User:Ashbear160/Sandbox5


 * "Darkness covered us in the beginning, and we could not see. We cried for guidance and the moon shone down bright upon us. Her soft light not only illuminated the night for us but also gave comfort. Her light touched us from within, enabling us to see even when the moon was not visible..."
 * —Tyrande Whisperwind

The night elves, or kaldorei ("Children of the Stars" in their native tongue of Darnassian), are a powerful and mystical race whose origin extends back to ancient times. The founders of a magical and advanced civilization which at its peak spanned the breadth of Ancient Kalimdor, the night elves came into a horrific conflict with the Burning Legion and achieved a pyrrhic victory that sundered Kalimdor's landmass into the continents of the present age. The devastation wrought by their conceit caused the kaldorei to abandon the ways of arcane magic entirely, and craft a radically different society centered around the worship of Elune, harmony with the natural world and its denizens and Druidism.

The far-reaching and ancient legacy of the kaldorei them themselves into a race of very self-sufficient and self-conscious individuals, who often display strong streaks of isolationism. The night elves ended a long period of seclusion in the aftermath of the Third War, standing with refugges from the Eastern Kingdoms during the Battle of Mount Hyjal, and began to associate themselves with the Alliance from the Eastern Kingdoms in response to the Horde's presence in Ashenvale

Introduction


With the Well of Eternity once located at the very heart of their civilization, the night elves were among the first and the greatest wielders of arcane magic on Azeroth, putting the craft to use with unmatched brilliance and inspiration. However, the arrogance of the highest caste of the ancient kaldorei, the Highborne, caused increasingly reckless use of the magic powers that the Well granted, which ultimately allowed the Burning Legion to first find its way into Azeroth. The Highborne fell under the thrall of Sargeras, and an apocalyptic confrontation between the remaining night elves and the invading Legion was set into motion that became known as the War of the Ancients. The outcome changed Azeroth for all time, causing a Sundering which tore the landmasses of the world apart and gave rise to the Maelstrom.

Although the mighty kaldorei proved themselves able of putting a decisive halt to the Legion's onslaught, both their civilization and the world itself were shattered as a result of their mistakes. Left with nothing else than their lives, grief and sorrow, the night elves withdrew to their ancestral forests of Ashenvale and isolated their culture from the rest of Azeroth for nearly ten millenia, renouncing magic and becoming devoted wholly to the natural cycle of the world they had almost led to ruin. Ever since, the kaldorei's ways have revolved around an intimate connection to the natural forces, animistic powers and their worship of the mysterious moon goddess Elune. The night elves now stand as a people who are both highly spiritual and pragmatic, an often sophisticated paradox, and are possessed with a deeply seated desire to find their solace.

Virtually all remaining kaldorei consider it their sworn duty to maintain the safety and balance of the natural world. The night elves are honorable to a fault; a strict but just and sometimes even compassionate people. However, they tend to be dismissive and distrustful of the younger races they now find within the world, and whom they consider to either be living in stubborn ignorance or as too short-lived to ever attain the responsibility and wisdom which the kaldorei have gained through their burdened past. In turn, many of these younger cultures perceive the night elves' attitude as one of mere arrogance or of superiority, and the kaldorei tend to be mistrusted themselves, if not for their shadowy and secretive nature then for their aloof and judging demeanor.

Emergence of the night elves
At the beginning of the world, now known as Azeroth, the god-like titans created the Well of Eternity, source of all magic on the planet. In time, a tribe of dark trolls came to settle near the translucent waters of the well. These feral, nomadic humanoids built crude homes on the shore of the well, and named themselves Kaldorei, which meant "children of the stars" in their native tongue. The trolls believed that their moon goddess, Elune, slept within the Well’s shimmering depths during the daylight hours. Exposed to the potent power of the well, the trolls began to evolve, eventually becoming the first night elves.

The primitive night elves were enslaved by the Zandalari trolls. When the pandaren revolted against their masters, the mogu, the Zandalari sent aid to the mogu people.

The early Night Elf priests and seers studied the Well with an insatiable curiosity, driven to plumb its untold secrets and power. As their society grew, the Night Elves explored the breadth of Kalimdor and encountered its myriad denizens. Despite the trolls’ attempts to keep this new race from claiming further territories, the night elves built up a mighty empire that expanded rapidly across Kalimdor. Empowered by the well and wielding fierce magics never before imagined by the trolls, the night elves soon threatened the two greatest empires on Azeroth: the Amani and Gurubashi.

The night elves systematically dismantled the troll’s defenses and supply chains. Unable to counter the elves’ destructive magics, the trolls buckled under the onslaught. The territories of the Gurubashi and Amani empires fragmented within only a few years, and the night elves' shockingly quick victory incurred the trolls' eternal hatred, lasting to this very day.

In time, the Night Elves’ curiosity led them to meet and befriend a number of powerful entities, not the least of which was Cenarius, a mighty demi-god of the primordial forestlands. The great-hearted Cenarius grew fond of the inquisitive Night Elves and spent a great deal of time teaching them about the natural world. The tranquil Kaldorei developed a strong empathy for the living forests of Kalimdor and reveled in the harmonious balance of nature. The only creatures that gave them pause were the ancient and powerful Dragons. Though the great serpentine beasts were often reclusive, they did much to safeguard the known lands from potential threats. The Night Elves believed that the Dragons held themselves to be the protectors of the world, and that they and their secrets were best left alone.

Yet, as the seemingly endless ages passed, the Night Elves’ civilization expanded both territorially and culturally. Their temples, roads, and dwelling places stretched across the breadth of the dark continent. Azshara, the Night Elves’ beautiful and gifted Queen, built an |immense, wondrous palace on the Well’s shore that housed her favored servitors within its bejeweled halls. Her servitors, whom she called the Quel’dorei or "highborne", doted on her every command and believed themselves to be greater than the rest of their lower-caste brethren.

Sharing the priests’ curiosity towards the Well of Eternity, Azshara ordered the educated high-borne to plumb its secrets and reveal its true purpose in the world. The high-borne buried themselves in their work and studied the Well ceaselessly. In time they developed the ability to manipulate and control the Well’s cosmic energies. As their reckless experiments progressed, the high-borne found that they could use their newfound powers to either create or destroy at their leisure. The hapless high-borne had stumbled upon primitive arcane magic and were now resolved to devote themselves to its mastery. Although they agreed that arcane magic was inherently dangerous if handled irresponsibly, Azshara and her high-borne began to practice their spellcraft with reckless abandon. Cenarius and many of the wizened Night Elf scholars warned that only calamity would result from toying with the clearly volatile arts of arcane magic. But, Azshara and her followers stubbornly continued to expand their burgeoning powers.

War of the Ancients
Thus began the corruption of the elves. As their powers grew, a distinct change came over Azshara and the high-borne. The haughty, aloof upper class became increasingly callous and cruel towards their fellow Night Elves. A dark, brooding pall veiled Azshara’s once entrancing beauty. She began to withdraw from her loving subjects and refused to interact with any but her trusted high-borne priests. The Pandaren, long-time allies of the night elf people, saw this change overcoming the night elves and decided to sever all ties.

Posing as a venerable god, Sargeras managed to contact Azshara. Sargeras convinced Azshara, and her most loyal assistant, the Lord Counselor Xavius, to open a gateway to Azeroth that this almighty "god" might come forth and bless their whole race (meanwhile eradicating all races deemed "unworthy"). In their insolence, those born to nobility, the Highborne, sought to use and control this source of unimaginable power and unspeakable evil; and for their pride, they were consumed by the magic they so eagerly wished to wield.

As the portal into the mortal world grew larger, Sargeras sent ever more numerous "emissaries" to aid with the portal and bring the word of their god from the beyond. These demons were members of Sargeras's immortal army, known as the Burning Legion, and they had put to the flame countless worlds throughout the void. As the portal grew close to its completion to allow the dark titan entry to Azeroth, a small band of kaldorei led by Malfurion Stormrage, the first druid, Tyrande Whisperwind, the high priestess of Elune, and Jarod Shadowsong realized the threat posed to their entire world by this nameless evil and the now-crazed Azshara. Realizing his seemingly imminent victory could be threatened by these few elves, Sargeras commanded that his Legion make war upon Azeroth and destroy the unworthy, which included the entirety of the kaldorei race.

As war raged across the young world, many protectors of the world emerged to aid the young Malfurion Stormrage in closing this portal to the Twisting Nether and the malevolence which now stood poised to destroy them all. The demi-god Cenarius and his fellow Ancient Guardians, the Dragon Aspects, the Earthen, the ancients, the tauren and the furbolg clashed head on with the advancing legion. Having learned much about the power and beauty of nature from his shan'do, Cenarius, Malfurion was able to disrupt the nearly completed portal spell and close his world off from the invincible Sargeras.

The Sundering


With so much power in flux, the Well of Eternity imploded in a magical cataclysm known as the Sundering, sending untold numbers to their doom. Many kaldorei were dragged to the bottom of the sea, only to be twisted and transformed into the sea serpents now known as the vile naga. The catastrophe tore the continent apart, its remains now seperated by a massive ocean, and left a permanent storm known as the Maelstrom where the well once stood. With the majority of the Highborne dead, the kaldorei turned away from their arcane legacy and began a new culture focusing on attunement with nature and their surroundings, settling in the sacred glades around Mount Hyjal.

Illidan, seeking to maintain arcane magic in the world even after the destruction of the well of eternity had also traveled to Hyjal. Here, he poured three vials filled with water from the original well of eternity into a lake, imbuing it with great power and turning it into a new well. When Illidan refused to give up his magical powers, he was captured by his brother Malfurion and imprisoned within the Barrow Deeps under the watchful eye of Maiev.

For many years, the Night Elves worked tirelessly to rebuild what they could of their ancient homeland. Leaving their broken temples and roads to be overgrown, they constructed their new homes amidst the verdant trees and shadowed hills at Hyjal’s base. In time, the Dragons that had survived the great Sundering came forth from their secret abodes. Alexstrasza the red, Ysera the green, and Nozdormu the bronze descended upon the druids’ tranquil glades and surveyed the fruits of the Night Elves’ labors. Furion, who had become an arch-druid of immense power, greeted the mighty Dragons and told them about the creation of the new Well of Eternity. The great Dragons were alarmed to hear the news and speculated that as long as the Well remained, the Legion might use it to find Azeroth once more.

Furion and the three dragons made a pact that the night elves would serve as guards of this new well. Alexstrasza brought an enchanted acorn, a remnant of G'hanir, and placed it in the well, where it grew into Nordrassil, the first world tree. This tree would forever serve as a symbol of the connection between the night elves and nature, and would use the energies from the well to heal the world after the devestation of the sundering. Nozdormu then blessed tree, so that, as long as the tree stood, the night elves would never age or fall prey to disease. Ysera also placed an enchantment upon the World Tree by linking it to her own realm, the ethereal dimension known as the Emerald Dream. The Night Elf druids, including Furion himself, were bound to the Dream through the World Tree. As part of the mystical pact, the druids agreed to sleep for centuries at a time so that their spirits could roam the infinite paths of Ysera’s Dreamways. Though the druids were wary of losing so many years of their lives to hibernation, they agreed to uphold their bargain with Ysera.

The Long Vigil
Tyrande Whisperwind, high priestess of Elune, had become the leader of the night elf populace. For thousands of years, she led the night elves in their vigil. Much of this time was spent apart from her love, Malfurion Stormrage, who, alongside his fellow druids, upheld the balance of nature from within the Emerald Dream. However, whenever a crisis came, the druids would awaken.

One such crisis came from the remaining highborne. The Highborne that had survived the sundering and had settled alongside their night elf brethren initially tried to assimilate into the new druidic society, but over time they could not ignore the burning addiction to arcane magic their whole race suffered from. These Highborne, led by Dath'Remar, declared the druids cowards for refusing to wield the arcane. Malfurion and the druids warned the Highborne that any use of magic would be punishable by death. Yet, in an attempt to protest the druid’s law, Dath'Remar and his followers unleashed a terrible magical storm upon Ashenvale. The druids could not bring themselves to put so many of their kin to death, so they decided to exile the reckless Highborne from their lands. So the Highborne left Kalimdor, sailing across the sea to the other, newly-formed continent. Now calling themselves high elves, they established the nation of Quel'Thalas.

Another such incident was the War of the Satyr, a devastating war that exacted a heavy toll from the night elves.

Rediscovery and the Third War

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

The night elves’ isolated existence was shattered again when the Burning Legion launched a new invasion of Azeroth. At the height of this conflict—known as the Third War—the Legion and its terrifying undead Scourge assaulted the night elves’ lands. Tyrande rallied the night elf defenders and awoken Malfurion and his druids to combat the resurgent threat. Alien races to Kalimdor have also made their presence known to the night elves. The orcs, newly fled from the Eastern Kingdoms and seeking resources for their armies, began a lumber project of which the night elves took to great offense. This led to many skirmishes between the Warsong Clan of the orcs and the night elf Sentinel force. Eventually, the orcs and their Horde allies suspended their enmity with the night elves to fight alongside each other, along with the humans and dwarves of the Alliance, against the demonic forces of Archimonde, a colossal lieutenant of the Burning Legion.

Post-Third War


Although victorious, the night elves suffered greatly from the battle with Archimonde at Mount Hyjal. Their beloved World Tree Nordrassil, created and blessed by the Dragon Aspects Alexstrasza, Ysera, and Nozdormu to grant the night elves immortality, had given off a massive blast of energy to slay Archimonde. To facilitate this colossal explosion, the night elves had chosen to forever sacrifice their protection from aging, disease, and frailty.

Over time, Nordrassil slowly began to heal its wounds, but a number of druids led by Fandral Staghelm desired to create another World Tree that would restore the night elves’ immortality. Malfurion warned against this act of self-interest, but when he suddenly fell into a coma, his spirit lost within the Dream, Fandral forged ahead with his plans unopposed. The second World Tree, Teldrassil, was planted off the northern coast of Kalimdor, and eventually it towered among the clouds.

They founded the city of Darnassus on the ill-planned and unblessed new World Tree of Teldrassil, and are trying to reclaim the forest’s inhabitants from the madness spread by demonic corruption of the Third War. In the absence of Malfurion Stormrage, the night elves were for a long time led by Tyrande Whisperwind and then Arch-Druid Fandral Staghelm.

It is currently unknown when the night elves officially joined the Alliance, but they may have just kept their alliance made in the Third War and were motivated to officially join when the Horde continued their lumbering operations in Warsong Gulch.

Stormrage
Unlike Nordrassil, this new World Tree was not blessed by the Dragon Aspects, and thus it did not restore the night elves’ immortality. Rather, Teldrassil became tainted due to the Emerald Nightmare, a dark malady that had taken root within the Dream. In addition, it was learned that Malfurion’s dire ailment had been caused by this shadowy force. When he was finally awakened from his comatose state, Malfurion set about cleansing Teldrassil of its corruption, and he led efforts to contain the sinister Nightmare.

After the discovery of Staghelm's corruption and Malfurion's return, Malfurion had wed Tyrande and again rules beside Tyrande, now as a co-ruler of the kaldorei.

Cataclysm

 * "Were it not for Lady Tyrande's recent mercy towards his kind, his execution would be my duty under the law. He will be watched closely, but I will not deny aid to my sentinels simply out of pride."
 * —''Shandris Feathermoon

In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, a group of Highborne known as the Shen'dralar successfully appealled to Tyrande Whisperwind to be allowed to make a return to kaldorei society. After the Sundering, the night elves had outlawed arcane magic on the pain of death. However, some time before the Cataclysm a Highborne archmage named Mordent Evenshade sought an audience with Tyrande and proposed to set aside long-standing differences and to combine resources, skills and numbers to prepare the wider night elven race for the challenges it faces. Despite the doubts of certain Sentinels, this proposal was accepted. The Shen'dralar were allowed a cautious return among their kaldorei brethren, with some young night elves being trained by them to become new night elven mages, and, conversely, some of the Highborne taking up the druidic arts or being initiated into Elune's priesthood--major societal changes that marked the first steps towards reconciliation between the Highborne and wider night elven society.

The kaldorei are also seen closely integrating the Gilnean Worgen into their culture; granting them asylum within Darnassus itself, allowing female worgen warriors to join the Sentinel army and bringing Worgen druids into the Cenarion Circle. After an outbreak spread the worgen curse uncontrollably across the war torn nation of Gilneas, the Shattering also destroyed the reefs which protected this human kingdom from naval attacks, causing the Forsaken to launch an invasion. The night elves intervened, assisting the worgen in acquiring the Scythe of Elune, helping them to understand and deal with their transformation and holding back the Forsaken's assault, allowing the surviving Gilneans to escape to Teldrassil.

The kaldorei continue to contribute to the Alliance-Horde war, largely because the Horde invaded northern Darkshore, began to expand their operations in Ashenvale, dropped a bomb on a druidic settlement in the Stonetalon Mountains as well as due to the constant battling for control over Azshara. The night elves presently seek to fend off the Horde's destructive onslaught throughout Northern Kalimdor. Still struggling to cope with the loss of their immortality and with their numbers fewer than at any point in their history, the night elves must prepare to stand against any threat as Azeroth itself breaks apart at the seams.

Culture

 * "The druids and sentinels prefer to keep separate company, but we have always worked well together. Never mistake privacy for aversion."
 * —''Erina Willowborn

The night elves are a people who have dedicated their individual lives, as well as the very organization of their entire society, in the pursuit of the protection of the natural world. They are at one with the subtle ebb and flow of the Kalimdor forests they call home. The druids of their people spent ages walking in a spectral realm guarded by the great Green Dragon Ysera the Dreamer known as the Emerald Dream. The night elves were once immortal but after the Third War, they gave up their immortal nature to defeat Archimonde and were forced to fully rejoin the world and fight for its survival. Though the night elves venerate and honor many creatures, Moon Goddess Elune is honored above all others.

Prior to the conclusion of the Third War, night elf society was sharply divided by gender, with the vast majority of men being druids and most women serving as warriors, priestesses, or a combination thereof. These gender roles more or less defined the culture of the kaldorei for ten thousand years. Many years ago, the two genders were even forbidden to take the opposite role. When this was finally lifted, it was a tremendous and tumultuous societal change, so much so that a pair of statues were created to commemorate the first male priest and the first female druid. Even so, the gender divisions remained strong, and only in modern times were female night elf druids welcomed into the Cenarion Circle.

In the years since the end of the Third War, this overall gender division has eased considerably in favor of more practical concerns, setting aside its historical strictures on membership. More women have taken up the mantle of the druids, just as men have begun to choose either the path of priesthood or more widely the path of war and have affiliated with the Sentinels.

Government
The Sisters of Elune hold by far the most power; as one of a small handful of kaldorei organizations to survive the War of the Ancients, and the only one to be based upon aptitude and not lineage, they were largely responsible for the establishment of the new government after the War's conclusion. Among their early actions were to reorganize the old, class-based army into the Sentinel pattern used today, and to adjust the order's charter to include public service. The head of the Sisters would be the sole head of the night elf government.

The Cenarion Circle, then still under the direction of Cenarius himself, took no active part in governmental affairs, as their numbers included druids from several other species. Though Archdruid Stormrage did take part in the government on occasion, the druids typically remained aloof.

Though Tyrande is still the undisputed leader of the government, the Sisters are not the only players on the field; power in the night elf government today is set largely across three groups: the Sisters of Elune, the night elf faction of the Cenarion Circle, and the Sentinels.

The Art of War

 * "Many craven races have tempted our wrath over the centuries. None have survived!"
 * —''Maiev Shadowsong

Rather than drawing from the chaotic and darker side of magic, theirs is pulled from Azeroth itself. Stone, root, flora and fauna all are avenues through which their magic travels. Druids are able to change into animal forms, snare their foes with roots or harden their skin like tree bark.

Their warriors are not to be taken lightly either. The night elves are among the most deadly adversaries to be found anywhere, due to a combination of their proficient skill with a bow, their stunning agility, and the ability to melt away into the shadows of the night. Few use common weapons such as swords, most preferring the mighty glaives (triple-bladed swords) they have grown accustomed to. War panthers, hippogryphs and even the mighty chimaeras and mountain giants have all been known to aid the night elves in battle.

For ten thousand years, all night elven war and "foreign policy" has been based solely on the safety of Ashenvale Forest and Mount Hyjal from outside incursion. The Sentinels, hidden safely among Ashenvale's leafy trees, effectively sealed off the region from unwanted interference for ten millennia. The Sentinel's method of deterrence was successful until the invasion of the Legion-endorsed Scourge; at which point the night elves were forced to awaken the Druids and accept aid from the Alliance and the Horde.

Languages
Night elves primarily speak Darnassian and Common.

Naming


Night elf names always have a special meaning. First names derive from an elven word or the name of a famous hero having a totemic or ancestral connection. Surnames are indicative of the family line and often date back millennia.[14]
 * Male: Ilthilior, Mellitharn, Khardona, Andissiel, Mardant, Tanavar.
 * Female: Kaylai, Keina, Deliantha, Meridia, Freja, Alannaria, Nevarial.
 * Family: Moonblade, Glaivestorm, Proudstrider, Oakwalker, Nightwing, Staghorn.

Technology
Night elves rely on their magic and the benefits of the natural world around them to maintain their society. Their magic is druidic in nature and flows straight from the natural world. They use this magic and their affinity for nature to shape the trees and stone and make friends with the animals around them. It is with these skills rather than engineering, steam power, or metalcraft that they survive.

While they cultivate a relatively low-tech society, when compared to those of the dwarves or gnomes, they seem to have been able to create some relatively simple mechanical weaponry, such as the large Glaive Thrower, a mechanical siege weapon, which they developed during their period of isolation from other races. Though the night elves obviously have metallurgical skills (the aforementioned glaives don't forge themselves), there appears to be no forge present in Darnassus or on Teldrassil.

As the city of Darnassus exemplifies, the night elves are skilled at building and stonecraft. These skills probably date from before the War of the Ancients, when the kaldorei were more "traditional" in terms of technology. It should be noted that their lifestyle is not "anti-technology," but rather one where technology is not the goal.

While nowhere near the partaking of libations that the dwarves are known for, the night elves are familiar with alcohol. Even in ancient times the kaldorei made Darnassian wine, distilled from and which was mixed and/or stored in.

Appearance

 * "They almost look like elves. But they are far too tall, and far too savage."
 * —''Grom Hellscream

Night elves have skin colored subtle shades of purple ranging from dark to light, and from almost blue to bright pink. Their hair ranges from blue, green, dark violet, white or black (though black is not an option to players, numerous E3 posters picture night elves as dark haired). Female night elven eyes glow blue while male's eyes have an amber glow to them. For the most part, they are suited to quick and deadly combat.

While gathering lumber from Ashenvale for Thrall's war effort, Grom Hellscream, unaware of the night elves' identity, remarked that they looked "like elves, but they're far too tall, and far more savage".

According to the WoW game manual, having a slim, athletic build. Unlike most other elves, night elf men often have thick beards and bushy eyebrows.

Amber eyes
Among night elves, amber-colored eyes, as opposed to the traditional silver, are a sign of inherent druidic potential and/or a night elf destined for greatness. Among the class-obsessed night elves who lived prior to the War of the Ancients, amber eyes were rare, and thus viewed as a sign of underlying greatness. Queen Azshara and Illidan Stormrage, both extremely powerful sorcerers, had amber eyes. The night elves became vastly more egalitarian since the War's end, abandoning their former obsession with bloodlines, and thus, amber eyes are now far more common. In addition, druidism spread throughout night elven society, and many night elves develop amber eyes after birth if they practice the art.

Though amber eyes are a sign that the individual has a natural ability for druidic magic, it does not mean that all amber-eyed night elves become druids, or that silver-eyed night elves are unable. Malfurion Stormrage himself was born with silver eyes, and developed amber eyes only after studying druid magic. His own brother, though born with amber eyes, lacked the patience to succeed in the art.

In-game, all male night elves have golden eyes while all female have silver ones. This is purely graphical and does not have any effect on gameplay or class choices.

Facial Tattoos
The symmetrical markings worn by many night elf females do have some meaning. The tattooing "mark[s] an earlier rite of passage".

Conflict with the Horde

 * "They are mongrels, and nothing more! They are responsible for Cenarius' death! I will be damned before I stand with them."
 * —Tyrande Whisperwind, speaking of the Horde "outlanders" prior to the Third War

Though many with in the kaldorei still felt bitter about the role orcs played in Cenarius' death, hostilities were not renewed until the Horde continued their lumbering operations in Warsong Gulch. These Warsong incursions into Ashenvale renewed the night elves' animosity towards the orcs and have therefore functioned as the catalyst for their participation in the Alliance's military endeavours. Despite this, diplomatic relations with fellow druid tauren and their respect for Warchief Thrall has tempered the night elves' wrath. To avoid all out war, the night elves have even allowed open trade with the Horde until the Wrathgate incident strained their trust, consequently leading to a withdrawl of all trade contracts as well as a barring of any Horde member from Ashenvale. When the orcish territory of Durotar suffered from a terrible drought, the new orc warchief, Garrosh Hellscream: son of Grom Hellscream, launched an invasion of the night elven lands of Ashenvale to sustain his people. The conflict between the orcs and the kaldorei since then escalated so fiercely into open warfare that it even began to involve several of the ancients.

Interactions with the Alliance
There does seem to be some culture clashes between the night elves and the other races of the Alliance. Some kaldorei have expressed thinly veiled contempt for the other cultures or mortals of the world. Traditionalists within night elven society, notably former Archdruid Fandral Staghelm and Warden Maiev Shadowsong, have shown open antagonism or contempt for what they consider to be "lesser races" and "outlanders". The shadowy nature and the wild conservative ways of the night elves have also led to awkward or strained interactions between the kaldorei and other races. For example, the night elves seem to be uncomfortable with the Alliance's obnoxious use of technology while the Alliance view the night elves' primal form of warfare/lifestyle as somewhat primitive. Even so, Malfurion Stormrage and High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind sees merit in maintaining ties with the younger races within the Alliance, for they have shown resilience in the face of terrible adversity. As a result, the night elves have positioned themselves as a peculiar mixture of observers, teachers and arbiters; watching silently from the sidelines and stepping in without warning to 'correct' any dangerous mistakes or 'naive' courses of action. In addition, the younger cultures do seem to possess one quality the kaldorei have been missing for quite some time: the enthusiasm of youth. Adventure and exotic locales have renewed their appeal to many night elves, and the kaldorei again have more than a few who brave leaving Teldrassil and Ashenvale to seek out intrigue in the far-off lands their people have not set foot on for ten thousand years. With the recent loss of their immortality, the mortal races of the Alliance have also shared their experience with the night elves on how to cope with death, frailty, and sickness.

In line with Malfurion's stance on the races of the Alliance, druids such as Talar Oaktalon advocate the interconnectivity of things and have encouraged the sharing of ideas and the lending of mutual aid. Indeed, the kaldorei have become increasingly involved in many Alliance affairs that focus on the protection and restoration of Azeroth's natural world. In the Plaguelands, the night elves have made it their mission to cleanse and restore life to the land, whereas the other races focus primarily on eradicating the lingering Scourge. In Northrend, kaldorei can be seen empowering the wildlife in the very heartland of the Lich King's seat of power. In Thousand Needles, there was an instance of night elf sentinels temporarily joining forces with tauren refugees to rout the marauding Grimtotem tribe. Most notably, after the human kingdom of Gilneas was jolted back into the outside world in the Cataclysm's wake, the Forsaken launched an invasion of its lands. The kaldorei, being well aware of the druidic origins of the curse afflicting the Gilneans, lended their aid to the besieged kingdom and granted the worgen asylum within Teldrassil's borders itself; an act of compassion and solidarity by the night elves that is very rarely witnessed. The night elves worship the Ancients, who are nature deities attuned to the forest and the hunt. Elune the moon goddess and Malorne the Waywatcher are the most prominent figures of worship. While Cenarius has died, and the night elves will never forgive the orcs for this, his children live on and gain power each passing year. The night elves venerate the children of Cenarius as he was venerated, and perhaps one day these children of the slain demigod will aid the night elves in repaying the orcs for the transgressions of the past.

A particularly lingering grudge lies between the kaldorei and their high elven and blood elven cousins: night elves view them with disgust, suspicion, or outright hostility. Though a few high elves have rejoined the Alliance in recent years, the night elves (who joined during the Third War) have opposed this notion, seeing it as their duty to warn their new allies against the high elves. The Highborne's part in bringing about the War of the Ancients figured heavily in the night elves' retelling of high elf history.

Night elf factions and allies


Throughout the extensive history of the night elves, they have garnered support from many different kinds of creatures on Kalimdor, and among the recently allied Worgen of Gilneas are:
 * Sentinels
 * Watchers
 * Moonhunters
 * Nightblades
 * Shadowleaves
 * Starseekers
 * Druid organizations
 * Druids of the Claw
 * Druids of the Talon
 * Allies of Nature
 * Children of Cenarius
 * Chimaeras
 * Ancients of Kalimdor
 * Faerie dragons
 * Furbolgs
 * Mountain giants

History
Night elven society has changed since the battle of Mount Hyjal, and the Sentinels now function in an entirely different manner. As the Burning Legion threat has been averted, at least for now, the night elves are no longer considered in a state of war.

After the events of the Battle of Mount Hyjal, the night elves severed all ties with the Horde in response to Cenarius' death at the hands of the orcish champion Grom Hellscream, maintaining a tentative relation with the Alliance alone. Directly afterward, many sentinels, druids and warriors of the kaldorei began a great wild hunt of orcs across Kalimdor as a retaliation for Cenarius’ murder.

Faith
The night elves worship the Ancients, who are nature deities attuned to the forest and the hunt. Elune the moon goddess and Malorne the Waywatcher are the most prominent figures of worship. While Cenarius has died, and the night elves will never forgive the orcs for this, his children live on and gain power each passing year. The night elves venerate the children of Cenarius as he was venerated, and perhaps one day these children of the slain demigod will aid the night elves in repaying the orcs for the transgressions of the past.

Some night elves also worship dragons. The Sect of the Dragons hosts many kaldorei adherents. It is not currently known how many kaldorei actually worship the dragons.

Language
The night elves once worked with orcs to halt the Burning Legion, and now they retain knowledge of the race's language for tactical reasons.

Apperance
Night elf males are very tall, range between 6'6" and 7'6", with broad shoulders and a lithely muscular torso whereas females are far more slender. The men are typically of a slim-waisted yet firm, muscular build including long, muscular arms and large hands. The women are quite different, standing between 6'2" and 7' 2" in height.

Night elves are imposing in stature, males being on average 7 feet tall. Male kaldorei are very muscular, with broad chests and shoulders, indicative of the strength that lies within both their minds and bodies. Female night elves are lithe and curvaceous, yet still muscular and strong. The race’s prominent eyebrows, long pointed ears and natural aspects imply a feral grace. Skin tones range from pale white to blue or even ruddy red, and their hair ranges in color from bright white to woodland green to lustrous black.

Well of Eternity Origins
Blizzard's recent confirmation that the night elves have evolved from a tribe of dark trolls, who had settled at the shores of the Well of Eternity, draws a great many parallels to the in 's 1968 epic film. The Well of Eternity and the function as a very similar plot device: A gift from an otherwordly and god-like super intelligence (in World of Warcraft's case, the Titans) which was meant to gradually elevate the world's native creatures to higher states of being. Interestingly, the short story by from which the script of 2001: A Space Odyssey would eventually be derived is named.

Female Night Elf Psychology
Since the debut of the night elves in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, kaldorei women have been characterized by militant and territorial streaks. With the night elves being a culture which is closely connected to nature, these traits seem to be a throwback to the real-life natural world, where numerous instances are known of females behaving more violent or territorial than males. (Such as female black widow spiders consuming their males after procreating with them, lionesses hunting for the prides or the very aggressive behavior of female bears who perceive a threat to their cubs.) An interesting sidenote is that these psychological traits typical of night elven women aren't seen in Highborne women (notably Queen Azshara herself), who instead display narcism, manipulative tendencies and general decadency. This stark difference between night elf and Highborne women in turn appears a subtle nod to the disconnect between the natural world and the Highborne, as they isolated themselves within the walls of their collapsing civilization.

(Lack of) Interbreeding
World of Warcraft is very open about portraying children of multiracial heritage, with several such characters having taken a prominent role in the lore. By contrast, instances of night elves interbreeding are rare to non-existent. A possible explanation may be that the kaldorei are not so much a "race" but a highly evolved sub-species of trolls, as the consequence of their exposure to the Well of Eternity. This draws notable parallels with as well, where the  who came into contact with the  evolved into a  of their, with which they ultimately had neither the incentive nor the ability to interbreed any longer. The absence of night elf "hybrids" may be due to the kaldorei having been so substantially altered by the Well of Eternity they no longer are biologically able of interbreeding with non-night elves. It stands to reason a similar destiny would also have befallen any other race that would have come into contact with the waters of the Well of Eternity in the kaldorei's stead.

High elves (and by extension blood elves) are able to interbreed, so another possible reason for the lack of "half-kaldorei" is simply the lack of anyone to interbreed with. (Considering that half-tauren or half-furbolgs aren't featured in the lore either, it seems unlikely any of these peoples find each other attractive as potential mates.)

Lifespan
It has never been officially stated whether or ancient or elder kaldorei will continue to live the average lifespan of a night elf now that their immortality has faded. Though as Malfurion and Tyrande continue to live in what can be assumed good health, we can make an assumption that most venerable kaldorei will live, along with all kaldorei, the remainder of their normal lifespan after the destruction of the World Tree. What happened to the night elves' immortality after the new blessing of Teldrassil also remains to find out.

Pregnancy and Fertility
The lack of presence of kaldorei children has led some to believe that birth within the Night Elves' society to be a rare occurrence. This can be seen as contradicting to the blessing of nature that the kaldorei have received, though, it could also be argued that the kaldorei have a similar stance to mating and producing offspring to the dwarves, being that they see no reason to have children often, and do so every few centuries. This may be subject to change since the loss of their immortality. Indeed, in more recent Feasts of Winter Veil, it is not unusual to spot night elf children visiting Greatfather Winter in Ironforge.

It has been stated due to traditional gender roles the vast majority of Night elf males became druids. Since the druids entered the Emerald Dream for 10,000 years of sleep, and comprised the vast majority of the Night Elf male population their sleeping would have meant the active breeding population of society was devastated. So the only active breeding population was equivalent to the couple vast minority of males leading to a very small birth rate.

Trivia

 * Prior to Cataclysm, Night elves were the only race that could front flip. Post-Cataclysm, the Worgen have learnt to front flip.
 * The night elves were originally based on the from the various Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. The gender divisions (warrior and ruler women and magically-inclined men), darker-hued skins, and a very powerful goddess are the only elements of this that survive.
 * The night elves were actually referenced several times in Warcraft lore long before their unveiling as the fourth race in Reign of Chaos. There is a reference to the night elves in Day of the Dragon and Medivh actually narrates the story of the kaldorei, the Well of Eternity and the War of the Ancients to Khadgar in The Last Guardian (published before the unveiling of the night elves), as a warning against magocratic arrogance.
 * One of the male jokes is "Who wants to live forever". This is a Queen song written for the movie Highlander, in which the last immortal being of good must battle an equal force of evil for "The Prize" — ironically, mortality — which is what the night elves receive in the destruction of Nordrassil.
 * The architecture of the night elves, according to an interview with Chris Metzen, draws its influences from both Nordic and Japanese building style. This is most obviously apparent in the night elf city of Darnassus, which includes several tower buildings in the style of the Pagoda at.
 * The male night elf's dance is based on Michael Jackson's Billie Jean.
 * Alizée's dance from "J'en Ai Marre" was the influence for the night elf female dance.
 * The Night Elves appear to be almost the exact opposite of the Blood Elves and differ in somewhat ironic ways: while the Night Elves' beliefs are linked to the Moon, the Blood Elves' beliefs are linked to the Sun. While literally all Night Elf guards are female, all Blood Elf guards are male.
 * The Night Elves's eyebrows clip with nearly every hat in-game. This is because only hair is changed upon wearing a hat and the face remains the same. The same applies for Blood Elves and High Elves.
 * They are voiced by Debi Mae West.