Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[bobwuzhere1224]

I too would like to know this. I hope that it ends up being an option for player Blood Elves and Void Elves though.

It would be a real waste if nearly all this datamined stuff ends up being 90% npc only.

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I do hope they won't be so "one-note" with Void Elf skin tones though. Without stepping on the toes of Blood Elves, I do believe there is some room for more variety in Void Elf skin to break up the monotony of their palette. I'd personally like a Void Elf skin tone like this:



It isn't like any that Blood Elves have but gives some subtle contrast which I feel is more aesthetically appealing. But I suppose we must wait till allied race customization actually happens to see any potential Void Elf skin tone options. I also feel the same about Nightborne that there's room for more variety without stepping on Night Elf toes.

That skin tone works fine for me for Velves but I also feel it might pass as grey skin tone for Dark Ranger skins if you slapped on non void hair and red-eyes. So it could go either way.

[Obelisk Kai]

I do hope they won't be so "one-note" with Void Elf skin tones though. Without stepping on the toes of Blood Elves, I do believe there is some room for more variety in Void Elf skin to break up the monotony of their palette. I'd personally like a Void Elf skin tone like this:



It isn't like any that Blood Elves have but gives some subtle contrast which I feel is more aesthetically appealing. But I suppose we must wait till allied race customization actually happens to find see any potential Void Elf skin tone options. I also feel the same about Nightborne that there's room for more variety without stepping on Night Elf toes.

Gray tones are an area that perfectly feasible for Void Elves to get. I think they have one already in fact. What complicates Void Elves is that to differentiate them from Blood Elves, they pretty much have to stay outside the human skin tone range. So if the tone looks human, I imagine it wouldn't work on Void Elves. I think Void Elves tones have to be actually rooted in the void for the aesthetic to work. Gray works, bone whites as well. Jet blacks. Deep, saturated blues and purples too.

Void Elves are a bit of a prisoner of their theme now. Even the blue eyes they have are a by-product of their connection to the void rather than not being in Quel'thalas during the use of fel crystals.

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Hey, thats cool! Anything added to Void Elves and the other Allied Races is nice.

And the purple eyes would fit perfectly on one of my Blood Elves!

If they make it an option... though the different blue eyes for Velves are nice too.

Specifically marked as NPC only. Perhaps for those blood and high elves who are preparing to become void elves?

[DeicideUH]

I really really wish they went all out with the bottom one and had it include the top inside it to make a full, thick beard.


I know hairy elves aren't really a thing but it would make me play one so fast.


Maybe high-elves will fulfill my request as they appear to be more unkempt/wild than Belves.

We don't know how those options work in-game. Maybe they can be mixed and matched like it was done with the new human beards/mustaches.

Yes the purple eyes will be for one or more NPCs, I wonder for whom?
I think of someone in particular when I see this color.

I thought the same thing.

[elbleuet]

Light blue eyes aren't related to the void at all. Void is dark and purple.

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We don't know how those options work in-game. Maybe they can be mixed and matched like it was done with the new human beards/mustaches.



I thought the same thing.

Vereesa with purple eyes ? I say yes !

[Kyriani]

Gray tones are an area that perfectly feasible for Void Elves to get. I think they have one already in fact. What complicates Void Elves is that to differentiate them from Blood Elves, they pretty much have to stay outside the human skin tone range. So if the tone looks human, I imagine it wouldn't work on Void Elves. I think Void Elves tones have to be actually rooted in the void for the aesthetic to work. Gray works, bone whites as well. Jet blacks. Deep, saturated blues and purples too.

I would absolutely LOVE bone white and jet black as skin (and also hair!) options!

[Obelisk Kai]

I would absolutely LOVE bone white and jet black as skin (and also hair!) options!

I believe there is plenty of room to expand Void Elf customisations whilst remaining true to what a Void Elf is.

I also think that, instead of body jewellery, they should receive bioluminescent tattoos.

I also think there should be some more monstrous options for those who want to really lean into the fantasy, but not an overwhelming number of such options (blinking eyeballs in the chest, that kind of thing).

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Light blue eyes aren't related to the void at all. Void is dark and purple.!

Void Elves have received multiple blue eye colour options in this build. So either you are incorrect, or the void isn't changing the eye colour of the high elf exiles who are becoming void elves.

I am more than happy to accept either explanation.

[Austilias]

Even the blue eyes they have are a by-product of their connection to the void rather than not being in Quel'thalas during the use of fel crystals.

Not necessarily. There's nothing to say that every single Void Elf feature is necessarily due to their connection to the void. Nice try in terms of trying to imply something to the effect of "You Void Elf players might think that blue eyes give you some sort of meaningful, concrete connection to High Elves, or grounds for claiming one, but guess again!", I suppose.

It could simply be that there are varying degrees of 'void corruption - as seen in many of the hair styles that range from being tentacle-ey to no tentacles at all, and that some High Elves are not sufficiently corrupted to lose their original eye colour in the process.

[Frenchvince]

I thought the same thing.

it would work just as well for the high elves of Dalaran / Kirin tor.

[Obelisk Kai]

Not necessarily. There's nothing to say that every single Void Elf feature is necessarily due to their connection to the void. Nice try in terms of trying to imply something to the effect of "You Void Elf players might think that blue eyes give you some sort of meaningful, concrete connection to High Elves, or grounds for claiming one, but guess again!", I suppose.

Given that the majority of the Void Elves are undoubtedly former Blood Elves, if only because the Blood Elves vastly outnumber the high elves and so it is likelier for a Void Elf to have been a blood elf rather than one of the high elf exiles, they would have had green eyes. Their eye colour has now changed, as thalassian elf eyes are prone to do, due to a massive influx of power from another school. As the Ask CDEV guide makes clear, thalassian elf eyes reflect the magic they are exposed to. In this case, Void Elves are now manifesting purple, blue and vaguely silvery eyes.

Whilst not every feature of a Void Elf needs reflect their connection to the void, for example ear length, most do. Skin tone colour, hair colour (both facial and head) and, of course, eyes. If anything about the Void Elves was going to change as the result of the transformation, it was the eyes.

[ravenmoon]

I am not sure I agree with you here, because it is clear that the connection to moonwells/well of eternity is based around proximity.
This is why they have to create a moonwell in any area they create where they will reside in for a period of time. This is why we see then prolifically, otherwise, we would see them change the same way the highborne changed into high elves over time.

Are there any other reasons why you think this is the case? The Shen'dralar and Nightborne were without Moonwells and nowhere near proximity to the Well of Eternity yet never changed from Night elves.

The High elves were changed because they were first severed by the Druids and Cenarius from their connection as punishment for flouting the ban, then exiled. This is why they lose their purple hue, longevity etc and other enhancements. They then make the sunwell binding themselves to it, and I think the extent of their changes are because of this. It is an arcane source afterall, origin from the well of eternity, so naturally they gain some enhancements from it after the long exile.

It is for these reasons I can't agree with what you said. I did consider it though. The Moonwells are used by druids to enhance the land because arcane energy boosts nature and life. Why? Well in Warcraft lore, arcane energy prolongs life, causes it to grow faster and stronger, it also raises intelligence, and the Well is what originally gives the night elves their purple skin hue. Notice that no matter what colour variant night elves come in, there is a hint of purple/blue. - it's not like trolls who have every colour - green, blue, white, purple, yellow, (although I don't see black) - over time we are shown trolls having purple a lot more, however earlier the colour was quite rare amongst them, green was the most common colour. Not so the elves, they tend to be shades of purple (night/void elves) or the lighter shades of brown (high/blood elves)

I am not sure if they become weaker or less intelligent in anyway. Based on the lore, it appears they simply lose several of the night elf features such as the dark skin that is near purplish.
Also, do keep in mind tainted moonwells can transform a night elf into a satyr.

They did, the lore tells us they became a lot weaker, it doesn't specifically say they lost intelligence, but it is a reasonable deduction because they lost all the enhancements being connected o the Well of Eternity gave on their exile. This includes a boosted intelligence. It is unreasonable to assume everything enhancement diminishes except intelligence

So why are Thalassian elves quite intelligent now?

a) It could be because the base intelligence was already so high, losing what came from the enhcancements wasn't that much. When you think of the stature lost, Night elves are 7-7.5' average, high elves are 6-6.5' whiles it is a loss, it isn't that much.

And / or

b) While they would have lost intelligence along with other enhancements because of the exile that severs them from the Well of Eternity and no arcane power source, when they create the Sunwell, this arcane source is able to boost them again, so they gain some stature, longevity and intelligence back. WE all know that using the arcane will further boost your intelligence. Darnassians while connected to an arcane source internally, didn't use that source for magic spells for 10 k years (unlike the Shen'dralar, Moonguard, night elves in Suramar who become Nightborne), naturally, as all high elves use some amount of arcane magic, like all the night elves did in the pre-sundering era. Therefore in addition to the passive augmentation they get from the sunwell, they can artificially enhance their intelligence further by working with arcane magic. Ofc mages do this the most, which is why they can buff the intellect buff.

This explains why your average Thalassian is likely more intelligent than your average Darnassian, but would be less intelligent than your average Highborne or Moonguard.

[Ardenaso]

Those are known as Blood Elves. High Elves never left Alliance.

The High Elven volunteers, yes; but the High Elven proper left the Alliance way long before

[Doffen]

Specifically marked as NPC only. Perhaps for those blood and high elves who are preparing to become void elves?

The blue ones are marked for playable void elves, only the purple is for npcs. Perhaps for the blood elves that are preparing to be Void Elves seeing Alliance High Elves do not according to WoG.

Maybe they are preparing to just get rid of the barriers so Void Elves can look more like they did before, Blood Elves. Would make sense to keep some of the physics they had before. Like HM Tauren and Taurens. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Anyways, more options=awesome.

[Obelisk Kai]

The blue ones are marked for playable void elves, only the purple is for npcs. Perhaps for the blood elves that are preparing to be Void Elves seeing Alliance High Elves do not according to WoG.

Maybe they are preparing to just get rid of the barriers so Void Elves can look more like they did before, Blood Elves. Would make sense to keep some of the physics they had before. Like HM Tauren and Taurens. The apple doesn't drop far from the tree.

Anyways, more options=awesome.

Can you point out where word of god specifically ruled out Alliance high elves becoming Void Elves? Given how often this topic has come up in recent months, I'd be very happy to have confirmation one way or the other to put the matter to rest.

And more options are indeed awesome, so long as they aren't to the detriment of the parent race. After all, HM Tauren don't need cow horns.

[Ardenaso]

Alright, since Blood Elves, then why do people still see Purge of Dalaran as racism and genocide when Jaina (retconned) only teleported everyone into the prison and the ones who did the actual killings were... the High Elves

[ravenmoon]

Their new well doesn't work because Nordrassil exists. This means that elves don't need wells to have glowing eyes.

Well that deduction cannot be correct. Nordrassil doesn't break the new well, it merely masks its power (i.e. hides it from those sensitive to magic and from the twisting nether), and acts as a buffer that regulates the flow - so you can't just get up to it and use it. It is unclear whether a night elf can though because of their natural connection to it. However because the ones in the Hyjal group were also linked to Nordrassil and believed the ban was necessary for fear of the Legion returning, they would have had a buffer against temptation due to the link to Nordrassil allowing a rational and sane mind to dictate their behaviour concerning using arcane magic - which is based on the knowledge that using it draws the legion and is the only means they know at the time that can provide enough power to portal a new invasion.

Remember they also had 3 dragon flights and the wild gods working alongside them to guard this thing.

Except it was not a deevolution. They indeed became weaker for a moment but it didn't change their bodies. I would call it a temporary illness. Similar to one that nightborne suffer when they go out of Suramar. Without constant suffusion of arcane magic, mortal race is suspectible to diseases. Night elves didn't suffer that only because they were blessed by Alextrasza

.
Semantics. Some evolutions are devolutions and others are more accurately described as mutations - depends on what these words mean to you. I refer to it as devolution as others I'm sure do, because they lost stuff. Vrykul to human is an evolution that is a devolution, they become less than what they were before, more handicapped, more fragile, weaker, less capable - not tot he point that they're cavemen or anything like that, but it is a weakening.

"Weaker for a moment" where do you get "for a moment".. and similar to the Nightborne? Where do you make that comparison? It's not similar at all to the Nightborne. The Nightborne get that way because they've heavily abused the magic of the Nightwell, taking it far beyond what a biological lifeform is to do with it - which is obvious considering they were INGESTING the thing for nutrition when they went low - the arcane energy amongst the night elves enhances naturally life, but it isn't meant as a replacement, the use was an abuse...so chronic was their dependency, that kicked out of Suramar they devolved completely.

Now their experience is a complete devolution, notice how they don't become trolls or anything like that, , it's new state. It can be called an evolution, but it is a devolution. Now the change to Nightborne is an evolution, but more of the mutated variety - changed by the Nightwell is not considered to have caused any enhancements at all.. perhaps because it was due to abuse of magic, whereas the original formation of the night elves happened in a natural way (even if Elune actually guided it).

Not sure where you got weaker for a moment... the way the high elves connect to the Sunwell is different, it's not a natural genetic connection the original night elf has, I suspect that because they are elves, there is a higher affinity for connecting to magical sources, and this wasn't altered in the exile process, however it is obviously not the same because they are able to get addicted by being suffused with a lesser magical source, which tells me that the devolution their bodies incurred reduced their capacity to handle magic - because they get addicted with a less powerful source, it may also be another proof/indication that the connection to the Sunwell is artificial, and because it is the effects aren't like what they would be when they were night elven. It would be one of those "impossible to foresee" things - you have no idea how much you are affected by an event like the exile and what the druids did - this explains why the dislike or even hatred for the Darnassians may run deep in Thalassians. It could be that also because the connection to the sunwell isn't natural, it's loss won't change them physically, but it would affect them physically because they'd grown dependent on it an din this case acting more like a drug - which is why night elves don't naturally have that reaction when they stop to use arcane magic, and I addiction withdrawal is only apparent in those who had grossly been overusing the arcane to irresponsible levels they develop an addiction. But their addiction threshold would by logic be higher also -or at least it would make sense to me that it was higher.

"

Without constant suffusion of arcane magic, mortal race is susceptible to diseases. Night elves didn't suffer that only because they were blessed by Alextrasza"

- Wait what? How can we even remotely deduce this? All we know is that the night elves in the pre-sundering era because of how they handled and used arcane magic were immortal and likely didn't suffer maladies, this is not necessary because of natural infusion/connection to the well, but a result of working spells, handling arcane magic for spell and able to use it to further extend life, extra intelligence boost on top of what you get from proximity (remember the animals?). You are boosted by being in proximity to a well source right? The effect of that well source can be optimised also (this is what is happening in moonwells) to affect the land and the creatures in ti even more) - however you are not immortal, and you're not immune to sicknesses. When you start handling the arcane using magic (i.e. spell work) the night elf can further enhance those qualities, further boost the intelligence, further boost longevity, further boost resistance to sicknesses etc, this is done magically (who knows, this might have been one of the things the Order of elune did in the pre-sundering era - we know they aren't mages, but we know they handle the arcane too, it is likely an easily done thing, since little children are also affected, so it may not necessarily be the priesthood but anyone with a simple basic knowledge of elven spellwork because it's taught or it's an attributed conferred organically - we aren't told)
Long and short is you need to spell work for such things. When the Well implodes, and the new well created, there is a connection, but because of the ban, the Well isn't used for ANY spell work at all... immortality and diseases immunity is conferred to the Hyjal group when the dragons link them to Nordrassil and bless Nordrassil - it is not gained by arcane handling.
Meanwhile the Shen'dralar in Dire Maul, the Night elves in Suramar and The Moonguard - however all continue to live immortal lives , also free of disease, this they do because they are actually handling the arcane like before.

However we notice the Thalassians, despite handling the arcane also, are not immortal, are not immune to disease either, unlike their elven progenitors. The reasonable deduction there is this is a biological trait unique to night elven kind (therefore night elves and Nightborne would have it), when they were severed and devolved they lost the bodies extra magical capacity, DNA etc which is why they get more easily addicted and handling magic doesn't grant them immortality or immunity to disease. The elf is a magic created being, so in the exile the Thalassians have lost some of that capacity, and as such are closer t humans . it's not much, because sickness is rare amongst the Thalassians and they live much longer than humans, but it's less than it is in night elves and Nightborne.

Yes I include Nightborne because they didn't lose any attributes of their initial night elven selves, this is why their situation is so different from the High elves, who lose a measure of what makes them night elves through the exile. The Nightborne, are a night elf sub-group, a new kind of night elf, the Nightwell changes them, but it isn't taking away original stuff from them, it's rather warping it, they are been altered by continuous and greater abuse of arcane magic, and this time it's a unique one utilising the magic of the Eye of Aman'thul that greatly expands the small font of power that was in Suramar palace.

So Night elves of the long vigil group do not get disease immunity from being connected to the Well of Eternity, they got it during the long vigil from the blessing of the dragon flights, which is why when it goes, they lose it, and still refuse to use the Well. Now the Highborne who use arcane energy who knows, I suspect they would have near immortal lives. Do they need a powerful enough source to make the life in use perpetual, who knows, but they're still connected to the well anyway, and they use the magic, so it's likely that unlike the priests and druids, they are.

Keep in mind that night elves have their connection to Well of Eternity severed too. Original one doesn't exist and the new one was completely disabled by Cenarius.

Disabled by Cenarius? That never happened, not read about that once. The WotA tells us they are connected to the Well of eternity, they feel the new Well the moment Illidan restores it, it then tells us their connection is a mystery, however at this point we haven't been told they are made from the Well of Eternity, this comes much later, I can only deduce that was the mystery spoken of in WotA trilogy.

As explained above, they are genetically linked to the titan's blood, it makes sense and it explains this, and this is because it's how they are made. Which is why it also makes sense that as punishment for breaking the ban, Cenarius does something magically that alters the biology of those who break the ban. This while mentioned in the rpg books, explains why the exile was so hard on the high elves, and why it changes them, when others like the Shen'dralar aren't changed despite not being in proximity or able to utilise the magic of the Well of Eternity directly. The official lore only says they were changed during the exile. It is logical to assume that if they were going to exile them instead of kill them for breaking the ban, they would have figured out a way to ensure that wherever they went they would not be able to use the arcane magic of the Well like they had done to create that storm.

Nordrassil blocks remote use of the well, it isn't disabled at all, but night elves have a natural connection to it, it is possible that in proximity to it they could utilise it with Nordrassil atop it, however blizzard hasn't explore this. The fact the Darth'remar Highborne could make a storm means that they figured out a way to utilise the magic of the well despite Nordrassil being there, it

There is no reason why they wouldn't have it. Here you are creating lore out of thin air.

I'm not creating lore, I'm merely explaining it. I have been careful to outline the thought process by pointing out what is directly stated in lore, and how we get some of the results the lore gives us. the lore doesn't spend much time explaining, but it gives you the information so you can figure out a working model yourself. If you actually think about why things in a video game lore is actually working. If you have that time on your hands or care enough about it, you can.

Currently you are trying to convince me that Highborne lose connection to the Well of Eternity(lite) by simply going further from it, while night elves do not lose power when the original well is destroyed. It doesn't make sense, especially when you realise that Well of Eternity in Hyjal doesn't work at all.

Hopefully by reading what I've just replied above you now realise I'm not trying to do that at all. If anything causes you trouble o r you want to offer more points on anything said so far, please don't hesitate to write it, I will do my best to explain, but I tend to get carried away explaining night elf stuff, because I've spent SOOOO much time on it, reading it, researching it, thinking about it, roleplaying it, and this is one of the few places outside my group of friends I can actually talk about my findings. Its pointless to "publish" them in a blog or something - but if someone asks about or conversation generally leads to it, I am happy to share, but be warned, this is why I have so much to say.

I've had to figure out a lot of things about the night elves. I remember the warning clearly in classic, that the night elves were enigmatic. There is mystery and more than meets the eyes. I noticed this immediately I started playing them, he questions started popping into my head, their behaviour, attitude blied the appearance of what I saw, and my conventional assumptions about people - for example, because you live in a forest, you're uncivilized and savage, yet these people seemed the exact opposite. Why? I saw many contrasting themes and opposites, like dualities in them often juxtaposed on each other. It piqued my interest and here we are.

[FlubberPuddy]

Well now we know why “blue eyes doesn’t make sense” for blood elves.

Lol they are giving them to Void Elves instead!

[Doffen]

Can you point out where word of god specifically ruled out Alliance high elves becoming Void Elves? Given how often this topic has come up in recent months, I'd be very happy to have confirmation one way or the other to put the matter to rest.

And more options are indeed awesome, so long as they aren't to the detriment of the parent race. After all, HM Tauren don't need cow horns.

Why should I point out that so far Void Elves are former Blood Elves only, seeing you know that since they are described as such and everything else is just a speculation? I know you first responded to my post about the eyes because you have the urge to discuss the same things over and over, but I don't want to participate in another one, we have had this discussion like three times. It's you who says WoG trumps everything, you can't have the cake and eat it too.

It is confirmed that the Void Elves are former Blood Elves. That should put it to rest and so far it rules out Alliance High Elves becoming Void Elves. So far it's only your hope so playable Alliance High Elves won't happen. That's just your wish and nothing in game or in lore tells other wise.

Don't lose hope though. It might happen.

[DeicideUH]

WoWHead updated their dressroom app.

Checking out void elf eye colors, the blue ones really don't fit with standard velf aesthetic.
I wonder if they are for some kind of NPC (despite not being flagged as such, but blue belf eyes are also currenly not flagged as NPC-only), or if they are a sign that we may end up getting some sort of high elf (or quasi-high elf) customization for void elves.

[elbleuet]

WoWHead updated their dressroom app.

Checking out void elf eye colors, the blue ones really don't fit with standard velf aesthetic.
I wonder if they are for some kind of NPC (despite not being flagged as such, but blue belf eyes are also currenly not flagged as NPC-only), or if they are a sign that we may end up getting some sort of high elf (or quasi-high elf) customization for void elves.

Glad to see I'm not the only one to think that way.

Blue-eyes on void elf really feel out of place. Maybe high elf costumization will happen at some point during this expansion. Hope is permitted.

[Frenchvince]

WoWHead updated their dressroom app.

I had fun making a feminine version of Lor'Themar.