Silvermoon City

Silvermoon City (or the City of Silvermoon and just Silvermoon) is the crown jewel of the blood elves and their capital city. It is nestled in the northern reaches of the Eversong Woods (at the northernmost tip of the Eastern Kingdoms) in their ancestral homeland of Quel'Thalas. The beauty of the spires and thoroughfares of Silvermoon stand in stark contrast to the Dead Scar, the tainted path that Arthas Menethil tore through the city in his quest for power. Though nearly destroyed by Arthas' attack on the Sunwell, Silvermoon is once again a thriving city. Most recently, the rebirth of the Sunwell has lifted spirits among the elves, and they have continued to heal Silvermoon's scars in the hopes of returning their beloved capital to its former glory, the western half of it still being in ruins since the Third War.

Early history


The city of Silvermoon was founded by the exiled Highborne under the leadership of Dath'Remar Sunstrider, who had traveled to the northern forests of Lordaeron seeking a new homeland thousands of years ago. Using a stolen vial from the Well of Eternity, Dath'Remar created the sacred Sunwell, a fount of arcane power that would be inherently tied to his people for generations to come. Nourished by the arcane energy from the Sunwell, he led the Highborne in the magical construction of their new capital, raising its spires and buildings with their great magical power. The city was constructed primarily out of radiant white stone and adorned in crimson tapestry. The Highborne, now calling themselves the high elves, thus founded the kingdom of Quel'Thalas, with Silvermoon City as its crowning jewel. The country was enchanted to remain in a state of perpetual springtime. Silvermoon itself was constructed over the site of sacred troll grounds, which earned the elves further enmity from the neighboring Amani tribe. Ruled by the Sunstrider dynasty and the Convocation of Silvermoon (the highest elven lords in Quel'Thalas), the ruling body of the high elves was also based here. Silvermoon became renowned for its grand libraries and seats of magical learning.

Strengthened by a Sunwell-empowered shield named Ban'dinoriel ("Gatekeeper" in Thalassian) which interconnected at ley lines throughout the land, Silvermoon was well-protected from would-be invaders. The elves constructed all manners of arcane indulgences over the years, including runestones to protect their lands, crystals to power their experimentations, and brooms that constantly sweep their streets, which would be useful if anyone could figure out how to make them stop.

Silvermoon City stood strong for millennia in the face of several conflicts within Quel'Thalas. The Troll Wars, perpetrated by the vengeful Amani empire (whom the high elves had banished after their exodus to Quel'Thalas), was among the first. Silvermoon established a long-lasting friendship with Dalaran after the war's climax, which lasted for over 2,000 years. Due to their considerable lifespans, it was not uncommon for elves to study magic in Dalaran as well as Silvermoon (some elves claim to have spent several human lifetimes in service to both), though the reverse was less true: Silvermoon gained a reputation for isolationism over the years, a consensus emerging among many high elves that exposing the humans to magic was a mistake to begin with.

From its founding to the Third War (a period of roughly 7,000 years), Silvermoon had never fallen.

Second War
During the Second War, the Amani entered into an alliance with the Old Horde, on the condition that the orcs help displace the elves from Quel'Thalas. Silvermoon itself was left relatively unscathed thanks to Ban'dinoriel, which erected a magical barrier over the city making it impervious to the Horde's dragon fire, though the trolls launched a heavy offensive into Eversong Forest and in some cases came close to the capital. The city also had the protection the runestones provided, whose mysteries proved difficult even for the practiced orc warlocks to decipher. The Amani had spent many years trying to torture information regarding the runestones out of captured elves in the hope of using them to subvert Silvermoon's defenses, to no avail.

King Anasterian held court in Sunstrider Spire, the stage where he and the Convocation swore to end the Amani remnants once and for all. Furthermore, Anasterian reluctantly pledged Silvermoon's strength to the Alliance of Lordaeron, due in part to Lord Anduin Lothar collecting on the debt Anasterian owed his bloodline from the Troll Wars. With the aid of Alliance forces, the elves pushed the invaders back from Silvermoon and successfully dispersed the orcs and Amani.

Despite this victory, the high elves and their allies entered into a period of mutual coldness after the war's end. Seeing little value in remaining part of the Alliance (and reasoning that the Alliance needed his people more than his people needed the Alliance), Anasterian seceded his nation on the grounds of poor leadership on the humans' end, which he claimed led to unnecessary violence within his borders. Silvermoon thus went back into seclusion, its people issued with edicts to enforce this withdrawal.

Third War


Silvermoon remained relatively peaceful for years following the Second War, though this was not to last. Named the Scourge, a massive undead army under the command of Arthas Menethil, fresh from laying Lordaeron to waste, marched to Quel'Thalas in order to defile the Sunwell. After tearing through Eversong and overcoming the Farstriders' attempts to hold back his advance, Arthas and his armies reached Silvermoon and demanded the elves open their gates and allow him passage. Refusing to surrender, Silvermoon's defenders rallied under the command of Grand Magister Belo'vir, who took over the defense of Silvermoon in the fallen ranger-general Sylvanas Windrunner's place. The archers, magi, priests, and dragonhawks did what they could to ward off the undead, though they were faced with impossible odds. With the help of the great traitor Dar'Khan Drathir, Arthas successfully dispelled Ban'dinoriel and left Silvermoon vulnerable to attack. Knowing the city would not hold for much longer, Belo'vir had Archmage Rommath evacuate as many civilians as he could, and the remaining soldiers left to make a stand with King Anasterian and the bulk of the Magisters on the Isle of Quel'Danas.

Silvermoon fell soon after their departure. The city was sacked, overrun with undead, and set ablaze. Its fires and smoke could be seen from Quel'Danas.

Arthas succeeded in his goal, defiling the Sunwell and bringing forth the lich Kel'Thuzad from its tainted remains. With no more reason to linger, he left Quel'Thalas in ruins, leaving behind large pockets of undead with an undead Dar'Khan for a commander. The war's outcome was devastating: 90% of the high elves had been slain, including King Anasteriasn, Belo'vir, Sylvanas, and the entire Convocation. Ranger Lord Lor'themar Theron gathered as many survivors as he could, and took over part of Silvermoon (The Bazaar) to serve as a point of congregation for others who had survived the attack. Rommath also soon returned to search for the living, clearing out groups of Scourge with his powerful magics.

Rise of the blood elves


Following the decimation of the high elves, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider rushed back to his people in Quel'Thalas. Arriving in Silvermoon, Kael paid his respects to his father -- whose body had been returned to the city -- and organized a strike team of fighters to help destroy the tainted Sunwell, now pulsating with tainted energies that threatened to destroy both the elves and land itself. Returning to Silvermoon triumphantly, Kael renamed his people the "blood elves" in honor of their many fallen brethren. Their fallen king, Anasterian, was cremated on a funeral pyre in the Bazaar.

Kael took several of his most powerful followers to do battle with the Scourge in Lordaeron and commanded the great ranger Lor'themar Theron to safeguard the kingdom in his absence and to find a cure for the elves' innate addiction to magic, which had become apparent in the wake of the well's destruction. The blood elves back in Quel'Thalas made little progress with this goal, drained and exhausted without the Sunwell for sustenance. The already overstretched Farstriders also made little dent in the remaining Scourge pockets. However, this one-sided struggle was soon to take an unexpected turn.

Reclamation


Following the events of The Sunwell Trilogy, Lor'themar Theron and Halduron Brightwing were approached by a contingent of magisters sent back to Quel'Thalas on the order of Kael'thas. Led by Rommath, the magi shared with their people the radical new teachings advocated by Kael'thas (and by extension, Illidan Stormrage), leading to the weary blood elves becoming reinvigorated. Under Rommath's command, the magisters quickly went about reclaiming and rebuilding much of Silvermoon City "almost overnight," their great magical powers making quick work of the Scourge.

Silvermoon City was reconstructed in an elaborate manner, once more becoming a beacon of magic and power in the Eastern Kingdoms. The towering spires of Silvermoon rose skyward once again, and the entire eastern section of Silvermoon has been wholly reclaimed by the sin'dorei. The western portion, however, remains lost for the time being, though the blood elves have recently turned their attention to healing it too.

A great deal of demonic energy has been used to fully empower the city. Chained crystals, full to the top with harnessed magic, now dot the city and power up all the various magical contrivance, including many floating spires and castles. Since the blood elves are cut off from the rest of civilization by the dangerous Plaguelands, an Orb of Translocation has been made connecting Silvermoon to Undercity.

Silvermoon is ruled by the Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas, Lor'themar Theron, who holds court with the ranger-general of Silvermoon, Halduron Brightwing and the Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas, Rommath.

Silvermoon also housed an imprisoned naaru named M'uru for a time, whose powers were drained by the magisters in order to empower the Blood Knight order under Lady Liadrin's command. However, this was not to last: Prince Kael'thas, who had sworn loyalty to the Burning Legion, briefly attacked Silvermoon with his felblood servitors and stole M'uru from the Hall of Blood.

Magically-automated guardians constantly remind everyone in the city of the blood elves' leader and savior, Prince Kael'thas, by reciting lines of carefully-worded propaganda. This helps prevent the blood elven denizens of the city from forgetting to whom they owe their absolute loyalty. However when Kael'thas has betrayed his people, the Arcane Guardians have been changed to reflect Kael'thas' betrayal and give propaganda referring to Lor'themar Theron as the savior of the blood elves instead. Additionally, Silvermoon City Guardians critiqued by Champion Vranesh no longer praise Kael'thas as the "Sun King".

With the restoration of the Sunwell, a bright future lied ahead for Quel'Thalas. The blood elves turned their attention to healing the western half of Silvermoon and restoring the city to its former glory.

Cataclysm
After the Cataclysm, The Reliquary building was opened.

Mists of Pandaria
An artifact from Pandaria was shipped to Silvermoon by Garrosh Hellscream, who tasked the blood elves with learning more of it. Members of the Horde are sent to Silvermoon to correspond with Lor'themar Theron himself, who had set Grand Magister Rommath to the task of deducing its modus operandi. Lor'themar also called in the leader of the Sunreavers, Aethas Sunreaver, to lend his aid to the experiment, which nearly resulted in a sha being released in the city.

It was stored under the Hall of Blood, where several of Rommath's magisters (once seen draining M'uru) were magically probing it. In a conversation with the player, Rommath confirmed that the fel crystals (the green crystals) once around Silvermoon have since been removed. Later, following the Purge of Dalaran, the escaped Sunreavers were funneled back to the safety of Silvermoon.

A portal was created between the city and the Dawnseeker Promontory on the Isle of Thunder.

War Crimes
The city was visited by Zaela and Shokia who found Thalen Songweaver, living in an apartment. He left Silvermoon to join the True Horde.

Legion
During the Burning Legion's third invasion, portals were created between Silvermoon and Suramar. The blood elven forces arrived to Meredil from the city.

Silvermoon and Suramar maintained good relations following the nightborne rebellion and Thalyssra's rise to power. Lor'themar, seeing much in common between the sin'dorei and shal'dorei kingdoms, invited their new leader to Silvermoon for a visit; Thalyssra soon after pledged Suramar to the Horde. The regent also entertained Alleria Windrunner, who had come in an attempt to convince Silvermoon to leave the Horde and ally with the Alliance, but this offer was rejected. Alleria instead sought out exiles from Silvermoon who had been banished for dabbling in the void, which the blood elf leaders consider a threat to the Sunwell.

Battle for Azeroth
Each year, Silvermoon holds a ceremony of remembrance for those who fell during the Scourge invasion. Lor'themar summoned a sin'dorei champion to undertake it, taking a lantern imbued with the light of the Sunwell to key locations throughout the kingdom to reenact the defense of Quel'Thalas and honor the sacrifices made in its darkest hour. The ceremony begins and ends in Silvermoon, where champions are awarded the heritage of the sin'dorei regalia by the regent lord.

Exploring the Eastern Kingdoms
Silvermoon was visited by Flynn Fairwind and Mathias Shaw in their cartography of the Eastern Kingdoms; the Horde Council gave the pair permission to visit Horde lands unaccosted. Fairwind reflected on the blood elves' history and marveled at the beauty of their city, grateful to have visited it. Shaw traveled on to the Isle of Quel'Danas to see the Magisters' Terrace.

Appearance


Silvermoon, like most of Quel'Thalas, borrows heavily from the Art Nouveau style. Its extravagances are copious and the city blends the natural and the magical together, with many open plots of grass and trees (many of which are styled, presumably magically, in impossible ways) around the city. Silvermoon has many statues within its walls, the most common depicting Kael'thas Sunstrider and a regal female of unknown identity. Others depict hooded female rangers and poised magistrixes. The city favors golds, whites, and reds, as it did 7,000 years ago.

Silvermoon's banner is a gold phoenix on a red background. Many variations of this exist.

The city's appearance could be seen as reflective of the blood elves' own psyche. The blood elves are trapped in a struggle with their hunger for magic, caught between mastering this desire or letting it master them, and the duality of Silvermoon reflects their inner struggle. One side ruined, one side restored to its former glory; magnificent on the outside, lingering darkness on the inside. However, the truly interesting insights reveal themselves when players look closer at what is going on in Silvermoon City. Beyond the luscious avenues, behind the rich billowing curtains, lie dark and gloomy interiors, and those who explore the other side of Silvermoon City may find that the city's beautiful facade serves only to hide the true, more-sinister side of the city.

Empowerment
It was mentioned in a behind-the-scenes The Burning Crusade interview that Silvermoon's architecture was originally held together by magic from the Sunwell and that when the Sunwell was destroyed, the buildings began to deteriorate into what we now see in the Ruins of Silvermoon. It was said that without the Sunwell's great energies, the magi had to rebuild the city using demonic magics. Whether this is still the case with the Sunwell restored and the removal of the fel crystals is unclear, if unlikely.

Notable characters


Lor'themar Theron is the Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas in the absence of Prince Kael'thas and the current leader of the blood elves on Azeroth. With Kael'thas' betrayal and eventual demise, Lor'themar has seemingly become the sole ruler of his people. Halduron Brightwing is Silvermoon's new Ranger-General, and is the blood elves' military commander on Azeroth. Grand Magister Rommath is the leader of all blood elf magi on Azeroth, and was a fiercely loyal servant to Kael'thas.

M'uru is the Naaru that the blood elves captured and was the source of the blood knight's power in the Light. He could previously be found beneath the paladin trainers area, where it was watched over by Magister Astalor Bloodsworn, who is behind the idea, and Lady Liadrin, who volunteered to be the first ever blood knight. Since 2.4, M'uru has been kidnapped and taken to the Sunwell Plateau where he serves as a 25-man raid boss, and Liadrin is no longer present, instead of appearing in a periodic dialogue scene that occurs in Shattrath with A'dal.

Silvermoon is uniquely adorned by a number of interactive lore events, most of which allude to the politics and factions of Quel'Thalas and its people. Several Blood Knights can be seen speaking of their order's predicament and future, such as Initiates Colin and Emeline. Champion Vranesh can be seen patrolling the city, eliciting the respect of the guard force and showing a low opinion for his Farstrider brethren. In turn, the Farstriders can be seen discussing their own outlook, referencing more healthy methods by which to keep the country safe.

Geography


The inhabited half of the city is arranged into separate but linked areas that each carry a unique feel.
 * The Shepherd's Gate (main gate)
 * Walk of Elders (area just beyond main gate)
 * The Bazaar (large trade area northwest of Walk of Elders)
 * The Royal Exchange (second large trade area northeast of Walk of Elders)
 * Murder Row (seedy area north of Walk of Elders)
 * The Sanctum (Warlock guild)
 * Farstriders' Square (military district north of The Royal Exchange)
 * Court of the Sun (royal district beyond Murder Row and The Royal Exchange)
 * Sunfury Spire (the royal palace)
 * Inner Sanctum (the Undercity teleport beyond the throne room)

Points of interest
The following points of interest are to be found in Silvermoon City:
 * Two banks
 * Two auction houses
 * Two inns
 * 10 mailboxes
 * The flight master can be found outside the city gates
 * An Orb of Translocation (found in the Inner Sanctum, Sunfury Spire), allowing instant teleportation to Undercity.

The Shepherd's Gate

 * The Shepherd's Gate

The Shepherd's Gate is the main (and only) conventional entrance to Silvermoon, decorated by a towering statue depicting the likeness of Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider. An equally large entrance paves the way to the western half of Silvermoon, though this leads only to the town of Falconwing Square; the western portion of the city itself having yet to be reclaimed. The Shepherd's Gate overlooks much of Quel'Thalas, with colorful gardens to its front and a bulk of blood elven guards to its back.

Though the Shepherd's Gate holds the distinction of being the only practical entrance to Silvermoon, two others are still in existence: the Orb of Translocation at the back of the royal palace, which offers a teleport to the Ruins of Lordaeron, and a massive gate to the west of the Bazaar. However, said gate is closed and guarded, presumably due to the drawbacks a back entrance could prove, and the fact that the blood elves' control of western Silvermoon is perhaps not yet strong enough to warrant another gate to match the Shepherd's.

The Walk of Elders

 * The Walk of Elders
 * Silvermoon Registry (guild services and tabard vendor)
 * Velaani's Arcane Goods (alchemy reagents and wand vendors)



The Walk of Elders offers the first glimpse to the blood elves' beauteous capital. Magical ornaments adorn the streets, while the autumn-touched trees found within Quel'Thalas grow here, too, albeit on a smaller scale, and clash neatly with the rest of the city and its red, gold, and autumn-bathed complexion. It is also perhaps the first sighting of the Arcane Guardians; at least, ones under proper control and not prone to malfunction. The hulking robotic constructs will urge the citizens of Silvermoon to remain law-abiding and encourage happiness in addition to singing praises for Silvermoon's leader, the regent of Quel'Thalas: Lor'themar Theron.



Rows of benches shrouded in crimson curtains are slashed across the Walk of Elders, perfect for a moment of respite. The Walk of Elders is also the central point of the city, connecting its neighbors to the east, north, and west. It houses several profession trainers, and offers a back entrance to a magisters' lounge named the Mana Loom in the eastern court of The Royal Exchange. Also of note is the presence of the sin'dorei's Horde allies in the Walk of Elders; Harene Plainwalker on hand for druid training and Gez'li for shaman, just north of Velaani's Arcane Goods. The celebrated Tauren Chieftains are currently within the blood elven capital too, resting in a spire just east of the Walk's entrance and right of the Silvermoon Registry.

The Bazaar

 * The Bazaar
 * Wayfarer's Rest (one of the two inns)
 * The Bank of Silvermoon (one of the two banks)
 * Shields of Silver (shield armoury)
 * Keelen's Trustworthy Tailoring (tailoring profession lounge)
 * Silvermoon Finery (cloth and bag merchants)



The Bazaar is the primary trading area of the city, housing one of its two sets of auction houses along with all of the other practical essentials any sin'dorei could need: an armory, a weapons' barracks, a bank and a collection of other useful services among them. The Bazaar also houses one of the several inns around the city, named Wayfarer's Rest (a popular spot for roleplaying), with enough elaborately-conjured and appetizing food and drink to sate one's hunger and thirst for as long as need be.

Outside, a colossal fountain neatly nestles itself in the center of the Bazaar, while a gathered crowd on the far-western zone tends to two dissidents, whose anti-magisters rhetoric takes a conspicuous change in tone after one such magister casts a spell on the pair. Conjurer Tyren also begins his rounds in the Bazaar, lighting up the sky with several magical indulgences.

Also of wry amusement in the Bazaar is the Keelen's Trustworthy Tailoring shop, whose neat work appears to be a dubiously kind front after visiting the leper gnomes employed beneath its main lounge. Silvermoon Finery is on hand for any cloth-related needs a sin'dorei may have.

The Royal Exchange



 * The Royal Exchange
 * The Hall of Respite (a magisters' lounge)
 * Silvermoon Jewelery (jewelcrafting trainers and supplies)
 * The Reliquary (headquarters of the Reliquary; archaeology trainers)
 * Royal Exchange Bank (the second bank within Silvermoon)

The Royal Exchange is a larger variation of the Bazaar, though perhaps without the dedicated trading theme. Though with both an auction house and a bank, the Royal Exchange is large enough to house a number of other points of interest, in addition to its glittering fountain surrounded by domesticated cats, rabbits, and magically-imbued broomsticks to sweep the streets.

The magisters have a room of their own on show, housing a demonic crystal that several magisters can be seen siphoning now and again. The blood elven Reliquary also has its base of operations here, though its denizens maintain that their vault, treasure, artifacts and secrets are not -- perhaps not even on "this plane of existence." On the opposite side are the jewlercrafting trainers, who were for a long while the only ones on Azeroth.

Murder Row



 * Murder Row
 * Silvermoon City Inn (the second inn within Silvermoon; Wayfarer's Rest being the other)
 * The Sanctum (warlocks' guild)

As the name attests, Murder Row is a more sinister take on Silvermoon, though its adjacent inn to The Royal Exchange would not suggest it. On the other side, however, lies the rogue and warlock masters and mistresses of the sin'dorei.

Within The Sanctum resides numerous blood elven warlocks, and an eerie collage of demonic crystals kept out of sight of the general public. Here, warlocks drain their power effortlessly, surrounded by those of like-minded goals. Above is the rogues' section of the city, seemingly spearheaded by Instructor Cel; housing a considerable training ground and a chance to stock up on poisons and other rogue essentials for trips out of Quel'Thalas.

An interesting observation in Murder Row is of the warlock Keyanomir, whose succubus minion will only come out after dark.

Farstriders' Square


Farstriders' Square is the section of the city allocated to the Farstriders and the Blood Knight order, though the two groups seem to keep their distance. Though the main Farstrider lodges are found outside of Silvermoon (such as Farstrider Retreat), they have a humble lodge named The Rangers' Lodge in the northern section. The Blood Knights hold the more formidable section of the city, however, from the intimidating Hall of Blood. Here, the Blood Knights make their presence known, under heavy guard and with most of their leadership found within; notably missing only their matriarch, Lady Liadrin, who traveled to Shattrath in order to gain another source of power for the order. The Hall of Blood also houses Silvermoon's battlemasters, Alenjon Sunblade and Irissa Bloodstar. Beneath once resided the captive naaru M'uru, though following his abduction to the Sunwell only Astalor Bloodsworn, several magisters, and Liadrin's second-in-command Lord Solanar Bloodwrath remain there.
 * Farstriders' Square
 * The Rangers' Lodge (Farstrider lounge; hunter trainers)
 * The Hall of Blood (Blood Knight headquarters; paladin trainers; battlemasters)

Outside is the main practice ground, where Farstriders hone their skills and heroes can follow suit, thanks to the training dummies. The blood elven warriors stand vigil over the square, spearheaded by Alsudar the Bastion. The engineering and blacksmithing trainers are also found within the square, surrounded by arbalests.

Court of the Sun



 * Court of the Sun

The Court of the Sun is the northernmost area of Silvermoon, excluding the royal palace. Decorated by the largest of the three fountains within the city at its center (a practical bathing house in terms of sheer size), the Court of the Sun looms over both Farstriders' Square and Murder Row. In addition to its beauty, it also houses the remaining profession trainers within the city, including reforging.

From the court, the full glory of the towering spires of Silvermoon can be seen -- not least of all surging skywards from the royal palace ahead.

Sunfury Spire



 * Sunfury Spire
 * Inner Sanctum

Sunfury Spire is the royal palace of Silvermoon, where the regent lord of Quel'Thalas Lor'themar Theron holds court with the Ranger-general of Silvermoon, Halduron Brightwing, and the Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas, Rommath. The spire was built after the previous royal palace, named Sunstrider Spire, was destroyed during the Scourge attack. A thick bridge with a crimson-red royal carpet paves way to the royal palace, with two large rows of Silvermoon City Guardians standing vigil outside. Decorated by two towering statues, a number of Quel'Thalas emblems, and the considerably large guard force within, the Sunfury Spire is unmistakable.

To the left after entering the spire lies the sin'dorei priesthood trainers, while the magisters train new members of the order to the right; the portal to the Blasted Lands found within the magisters' portion of the spire too. Straight ahead lies the leaders of Quel'Thalas, surrounded by their Royal Guard force. Behind Lor'themar sits his cobalt-colored throne, a large phoenix symbol fastened to its back.

Behind the royal palace lies the Inner Sanctum, where teleportation to the Ruins of Lordaeron await.

Other locations

 * Gallaran's

Flight
Note: Silvermoon can be reached via flight path from the rest of the Eastern Kingdoms if you have met the Eastern Plaguelands flight master, Georgia, at Light's Hope Chapel.
 * Tranquillien
 * Sun's Reach

Teleport

 * The Undercity

In the RPG
Unlike the rest of the Blackened Woods, the former elven capital of Silvermoon is not as devastated. The city almost resembles its old splendor as the living plants and rock used to construct the capital proved immune to the fires and destruction. Trees and buildings still stand and if you walked the city streets you would be surprised as how clean the place appears. Aside from the occasional body sprawled across the cobblestones, one could almost imagine that a war was never fought there.

Silvermoon's ruined buildings were constructed of white stone and living plants. Slender branches and ivy snake across walls. Many of the plants are dead now, the buildings smashed and the spires toppled. Nevertheless, much still remains intact. The city is not as ruined as one would suspect and is surprisingly nearly devoided of rotting corpses, bloodstains and similar filth. Silvermoon, however, is a deceptive death trap.

Undead elven guardians and ghosts wander the streets and towers, ensuring that no more harm befalls their city. No living beings inhabit this region, though the lure of elven treasure draws adventurers from far and wide. The Sunstrider Spire palace still hides the legendary Sunstrider treasury.

Silvermoon was the high elven capital for centuries since the Quel'dorei traveled to this land from Kalimdor. Like the rest of Quel'Thalas, enemies despoiled and razed the city in the Second and Third Wars, though Silvermoon survived the flames. Scourge forces held the city for a time but abandoned it after depleting it of its resources. Silvermoon now reminds us of everything that was once noble and mystical about the high elves — and how that nobility died.

Notes and trivia

 * Along the northern coast, there were docks which the Scourge demolished.
 * As a tribute to the first blood elf to hit level 67 during the beta, the paladin trainer Bachi was named after the player Bachi.
 * The city's guards, "Silvermoon City Guardians" use a distinctly different model than other male blood elves, made to resemble the Spellbreakers of old Quel'Thalas with tall shields and large glaives. This model is based on an older blood elf player model from The Burning Crusade's pre-alpha builds, which were in use at the time of the expansion's announcement at Blizzcon.
 * It is amusing to note that the female blood elf /silly emote, "You mean, I'm STUCK with this hair color?!" seems to be, in principle at least, quite accurate; as there is no barber shop in Silvermoon City, those blood elves wishing to change their character models must visit another city to do so.
 * The old main gate of the city was completely destroyed during the Third War, and the Shepherd's gate is used in its stead.
 * Silvermoon today is only the eastern half of the original city; the western half was almost completely destroyed by the Scourge during the Third War. Falconwing Square, the second blood elf town, is the only part of western Silvermoon remaining in blood elf control. The Dead Scar (the path taken by Arthas Menethil and his undead army on the quest to resurrect Kel'Thuzad, which carves through all of Eversong Woods) separates the rebuilt Silvermoon from the ruins of the western half. Interestingly, the Ruins of Silvermoon house no undead, instead they contain Wretched and malfunctioning Arcane Guardians.
 * Silvermoon has a meeting hall at the north end of its palace, where the regent lord and his advisors (chiefly Halduron and Rommath) discuss matters of state and politics. It is a large and impressive chamber designed specifically for this purpose; it also overlooks the ocean, and the Isle of Quel'Danas is visible from it. Whether this is the main hall of the Sunfury Spire seen in-game, or another, unseen part of the palace, is unclear.
 * Silvermoon also has a number of grand libraries not specifically seen in-game. Loremaster Skosiris of the Scryers sought to imitate them in the Scryer's Tier.
 * According to the blood elves, Silvermoon City is unrivaled in beauty or grandeur.
 * Ilterendi, Crown Jewel of Silvermoon is a legendary paladin ring in World of Warcraft: Legion.

Etymology
Silvermoon's name is peculiar in that the elves, who had renounced their nocturnal ways and embraced the sun, would go on to name their capital city after the moon. Why this is, when even their naming conventions changed to incorporate the sun and brightness/light over the moon and darkness, is unknown. It's possible Dath'Remar felt a twinge of sentimentality for the culture he was in the process of changing and chose to keep but one prominent reminder of where the Highborne had come from.

It was mentioned in the Warcraft Chronicle that Silvermoon became a "shining monument to the memory of the (Highborne's) ancient empire." This might imply that it was named to emphasize that connection; the Highborne were moon-worshipping night elves during the height of their old empire.

Silvermoon's name may have been inspired by Silverymoon, a capital city in the Forgotten Realms lore.

Western Silvermoon
It has been widely speculated whether or not the western portion of Silvermoon could, in time, be reclaimed by the blood elves. With the much-reduced Scourge presence in Eversong, and the efficiency of which the magisters were able to rebuild eastern Silvermoon, it could (in theory) stand to reason that the other half may be salvaged in time, if not via the powers of the magisters, but via the presence of Horde shamans and druids in the city. Several blood elves have made mention of the Dead Scar proving an obstacle beyond healing, however.

The Sunwell's protection

 * During the Second War, the Sunwell itself proved a huge advantage to Silvermoon and Quel'Thalas. The Sunwell directly empowered its citizens, its great power tied to Quel'Thalas and her people, and ensured that none of the invading red dragons could so much as touch the capital. These defenses were only bypassed by Arthas, who had gained the loyalty of a great traitor in the upper echelons of Silvermoon, a turn of events which ultimately ended in the Sunwell's destruction.
 * However, with the Sunwell restored, it is unclear as to whether Silvermoon once again possesses these great defenses.

Gallery

 * Warcraft III