.

What I did like is that a highly civilised, compassionate, gentle and advanced culture could also be like that. Night elves showed a type of righteous elite that would skewer you if if you were in the wrong, that is clearly savage but offset by their other benign traits presenting you their beautiful duality.

The problem with night elves is not the way we see them in stormwind or the high society side of them in the highborne, moonguard pockets and nightborne, it's that blizzard stopped showing us that they were also quite dangerous and that they really were enhanced highly intelligent beings with 10k years experience, skill, wisdom and at the height of their fields. Such dont lose in the lame manner they have, nor are silent or absent in matters that they should be responding powerfully. The entire dislike for Malfurion and Tyrande is how quiet they've been when blizzard writes their people being picked off, adding to the dissatisfaction of how they write such a group so easily mastered and beaten - the annoys fans who expected much more because the night elves were introduced and described as being capable of a far more impressive display.

Blizzard never show arcane wonders coming from the highborne and mages despite all their credentials that should have meant they spotted Thalyssra's message for e.g. in the Suramar start quest, but had to use Khadgar yet again, nor use the highborne to be involved or leading the Kirin'tor in Suramar, they don't show their nature prowess anymore either, the stuff the night elf druids do has no impact or effect nor does it cos you to marvel in current settings and they dont come across as dangerous or powerful adversaried as they are easily run over. Instead we see how impressive tauren, trolls and worgen can be as druids, but when its night elves, we dont see the dangerous side - its good we see the caring, peaceful, schorlarly benevolent side, but they are failing them by not showing this other side too. Hence night elf druid is simultaneous withntree hugger, and the new writers perpetuate the fallacy as the material they have to draw on in game doesnt reflect the full thing.

And as such, you also don't see this enhanced skill, strength or stature or ferocity (you may call savgery) ever shown either when the sentinels fight horde members as they are so easily, surprised, outfitted, out manoeuvres and just constantly victims.

Demon hunters are the only ones that actually come across as dangerous and really difficult to beat, this is supposed to be all night elves. So they don't feel dangerous, this is the problem. Nothing wrong with civilised bit, that matches established lore, it's the failure to make them come across as dangerous and really an adversary you will struggle against, you cannot take lightly and are likely to lose against because they really are that good, and really are on a different level, like Dos and She are.

It's the failure for their martial activities to line up with their racial characteristics that is problematic here.

Night elves going from the duality and a plethora of orders, versatile and varied with their unique styles ,bolus, to only be shown as soft tree hugger druid types, which is really just one facet of them

[Techno-Druid]

And I've written essays on the difference of both, what it incorporates, gone into the perspective of the world from a night elf's bearing in mind the standard the game views it from is human one - one result of that is the realisation that no kaldorei would have coined the term night elf, it would be like a human calling themselves day human, they are only night elf because humans called their day versions elves first, therefore distinguished them by affixing night.

I always assumed they were called night elves by non-elves because they were nocturnal.

[Clone]

this is not a comparison to high elves

Savagery in battle is not the same as being savage in general. It's not like they were collecting skulls and skinning their enemies.

[Syegfryed]

Savagery in battle is not the same as being savage in general. It's not like they were collecting skulls and skinning their enemies.

thats why night elves are savage, just not the kind of collecting skulls skinning their enemies and other things

[Enkrypt]

http://classic.battle.net/war3/nightelf/ - did you even pay attention to this and all the other features about them?

Protective of nature, yes, the druids did that, not all the night elves, the priests protected the well not nature, but they do love nature, doesn't make them wood elves and certainly not savage. You are wrongly interpreting without considering all the info.

You blithely ignore all the other signs and pointers that indicate there is far more to them than that, and logic that tells you the only savagery in this race was how the huntresses fight, in particular how they fought Grom.

They live in a giant tree (or did, ayyyee). I'd say they're wood elves. Have you played a Night Elf? You start in the woods. Trees. Leaves. Branches. Y'know, barrow dens. I don't think your "but this" and "but that" refutes any of that.

And yes, they are savagely protective. They are civilized, yes, but they are not scared to engage or aggressively protect their ways of life.

Your title says, "definitely not wood elf and never were savage". You even admit the huntresses were savage at one time. And they live in the woods. Wut?

[Ashenhoof]

I think the biggest misunderstanding is how OP misconceives the word savage regarding night elves.

As many have pointed out, kaldorei are savage in battle, but this doesn't mean they have no culture or are savage in the sense that they're barbaric or something like that.
Besides that, since a large portion of their culture is based around nature they definitely have a savage or feral aspect to them. You just have to accept that OP.

[ravenmoon]

I always assumed they were called night elves by non-elves because they were nocturnal.

Me too, I thought it was common sense, but there are people who think "Night elf" is how they define themselves rather than either a descriptive noun of them due to their nocturnal cycles unfamiliar to eastern kingdom folk or the common term for their race and all nocturnal, purple skinned elves.

If wow reflected human society better, void elves would be called night elves in most human zones because they are well, purple and shadowy

[The Stormbringer]

Me too, I thought it was common sense, but there are people who think "Night elf" is how they define themselves rather than either a descriptive noun of them due to their nocturnal cycles unfamiliar to eastern kingdom folk or the common term for their race and all nocturnal, purple skinned elves.

If wow reflected human society better, void elves would be called night elves in most human zones because they are well, purple and shadowy

Or shadow elves? Dark Elves would make sense, since they use 'dark magic'.

[ravenmoon]

thats why night elves are savage, just not the kind of collecting skulls skinning their enemies and other things

Agreed, but since the two are so easily mixed up by most, is why I did this topic. Savage in battle doesn't mean overall savage. Night elves were portrayed as fighting savagely in WC3, but never portrayed as actually being a savage race.

And what people want to return is the dangerous threatening night elf that showed guts in wc3, and was no pushover to any race - they were introduced as a titanic race.

The savage fighting description does bring back an air of dangerous and threatening they have lost in their wow portrayals, especially when the combat scenes of cataclysm were written, not once did we see sentinels threatening or fierce, not once did we see highborne shen'dralar wielding their magic with devastating effectiveness as you would expect once unbroken in their arcane studies since before the sundering (we actually don't have a single quest that interacts with them in a battle except for Estulan galloping the ogre. And not once do we see the druids threatening or dangerous in Hyjal, they are too busy being slaughtered and overrun, needing our brave human/worsen hero to save their hides

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Or shadow elves? Dark Elves would make sense, since they use 'dark magic'.

It's a shame wow doesn't pick up such potential nuances and quirkiness of humans, because humans ofc, can do no wrong and simply can't be foolish enough to make generalisations of unfamiliar races or just lump them all into one category or have 3-4 different terms for all purple skinned elves regardless if they kal/shal/ren'dorei

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I think the biggest misunderstanding is how OP misconceives the word savage regarding night elves.

As many have pointed out, kaldorei are savage in battle, but this doesn't mean they have no culture or are savage in the sense that they're barbaric or something like that.
Besides that, since a large portion of their culture is based around nature they definitely have a savage or feral aspect to them. You just have to accept that OP.

No I didn't misconceive this but rather highlight it, but perhaps the wordiness of the essay didn't help making this clear

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They live in a giant tree (or did, ayyyee). I'd say they're wood elves. Have you played a Night Elf? You start in the woods. Trees. Leaves. Branches. Y'know, barrow dens. I don't think your "but this" and "but that" refutes any of that.

And yes, they are savagely protective. They are civilized, yes, but they are not scared to engage or aggressively protect their ways of life.

Your title says, "definitely not wood elf and never were savage". You even admit the huntresses were savage at one time. And they live in the woods. Wut?

No offense Enkrypt, but have you been reading the thread and all we have written?

[Enkrypt]

No offense Enkrypt, but have you been reading the thread and all we have written?

Not all seven pages of it, no. I'm addressing the topic of your thread that is false. No offense, but have you been playing the same game as us?

It seems like you've reached a point where you're trying to define when and how they are savage. Your OP says they are never savage. Which, very clearly, they can be quite savage. You seem to be attempting to use nuance to assist in making your initial assertion make sense by dividing the possible meaning of "savage".

You've also claimed they aren't wood elves. Which, no offense, if you've played the game and/or a Night Elf, is obviously quite wrong. I mean, dude, they live in trees, on a tree, filled with trees. I don't require this fan-based thread to make that true or false.