How to roleplay a blood elf

History
The blood elves, like many other races, have a shared experience that binds them together as a people: that of the Scourge invasion, and the almost total destruction of Quel'Thalas. However, the blood elves are different to the other races in several respects, which makes them much closer as a people.

Firstly, the Scourge invasion happened only five years ago. No matter what the age of your character is, it will still be extremely fresh in their mind.

Secondly, 90% of the population died. The survivors faced two grueling tasks - burning their beloved homeland to convince the Scourge to leave, and fighting a heroic last stand on Sunstrider Isle.

What does this mean for your character's general demeanor and personality? Well, unless they have a very, very good reason to be, they are not going to be very happy. Chance are very high that they will have lost a large number of friends and family in the conflict, and the high elven seclusion and long lifetimes mean this will be quite difficult for them to deal with. This means that any overtly happy blood elves are likely to be regarded as either insane or fanatical devotees of Kael'thas. This is a key point to remember: by being a blood elf, you have to have taken part in this conflict, and so you will bear the scars. There isn't much scope for developing a blood elf without including some reference to this event.

Government
The blood elf society is run by the King, or currently the Regent-Lord, with the Magisters, who are overwhelmingly totalitarian, as a sort of advisory. They do have some power, but only what they are given. Their Arcane Guardians keep the peace by unthinking force, and any dissenters are mind-controlled into fitting in.

This has several key ramifications, especially when roleplaying within Silvermoon City itself.

Firstly, you are unlikely to criticize the City or the Government brazenly and in public places, such as the inn. Nor are you likely to declare that this is a free country and you can say what you like. You live in an oppressive nation and will have to express any dissenting opinions outside of Silvermoon or in secluded places, away from the paths of the Arcane Guardians.

Secondly, unless you are a mage, warlock, or paladin, or hunter you are unlikely to hold power. This is something that RPers with stories of aristocracy should bear in mind; if you are not a mage, you are unlikely to hold power in a city that defines class by profession. The Farstriders - in game terms, the hunters - offer an alternative power base, perhaps one more morally upright. Please bear this in mind when relating your class to your character's story.

Relation to the rest of the Horde
This is a big issue that blood elf RPers make lots of mistakes with. There is one fundamental rule: You do not automatically like the rest of the horde but it's down to you. You can trust them or not.

Remember, you are a cultured, scholarly race, and every other race in the horde is ostensibly completely unlike this. There are also ancient conflicts between some races and your own; you have been fighting trolls for centuries, for instance. While your enemies have never been Darkspears, you are unlikely to trust them, nor are you likely to be pleased to see them in your lands. However, you don't call them barbarians and shout them out of Silvermoon.

Forsaken
Forsaken are a bit different, and a bit more open to individual preference. Some players will prefer to RP a hatred of them, as they are suffering the same affliction that killed the majority of their race and caused Silvermoon's downfall; others, like the quest givers try to reinforce, will see them as valuable allies against the Scourge, and facing a similar plight to the blood elves. It's up to your character's personality here. Plus they, while violent, have a deep scholarly past within the apothecaries.

Orcs
Orcs and will probably be regarded as savage and crude. Orcs have killed many Blood Elves in the past, and their societies differ greatly: and their societies consider physical rather than mental strength to be the greatest merit. They will most likely have to earn your character's trust and approval. Ironically, though, Orcs have a large tendency to 'like' blood elves, feeling a kinship with them due to the shared fel-taint.

Tauren
Tauren, however, are basically the reverse of the Orcs. While Blood Elves are fond of the peaceful-giants, for their close affinity to Nature (which the Elves are lessening in, though not entirely), the Tauren despise them. It's not as much them, that they despise, but their scent. Tauren are able to literally smell magic and aren't fond of it, especially not fel magic. This gives the Blood Elves an almost-poisonous aura for the tauren. So if a tauren avoids you, don't take it personally.

Trolls
For the longest time, elves were at war with the Amani trolls on Kalimdor. When the high elves founded the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, they were attacked by the forest trolls, since the kingdom was located on lands the trolls considered to be sacred. This eventually led to the Troll Wars, which saw the defeat of the trolls and ensured peace and prosperity for the newly formed kingdom. Considering this long feud, you would think that blood elves hate everything that share resemblance with trolls, including Darkspear trolls, who are part of the Horde.

However, blood elves are fully aware that the Darkspear trolls aren't affiliated with Amani trolls (in fact, most troll tribes hate the Amani). As such, you don't necessarily view them as mortal enemies and there is no reason, lore-wise at least, why blood elves and Darkspear Trolls wouldn't work together. Your blood elf character could choose to hold suspicion about them, considering the background between the races but could also try to make friends among the Darkspear people.

Goblins
Not a lot has been written about the relationship between goblins and blood elves. However, one can make a few assumptions based on Goblins' societies and blood elves' relations with other Horde races.

Most races on Azeroth see goblins as being unworthy of their trust, since they are often very selfish beings, acting only with their self-interest (and potential profits) in mind. A good proportion of goblins are ready to commit dishonorable acts (such as thievery or slavery) to achieve personal gains.

Despite all this, blood elves can possibly get along very well with goblins: First of all, they aren't a homogeneous bunch: some individuals could be perceived as crude and savage, as stated above, while others are educated and value knowledge. As such, blood elves are more likely to have better relations with what they see as the more “honorable” goblins. Another thing that the two races have in common is their curiosity. Goblins love to experiment, and their societies are based on their technological inventions and creations. Blood elves also like to experiment with arcane magic to increase their skills and power. This is a common trait that could increase the respect blood elves have for goblins. Finally, Goblins are known for their loyalty, which is a trait that most blood elves would respect, being very loyal beings as well.

Relationship with the Alliance
Humans are also a mixed bag - their racism caused the Alliance to betray your people, but on the other hand you may have had some good human friends whilst in the Alliance, or perhaps in places like Dalaran. You will probably be indifferent towards dwarves and gnomes; react to them in a similar way as you react to humans. It's pretty much the same on your side but gnomes don't bear grudges often and they delve into the arcane as well.

Draenei are an uncertainty. With knowledge of Kael's adventures, you will have known they helped the blood elves and Illidan, and so you might look upon them favorably. It's difficult to say how a blood elf would react to them. Thoughts? The rivalry between the Aldor and the Scryers could be a good way for you to show your choice or make you choose on trusting them or not.

Elves are unusual. Most night elves hate blood elves because in the past, the Highborne (now blood/high elves) caused the Great Sundering. Your character may choose to return the hatred or not. If you don't hate the night elves, you are likely to be extremely distrusting of them.

High elves
Lots of people use roleplaying a high elf to bypass the necessarily angsty and perhaps undesirable features of being a blood elf. This has a few major issues.

A large amount of high elves still pledge allegiance to the Alliance. Declaring yourself as a high elf should lead to serious mistrust from other members of the Horde. Many may even consider you Alliance. The blood elves are, physically, the same as high elves.

Also, high elves are regarded as cowardly and disrespectful by blood elves for not honoring the fallen by changing their racial identity. You will not be very welcome in Silvermoon, therefore, and may wish to keep your identity secret and your eyes hidden. You also don't tend to take as many risks as the blood elves do in their arcane experiments.

Finally, the numbers of high elves are very, very small, and you may wish to claim one of the high elven outposts in the Hinterlands or EPL as your home. Apart from that, there are many interesting RP opportunities for a high elf, especially as a paladin who is actually holy. Sylvanas Windrunner was a high elf remember and now seems to resent the fact that some consider her one still.

With the introduction of Shadowlands, more customization options have been added to the game. Players now have the possibility to choose a wider variety of eye color for their blood elf character, which includes the color blue. If you create a character that has blue eyes and plan to roleplay as a blood elf, the information above are especially relevant.

Classes
Finally, some basic information on each class.

Death knights
Death knights will likely be the most hated of all blood elves. In the Third War, the death knight Arthas Menethil tore through Quel'Thalas with the Scourge, destroying most of the land and half of Silvermoon City before tainting the Sunwell, leading to its destruction. The Dead Scar stands as a permanent reminder of this. You may not have personally defiled the Sunwell, but VERY few blood elves will trust you because of this. You're very unlikely to have friends among blood elves. The few blood elves who don't despise you will be extremely cautious when dealing with you. The other races of the Horde won't be too fond of you either, other death knights aside.

Mages
Mages are the elite and are mostly dealt with earlier in the guide. They could well be reclusive and weary due to extensive studies. Their magical addiction could be furthered or lessened, depending on your choice. The blood elves are known for not fearing the arcane so you are likely to be bold and reckless compared to the more conservative humans and gnomes. You are generally an elite caste and sometimes consider yourself above other classes, however as mentioned in an early blood elf quest, the blood elves have to work together.

Warlocks
Warlocks are mages that are following a different path. Warlocks were considered simply another type of mage in elven society until Kael's betrayal became more publicly known and the hatred for all things demonic was rekindled. While politically the warlocks would still be smiled upon, publicly they are frowned upon. It is illegal to have your demons out in Silvermoon when RPing a warlock. Blood elves are known for their experiments and the warlocks are former arcanists. Perhaps your experiments into magic went too far.

Priests
Priests once held a position of political esteem in Thalassian society, but since the events of the Scourge overtaking Quel'Thalas, almost all elves lost their faith in the Light. Priests, therefore, are a much lower rank on the hierarchical ladder than they once were. If you are RPing an Elven Priest, perhaps you hold a small disdain for society, lowering you? You would also dislike most Blood Knights, who FORCE the Light to their will (a large number of them your former colleagues, as well as quite a few former Magisters).

Rogues
Rogues are not just criminals and exiles in Elven society. While it is possible, like any race, that that is exactly what you are, there are also much more 'honorable' forms of rogues to be roleplayed. For instance, you could be a member of the Retainers, a section of the Silvermoon Military that is quite often left in the dark, and for good reason. There is very little lore on them, to the point that it is even unknown as to what exactly their role is. Most look at them as, simply, a rogue-sect of the guard, but some theorize that they are also spies and assassins for the government. Personally, I go with the theory that they are both part of the guard, as well as some of their more esteemed members receiving out-of-kingdom assignments.

Paladins
Paladins are a very divided group in Thalassian society. Prior to the restoration of the Sunwell, they were arrogant warriors of the Light who used the powers of M'uru to force it to their will. They saw no fault in this after the Light abandoned them to the Scourge's invasion. Now, though, they are very divided. There are the Argent elves, who are much like the Human Paladins, and then there are the remaining Blood Knights. Most Blood Knights have seen the error of their ways, thanks to High Prophet Velen, and have a mentality similar to the Argents, but there are still some 'snobbish' ones out there, who view themselves as higher-par than most other Blood Elves. Blood Knights are an organization that is basically an Elite faction of the guard, when acting in Silvermoon itself. They would have the same duties as any other of the Silvermoon Guardians. However, they are also often sent to foreign areas as honorguards, ambassadors, and more.

Hunters
Hunters have the option of being a member of the Farstriders, who are basically Elven Homeland Security and defend the borders of Quel'Thalas from internal and encroaching threats, or a typical Ranger, who is not part of the Farstriders but still take on similar duties depending on where they are assigned. You may be placed in Silvermoon and basically another sect of the Guardians, or you may be placed in the forest itself and basically be Scourge Clean-Up Crew. Of course, there are other, more unique options, as well as more detailed options within these two. As a Farstrider, you may be one of the most elite of their group, a Troll-Hunter. You could be a falconer, who specializes in raising Dragonhawks for service. Or, to be neither, perhaps you're simply a cruel being who tortures beasts into submission and use them for your own personal gain?

Warriors
Warriors aren't very common among Blood Elves. This is mainly due to the race having a strong affinity with arcane magic, which lead the majority of Blood Elves to choose professions where their natural talent with magic can shine the most (Mages, Priests, Paladins...). However, this doesn't mean that Blood Elves Warriors are non-existent or don't make sense from a roleplaying perspective. Blood Elves are tall and muscular, making them very able to wear plate armor, wield heavy double-handed weapons. Moreover, the racial affinity with magic doesn't automatically mean that every Blood Elves want or have to use it. For example, a blood elf could have chosen to become a warrior because he felt he was a better swordsman or didn't wield its magical powers as effectively as a Mage or Priest does.

Warriors have the option to join the ranks of the Spellbreakers, an elite fighting force of Blood Elves Warriors trained to disrupt and confront magical energies and foes. The Spellbreakers headquarter was once located on the Isle of Quel'Danas before its destruction by Kael'thas Sunstrider, which killed most of them. Recently, Spellbreakers have been active during the Pandaren Campaign and among the ranks of the Sunreaver Onslaught. You can also choose to stay far from the military and become a mercenary, willing to sell your services to the highest bidder. Or perhaps you simply want to gain honor and glory by using your swordsman talents to take down Alliance's forces.

General tips to properly roleplay a blood elf
Whether you're a veteran RPer or you're new to roleplay, the following section provides tips to properly roleplay a blood elf. Note that several of them are broad recommendation that could also be applied to other races or to roleplay in general. See the general roleplay guide for more details.

Take the time to establish who you are. Before beginning to roleplay at all, you should start by creating a “character sheet” that will establish who exactly is your character. Alongside the basic information about your Blood Elf (name, age, physical description…), you should think about a backstory for your character. Where are you from? What are your occupations? What were you doing before? Did you have a job? Do you have a family or friends? Who are they? Do you have any particular aspirations/goals/objectives? Those are questions one must ask himself/herself during this process. It is important that you find a good balance when it comes to backstory. You need to think about things that'll make you interesting, but you should not write a 15-page essay about you. Remember that you'll have to stick to your story when roleplaying, and that too much information and points to stick on can be detrimental and lead you to forget things.

Don't forget that your character is a Blood Elf when creating this sheet. This implies several things you need to take into account.

Blood elves were added as a playable race during The Burning Crusade expansion. As such, you must avoid mentioning your participation in a certain event that happened in Azeroth during the Classic era. For example, you couldn't be there for the original Anh'Qiraj War Effort: it doesn't make sense story and lore-wise. However, you can mention them. Elves were secluded in Quel'Thalas, but it doesn't mean that they weren't aware of what was happening in the rest of Azeroth.

Similarly, you will probably be considerably older than most of the races you will encounter. Blood Elves can live theoretically thousands of years and the adults are several hundred years old. This implies two things. First, you probably have lived or heard about things that happened way before the events of World of Warcraft. Second, Blood Elves being what we could call a “scholarly race”, we can assume that emphasis is put on education and the sharing of knowledge. As such, Blood Elves are prone to have more knowledge or experience in particular fields. Does that make you the best at everything or know everything? No. But it is normal for you to have at least slightly more knowledge and experiences than the others.

As stated before, your nation suffered terribly during the Scourge Invasion: 90% of the eleven population was killed during this event. At this point, it is almost mandatory to refer to this event in your backstory as it almost certainly affected you in some way. What were you doing before the invasion? What are you doing now? Did the invasion disrupted whatever activities you were doing before? How so? How has it impacted how you view the world? Your motivations? Your objectives? Ideally, you want to answer some of these question to properly establish a strong background to your Blood Elf.

Dress accordingly. Roleplay is also about fashion! As a Blood Elf, you'll have to follow this rule to be taken seriously. Don't forget that the first thing the others will see when they look at you will be what you wear. As such, you'll have to wear the proper outfit for specific activities or events you might attend. For example, unless you have a very specific reason, it makes no sense to wear your all-plate battle armor and your weapon when at the inn or the tavern in Silvermoon City, enjoying drinks and stories with your fellow comrades. Nor will it make sense to show half-naked to a funeral or a marriage. Dressing accordingly will help the immersion of everyone involved, and it is fun to wear something else than your everyday gear. A good way to start is to create outfits and sets that are adapted to the activities you might attend frequently. By doing so, you will easily be able to dress accordingly. Don't forget that this takes bag spaces, so don't carry too much at the time!

The Chosen One problem. The "Chosen One" usually refers to the character whose actions are always the main things that leads the story forward. The Chosen One character is one of the most immersion-breaking thing in roleplaying, and characters depicted as such are very likely to be disregarded by the roleplaying community. Even though the game's story is centered around you, it doesn't mean that it has to be this way when it comes to roleplay. You have to remember that you're in a "world" with thousands of other players, and you can't all be the Chosen One. Sure, you can have realized some feats of strength or special things that sets you apart from the rest, but, from a roleplay perspective, you are not any more special than the Troll next to you or the Worgen you are about to fight. You need to be realistic, especially when establishing the backstory of your Blood Elf. For example, a Blood Elf who claims to have defeated every raid boss, from Prince Malchezaar to Sire Denathrius, will certainly be laughed at. A good rule to observe is the following: unless you can back up your claim with a realm-first or defeat the boss during an adventure with your RP guild or community, you should refrain from making these claims.

Don't be a Gary Stu / Mary Sue. The “Gary Stu” or the “Mary Sue” are similar to the “Chosen One” archetype and should equally be avoided. These archetypes can be described as being the heavy idealization of a character. A “Gary Stu/Mary Sue” typically have something that screams “I'M SPECIAL” to others (a few examples: I am the secret daughter/son of Kael'thas Sunstrider, I am immune to arcane addiction, I am the fourth Windrunner sister). They have very few flaws (if any) and are good at everything they do. They may have struggled from time to time, but everything always turns out in their favor because they are so skilled, kind or righteous. You won't make any friends by roleplaying such a character, as most RPers hate them and tend to avoid them at all cost.

How to ensure that your blood elf will not fall in this category?


 * Stay away from anything that would make your character overly special. You don't have to be the secret lover of Lor'thetmar Theron or be the child of a naaru and a blood elf to make your character interesting.
 * Make sure that you have a certain number of flaws. Perhaps you are addicted to something (other than mana of course), a bad diplomat or a very selfish Blood Elf who will only act when you have something to gain.
 * No matter how much you love your character, you need to accept that it can't be good at everything. You may be recognized as the cook who makes the best Clefthoof Ribs in all the Outland, but you have poor gathering skills and have to rely on others to cook.

Stay away from stereotype or cliché. Long time Blood Elf Roleplayers have all heard the story of the Blood Elf who lost a lover during the Scourge Invasion of Quel'Thalas and swore to avenge the fallen loved one by defeating the Scourge, Arthas himself and other forces of darkness (the typical lawful good hero). This kind of backstory has been done to death and isn't very original. This can also be referred as a cliché. Clichés don't make interesting characters, as it is often a barrier for their depth or complexity.

When you establish the backstory and the motivations of your Blood Elf, try to be original, or at least stay away from the obvious. Sure, you can start with clichés to help you build up a story but make also make sure to add some twist to that! For example, you might have sworn to avenge a fallen loved one, but this vengeance became an obsession and now you're willing to do anything (whether it is considered "good" or "evil") to achieve your goal. The end justifies the means, and perhaps it led you to make questionable choices or actions.

How you look says a lot. An easy way to add depth to your Blood Elf character is by creating stories about how you look physically and what you wear.

The weapons you use are probably the easiest objects you can create story around. Use your imagination and creativity!


 * What type of weapon do you use and why? For example, if you're a melee fighter, why do you use a sword over an axe or a mace? Perhaps it had something to do with your training? As a mage, what type of weapon do you want to wield? Why?
 * How did you get your weapon in the first place? Did you loot it from the corpse of a fallen foe? Perhaps you inherited a sword from your father, which has been passed upon in your family for generations? Or maybe you simply buy it from a skilled crafter.
 * Does your weapon bear a name? What is it and what story does it tell? This is a very nice way to tell stories about yourself! However, avoid these mistakes:
 * Don't name your weapon after an already existing weapon in the Warcraft lore (there can't be 383643 Shalamayne….)
 * Be realistic and respect the lore while building up the story behind your weapon's name.


 * Does it have special properties? Was it enchanted? How does it affect how you fight? Again, be mindful and realistic.

Aside from that, here are a few things you might want to consider:


 * Do you have a large scar on your face? Perhaps you were wounded while fighting the Scourge or during a duel against an enemy of yours? Or maybe you are very clumsy and an experiment you did with arcane magic backfired on you.
 * Do you wear jewelry? How did you acquire it? Does it have a real or sentimental value? Why do you wear it?
 * What type of armor do you use? Did you find it in an obscure cave full of monsters you bravely fought off? Did you craft it? Did you steal it?
 * Do you carry any trinkets? For example, you may carry a tooth of the first Lynx you successfully hunted since you feel it brings you luck and success in what you do.