The Void - what's the attraction?

[matrix123mko]

I was most impressed by the Dark elf adapation of the night elves into a
not evil
fused arcane/nature duality race, then instead of living underground in caves had a star light/moonlight ..i.e. night SKY emphasis in them containing a wide range of diversity within that race and its function (when you think of their arcane, nature, Divine, fel, and light/void expertise, with archers/hunters and warriors and the interesting gender swap without being weird or feminist) I really liked that as compared to other fantasies, dark elves were typically very monotonous and evil - hence whey I use to be quite outspoken when communities left no room for the other facets of the night elves outside nature.

For me they never were dark elves. Appearance aside, they feel more like wood elves. They are archers and druids who live with treants and so on. Priests of Elune are quite interesting but they still fit. Also, I wouldn't count ancient highborne as night elves. They have similar(10000 years can lead to some minor changes) biology but they are culturally different. They split, like in Tolkien, to high elves(nightborne, Shen'dralar, blood elves) and wood elves, our long vigil group.

For dark elf archetype, nagas are the best. They are fallen elves who live in darkness and plot against eachother. They worship dark god and serve ambitious queen who holds grudges against other elves. The difference is that they replaced underground with water and added fish parts to their appearance. Also, we can't call them purely evil, some of them are tragic people who were so unlucky to drown with Azshara.

Orcs and blood elves (also void elves) were another twist I liked. Orcs were cunning, intelligent, whiles maintaining their savage and brutish edge.. but they weren't dumb like in many portrayals, and Warcraft and LotR were the only two fantasy worlds were orcs actually felt dangerous, but Warcraft the only one were they were redeemable and again had this diverse range and reach, not just limited to "the savage warrior ME SMASH" portrayal. However the fact that is how orcs are perceived in other fantasies, plays out quite well, as this view of orcs is often held by arrogant races like elves and humans, yet is far from the truth.

Prattchet gone even further and made an orc philosopher.

Blood elves exploring the magical addiction started in the night elf story and turning out to be less than the upstanding morally perfect and virtuous high elf was also interesting. I definitely found Tolkein's high elves interesting and how he managed to portray them as he described them, an impressive feat I have now learned as nearly every other fantasy has failed to get immortality/long lived or highly intelligent races (as they describe portrayed). The blood elves however were flawed elves morally, but with the cunning high intelligence of the race, keeping their beautiful appearance, but being quite the opposite (in many cases) on the inside, was great, they offered both the hope of returning to their nobler past yet not and offering a more devious feel to the blood elves without going the all out evil/crazy that competing elven groups (like dark elves usually have).

I liked how high elves made by Blizzard weren't just bland lawful good elves. I like theme of civilised races that are more Macciavellian. They are also interesting due to internal splits. My only issue is that Blizzard makes them slowly lost their uniqueness, as warlocks were replaced by paladins and now nightborne make them leave arcane market aswell.

My only gripe is actually not really with them, but the lack of the night elven group being out paced by the blood elves because it doesn't fit the original lore, night elves are supposed to be by default superior in every aspect, magical aptitude, intelligence, longevity, stature - but they aren't as ambitious as the blood elves and are crippled by shame and guilt because of the sundering - yet they were initially shown to be sterner and more commanding only to have them fad e to nothing which I have always felt isn't a good move, because of how popular the high elf is, you always need to make your dark/night elf one step ahead to compete, and I felt that the night elves have the racial background to provide that, but it isn't utilised in wow at all and that's because of gameplay facors.

I don't think night elves are more intelligent than blood elves. I might be wrong but I get that perception from roles these races play. Blood elves are scholars while night elves are devouts and warriors.

[therealstegblob]

Being sodomized by tentacle gods.....why would anyone want that is beyond me.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denial

[clownpenisfart]

all of the shitty wow lore - what's the attraction?

[Arrashi]

[LEFT]
To be fair, everything about Warcraft is copy paste, which is why the high elf hate surprises me a lot when those who passionately hate it because they're "Tolkein elves" they claim.

A low effort attempt on horribly overused fantasy cliche - whats not to like.

[Razion]

Is it really much of a surprise if people like the colors and the edginess?
It's all pretty hand-in-hand with other elements like Arthas and Illidan, I think.
People can like brooding, revenge-fueled angst boy-band warriors pretty easily.
They don't need much of a reason beyond it's a little out there and stylish and cool.
Maybe one day we'll see Wrathion on the cover of an expansion box for the void toting a new hero class. Haha.

[Thereturn]

Old gods, tentacles, dark celestial effects, hot elves and huge amount of interesting looking eyes make the overall great effect. I loved old gods since Cataclysm.

Aesthetics aside, I don't associate void with emptiness. For me it an interesting incarnation of evil. Dark force that corrupts minds and makes stuff more interesting.

Void is the hentai of WoW.

[allegos]

Blood Elves and Void Elves are the only player characters whose models don't look like hammered shit in the eyes of a fair number of players. This is not complicated.

[Dellis0991]

Void is the hentai of WoW.

Players who main void elves are accused of such depravity.

[Garymorilix]

And here we go.

Guy takes the concept of the Void and tries to fuckin make it about "sexy elves".

Can you stop with the elves already?
Are you Mace reincarnated or what?

[Varodoc]

Players who main void elves are accused of such depravity.

Can confirm. As my void elf would say:

"They say the Void hungers. Let's start off with a bit of nibbling."

[Dark Succ]

Forget about the Void Elves for now. Faceless Ones & Aqir are where the fun is at.

Alright, real talk: The Void, while inspired by Lovecraft's works, has one crucial element that makes it different from Lovecraft's works. One that it shares with Warhammer... Sort of.

They are absolutely defeatable. Not entirely, of course, you might say that they have already won in fact. But on a local scale? Completely defeatable.

While that might sound lame, as this removes the horror from the cosmic horror, I don't mind it, in fact, I like it. Beating eldritch horrors and making them cry for their mommy is the greatest expression of Mortals Fuck Yeah the game can offer. Until the mommy comes and spanks you harder than Yog-Sothoth can with it's tentacles.

[Ruunicus]

I mean its basically just lovecraft and that shit is neat.

Except its not.

It is for me. It's a VERY tame take on Lovecraftian Horror (sorta' - Old Gods, Faceless Ones, tentacles, etc.) and that's why I like it.

[Oakshana]

Except its not.

Except that's your opinion and it's subjective, not factual.

Bingo we have a winner.

Bingo? Name one thing in World of Warcraft that isn't a copy/paste or homage from pre-existing lore/stories/pop-culture. That's ALL it is.

[Arrashi]

It is for me. It's a VERY tame take on Lovecraftian Horror (sorta' - Old Gods, Faceless Ones, tentacles, etc.) and that's why I like it.

Tame is a keyword here. Tho "completely misunderstanding what lovecraftian horror is all about" would be more fitting.

[Ruunicus]

Tame is a keyword here. Tho "completely misunderstanding what lovecraftian horror is all about" would be more fitting.

Nah, I think you just want me to agree with you. I understand Lovecraftian Horror. I like the Void because it's got a very tame Lovecraftian monster vibe.

[Frolo Bobbins]

To be fair, everything about Warcraft is copy paste

Pretty much this. It's not terribly original anywhere.

[Arrashi]

Nah, I think you just want me to agree with you. I understand Lovecraftian Horror. I like the Void because it's got a very tame Lovecraftian monster vibe.

A very tame doesn't really go well with lovercraftian.

[mickybrighteyes]

Unmistakably people are drawn to this void concept, new as it is to Warcraft. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect it developed from the shadow concept and is revealed to be the source behind it.

Technically. Void and shadow are interchangeable on the cosmic power chart now so it's not that one is a source of the other but that they have been using both terms in a confusing manner. More like Fire and flame or heat.

Death and void must be related ofc as people close to death seem to handle it well, including undead.

Not really. two very different spheres in the magical alignment. Also raising dead or animating remains is something multiple schools of magic have achieved or messed with. Arcane, fel, death, and void have all had this showcased in the storyline at some point. Probably could dig up something for fire or water born undead from some period.

is the attraction the concept itself of a space like emptiness with nice purple colours? or is it more spiritual in that people who love it feel empty inside and it really embodies them?

I think that's missing some parts of what they're trying to sell void/shadow as.

To overly simplify it, it might be easier to look at the Naruto storyline.. Naruto and Sasuke in particular. Naruto being "Light" with his preference for unity and working together with his peers to overcome whatever. Sasuke being "shadow/void" relying on his own power solely to the point of ignoring other interference. Void isn't just "emptiness"

Finally the popularity of the void elves might be the attraction as they are emo looking apparently "gorgeous" blood elf model types and it makes wielding void sexy - trust blizzard to make fel wielding and void wielding sexy by making elves the main racial users of them (ofc the Warlock and priest class do use fel and void magic, but it is the Illidari and void elf sub-races that are racial users and ofc blood elves and night elves are the top two attractive models in the game

I'd say void elves was a last minute cop out to not give high elves, not an attempt to make void magic 'sexy'

[Shakana]

Grape jello, the best jello flavor!

You taste like jello too

[Odintdk]

Dear forums: Fuck off about the elves. Thanks.