Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[FlubberPuddy]

Don't get the wrong idea. I'm still an anti-helfer

Make no mistake: High Elves are much better being a Void Elf customization option or if you want Paladins, then Stormwindian Human customization option since they're practically blue eyed humans with long ears

I’m open to how Blizzard decides to implement them in so either one would be alright for me.

At this point, just like the whole blue eyes thing for a while, the obnoxious people who want to deny others customization options because that’s the only way they can seemingly enjoy their own options should not be rewarded.

That behavior is toxic and I think it’s part of the reason why Blizzard decided not to give the blue eyes to blood elves.

It’s kind of like the people that post about Sylvanas is being a hero, devs shouldn’t equate genocide to “a right thing to be done.” Just sends a bad message.

At the end of the day, people who are requesting High Elves are doing so because they’re still there and keep showing up.

Nothing malicious about that. Blood elves aren’t losing customization options to High Elves. Blood elves don’t disappear from the Horde just because High Elves come.

Like MrGM said, “you’ll make a lot of people happy for little work”.

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Agreed, I can't even be bothered to read the essays anymore I just skip over them. I wanna' see more nifty helf art.

Yeah it’s fruitless and just leads to circular discussion. Bout to just be on the lookout for any High Elf that hasn’t already been posted in here.

Or maybe do a few resposts since it’s been a while since people have seen some of the art in here.

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Here we go art dump ish!





Source: https://yung-rage.tumblr.com/post/16...-azeroth-peace

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Source: https://meadowlurking.tumblr.com/pos...c-kuridelblack

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Source: https://ninterbit.tumblr.com/post/19...-elf-character

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Some images are very large so I'll just be posting links

https://frrrozi.tumblr.com/post/1809...-drawing-ughhh

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Source: https://kottkrig.tumblr.com/post/175...-of-an-already

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Source: https://ninterbit.tumblr.com/post/18...35/commissions

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Okay will stop for now

[Broflake]

Needs a separate art thread IMO.
Better concentrated and les discussion

[FlubberPuddy]

Needs a separate art thread IMO.
Better concentrated and les discussion

It's fine to post art of High Elves here, that's the basis of this thread.

Post YOUR design ideas! So far, the biggest roadblock to adding High Elves as an allied race seems to be their lack of distinction from Blood elves. This is a thread for brainstorming design options that could set them apart.

What are your ideas? What unique design elements could be added to Silver Covenant High Elves to make them stand out?

Right there in the OP.

[Varx]

That's some nice blue eyed belf fan art there. Oh wait I mean Helf, sorry they almost look like the same race, my bad.

[elbleuet]

That's some nice blue eyed belf fan art there. Oh wait I mean Helf, sorry they almost look like the same race, my bad.

--- snip ---

Bts, the pics are awesome. We need more of them.

[Frenchvince]

I like this artist who does a lot of superb HE art.

[FlubberPuddy]

Bts, the pics are awesome. We need more of them.

There's more, but I did not want to fill the page with so many more so soon.

I do like how artists are drawing some as druids. It would show the increased relationships with Night Elf druids.

I also like the High Elf one with the family of husband and son. As that screams, 'High Elves' because Blood Elves would scoff at that/make fun of that as they did with Vereesa.

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I like this artist who does a lot of superb HE art.

In the same style as Alleria.

We do not risk seeing this for the blood elves.

Yeah I agree. From Alleria's look you can really come up with a lot of differentiation from Blood Elves.

Such as the feathers in the hair (blue/white colored), braids (even some with blue highlights like in one of the pics I posted), and of course all the blue warpaint that matches with Allerias.

I also really like the extremely white hair in one of the pics I posted which would follow along with the Light blue hair colors shown among the High Elves as well.

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Saw this from the Highborne customization thread by Pheraz. Some new stuff found by keyboardturner

https://twitter.com/keyboardturn/sta...05873281765376



Complete speculation but it could potentially be as other races referring to you differently than say humans. So someone said maybe other elves will call you kaldorei/sin'dorei, something like that.

It could also never come into the live environment either! But seeing as how they were implemented recently, well it makes me think of a few things based on what others have said.

1) Looks like they're overhauling race selection/character creation. This we already have evidence for due to the revamp witnessed in the alpha. The image above makes me wonder if they're going to continue overhauling the race selection/character creation in the future.

We already know Ion said character customization will always continue, what if one day you are able to on Alliance just pick "Elf" then it gives you choices between Kaldorei/Ren'dorei/Quel'dorei?

This would avoid the "omg there's so many elves" because they'll be contained within their own nest and it won't look like there's an overabundance.

2) Another thing I think of, and this is from Keyboardturner's comment, is what if one day we are able to choose our racials. Or our choice of an identifying "sub-race" gives you specific racials.

So following from the nested races idea earlier, if you choose Kaldorei you'll get Night Elf racials, Ren'dorei for Void Elf racials, and Quel'dorei can give you High Elf racials.

Or there is a way for you to use the "Void Elf slot" to pick Quel'dorei customizations that come with looks specific to High Elves, racials specific to High Elves, and classes specific to High Elves. This way the "waste of a slot" argument falls apart and has no bearing.

Sounds unrealistic atm, cuz it is. But if Blizzard continues iterating on the character creation screen even more in the future it could potentially come to this point.

[Ardenaso]

I’m open to how Blizzard decides to implement them in so either one would be alright for me.

At this point, just like the whole blue eyes thing for a while, the obnoxious people who want to deny others customization options because that’s the only way they can seemingly enjoy their own options should not be rewarded.

That behavior is toxic and I think it’s part of the reason why Blizzard decided not to give the blue eyes to blood elves.

It’s kind of like the people that post about Sylvanas is being a hero, devs shouldn’t equate genocide to “a right thing to be done.” Just sends a bad message.

At the end of the day, people who are requesting High Elves are doing so because they’re still there and keep showing up.

Nothing malicious about that. Blood elves aren’t losing customization options to High Elves. Blood elves don’t disappear from the Horde just because High Elves come.

Like MrGM said, “you’ll make a lot of people happy for little work”.

Don't worry I won't really bug anyone (anymore I guess?) if their anti/pro-helf convictions are really that strong. I'm here for the discussions, fact-checking (mostly for me lol), and going for helf customizations for Void Elf or even Stormwindian Human

[FlubberPuddy]

Don't worry I won't really bug anyone (anymore I guess?) if their anti/pro-helf convictions are really that strong. I'm here for the discussions, fact-checking (mostly for me lol), and going for helf customizations for Void Elf or even Stormwindian Human

No worries, you never came off that way and better to have someone that puts emphasis on fact-checking than trying to make a smear campaign (goes for both sides of this debate).

Either of your picks would work for me if I am to be honest, as long as some lore makes sense of it.

Either that’s the Void Elves learning of a way to control the process so they look more like Alleria.

Or just going ahead and bringing up Half-Elves into the mix since that would be the legacy of Quel’dorei anyway.

If I were an artist I would draw up my own designs to aid in the process. Especially seeing that we are getting customizations like body jewelry/necklaces etc.

The more options the WoW team opens up in character creation the more easy it would be to justify the options that are “slightly different” like with Wildhammer Dwarves.

In Telogrus Rift there are already blood elves who defected from Silvermoon/Quel’thalas so the whole “faction identity” has felt dead for a while since that happened.

Blizzard didn’t put in anything like the cinematic with Calia where she takes the Night Elf Forsaken, to stump out some discussions people were having about the possibility of getting forsaken Night Elves on Horde (which btw didn’t have people throw rancor over that, wonder why).

[bobwuzhere1224]

Really ? Where are those pilgrims when Alleria return to Quel'Thalas ?

As far as we can tell, they aren't there anymore.


The majority of the thalassian population joined the Horde. Not the High Elves. There is clear differences between Blood Elves and High Elves. Get your facts straight, please.

Incorrect. The Blood Elves are The High Elves. The "high elves" that you want to play are also High Elves. Thalassian is just the name of their language not their race. Their Race is called the High Elves. I strongly recommend actually learning the lore before trying to lecture someone next time.

[FossilFree]

So much great art everyone! A feast for my eyes.

Source: https://ninterbit.tumblr.com/post/18...35/commissions

Can I play this please?? So cool!

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I very much agree! I noticed your comment about the class skins thread so am headed there next (I had no idea there was art in that thread, so thanks!).

No problem!

[FlubberPuddy]

So much great art everyone! A feast for my eyes.

To me, it's amazing how many Quel'dorei fans there are out there right this moment. Some of these images came with backstories that the artists made as they are OCs or came from the person that commissioned the work. It's really heartwarming to read some of them.

That there is even this much fan art for an unplayable option is surprising to see. Trust me there's a lot more out there but I didn't want to come off as 'spammy'.

Kind of like how Void Elves never existed at all, but now they have plenty of fan art after being made official and playable, I can't wait to see all the fan art that's going to get generated with the arrival of increased customizations on Live. Makes me just imagine the possibilities for High Elf fan art should they become playable.

[delus]

They are dude.
Why would the high elves, who are the EXACT same race as the blood elves...be affected differently?

They are putting in the effort to update blue eyed high elf NPCs so take it up with the devs.

[Broflake]

They are putting in the effort to update blue eyed high elf NPCs so take it up with the devs.

Which...just means they're enforcing a status quo

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It's fine to post art of High Elves here, that's the basis of this thread.


Right there in the OP.

Ahhh, I thought it was purely discussion. Didn't want things getting lost.

[NED funded]

https://66.media.tumblr.com/9e69d319...u8oo1_1280.png

https://66.media.tumblr.com/514a69af...u8oo2_1280.png

Something inside of me died when I read high elf druids :c

[FlubberPuddy]

Something inside of me died when I read high elf druids :c

How come?

[Leinadh]

Incorrect. The Blood Elves are The High Elves. The "high elves" that you want to play are also High Elves. Thalassian is just the name of their language not their race. Their Race is called the High Elves. I strongly recommend actually learning the lore before trying to lecture someone next time.

No, that is not accurate.

The term “Thalassian” is an adjective that describes their race and/or nation as well as per current lore:

www[dot]wowhead[dot]com/search?q=Thalassian

Thalassian Charger or Thalassian Civilians being the most obvious examples.

You do realize there are plenty of blood elves with blue eyes yes?

Does “plenty” mean “two”?

[Ardenaso]

Thalassian is the denonym like nationality, like Thalassians for High Elves/Blood Elves and Arathi, Stromic, Alteraci, Stormwindian, etc. for Humans

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Check out this High Elf Spellbreaker custom skin!

https://www.hiveworkshop.com/threads...venant.324587/





He also made the High Elf Lieutenant custom skin so I expect him to publish it soon as well

[bobwuzhere1224]

No, that is not accurate.

The term “Thalassian” is an adjective that describes their race and/or nation as well as per current lore:

www[dot]wowhead[dot]com/search?q=Thalassian

Thalassian Charger or Thalassian Civilians being the most obvious examples.



Does “plenty” mean “two”?

You literally just have to google Thalassian and see I'm correct.

https://wowwiki.fandom.com/wiki/Thalassian
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Thalassian

"Thalassian is the primary language of blood elves and high elves (and by extension, of the void elves). It has both written and spoken equivalents. Individuals who are unfamiliar with the language's proper name may refer to it as High Elven." It is the name of their language.

[Obelisk Kai]

No, that is not accurate.

The term “Thalassian” is an adjective that describes their race and/or nation as well as per current lore:

www[dot]wowhead[dot]com/search?q=Thalassian

Thalassian Charger or Thalassian Civilians being the most obvious examples.



Does “plenty” mean “two”?

'Thalassian' is not the demonym. It's a short hand covering Blood Elves, high elven exiles and void elves that has crept into this debate over the years if someone wants to use a phrase to cover all relevant groups but no elf has ever said 'I am a thalassian elf', nor should a shorthand developed for fan debates be given any more regard than being a shorthand within a fan debate. It's a handy shorthand when required.

There is one term covering the race, that is Blood Elf, which covers the vast majority of the survivors of the third war. It is the Blood Elf army, not the thalassian army, the Blood Elf navy, not the thalassian navy, and Blood Elf forces, not thalassian forces.

The term 'high elf' is a politicised one. It is not an agnostic term that denotes an entire race regardless of their politics, as Human is, but it used to be. Instead what 'high elf' means now is those survivors of the third war who have not reconciled themselves to the new order back home. Between Ion's comments regarding their assimilation and Elisande's regarding their dilution of their bloodline, coupled with their incredibly low numbers, they don't really have a future of their own. Probably a lot more half elves in their future though.

Void Elves are a new race that has recently diverged from the others but whom are clearly distinguished via their theme and aesthetic from the Blood Elves. A lot of comments involving 'thalassian' elves are often followed by 'except the void elves'.

So 'thalassian' is handy for debate but in game or in lore I don't think it is ever used. People used to say high elf, now they say Blood Elf, and the meaning of 'high elf' has changed substantially, whereas Void Elf is already standing apart as it's own thing. The elves share the common language of Thalassian, and the adjective is used to describe the Paladin mount (Thalassian Charger) but beyond that it the term isn't really used in game I think.

I am happy for any example that may have escaped my attention to be presented. It is a huge game and there are thousands of quests and dialogues, not to mention the books and comics. I may have forgotten some.

P.S A quick search of wowhead does show NPC's labelled as thalassian.

Thalassian Priests, civilians and Magisters to be specific, but they all either memories or ghost. I wonder why it is only used for shades of the past.