The storming of Suramar is the culmination of centuries of devision and magical evolution within World of Warcraft lore.
With Nighthold’s release coming ever closer, the storyline continues to grow to epic proportions in Suramar. Beyond getting new phat-lewts and encounters, there’s a lot of interesting things lore-wise taking place with what Blizzard’s lining up. Join us as we continue to explore the story of the Nightborne.
This past week we gained another piece of the pre-Nighthold buildup campaign going on in Suramar. What might appear as a rag-tag collection of Elven Matriarchs, actually has roots much deeper in the greater World of Warcraft universe. While they may be separate races now, the women who partake in the charge through Suramar with you, all come from the original Night Elf line back when Kalimdor was still one giant continent.
“What be in that lake ‘Mon” – The Origins of the Kaldorei
One of the races native to Azeroth which spawned from the planet itself, rather than of the titans, are the Trolls. Back when Kalimdor was still one landmass, there were countless Troll populations spread across the continent. These would eventually go on to evolve into larger kingdoms, some of which still exist today. Among the names that we see even presently in game, the Amani, the Darkspears, etc., there was also a population of Dark Trolls, which kept more to themselves, often hanging out in the woods and apart from the greater Troll culture.
Before the Trolls were even in the picture, however, during the fall of the Black Empire, the Titans went to great lengths to try to clear the planet’s surface from the plague of Old Gods which had infested its crust. In efforts to forcibly remove them, Aman’Thul, ripped the largest of them all, Y’Shaarj (who’s heart we see make an appearance in the Siege of Orgrimmar raid, and Mists of Pandaria in general) by hand. This caused a gaping wound in the crust of Azeroth which would never heal and ultimately would become known as the Well of Eternity. The other Old Gods and the remains of Y’Shaarj would be locked away by the Titans, and the Titanforged created to safeguard their prisons. But the wound would remain, and it would change everything.
It is the Well, you see, from which spilled the arcane energies, the very blood lifeforce of the sleeping Titan within Azeroth. The wound within Azeroth’s surface would one day be discovered by the reclusive Dark Trolls. It would change them and evolve them in a very short period of time, into something altogether different. The Dark Trolls would evolve into the first Night Elves. A race which would come to not only accelerate in their growth, intellect, and evolution, but would come to overtake the Troll empire, with one of their own.
In truth, the Kaldorei became quite adept at twisting the powers of the arcane energies which flowed from the Well and developed quite an affinity for it. Eventually, within the population, an elite magic societal class would be formed, which would be known as the Highborne–and at this time, was merely a title. The Highborne also drew notice from Queen Azshara and became her most beloved followers.
Due to the grand scale of tampering, harnessing, and manipulating the Well’s energies by the Highborne and Queen Azshara, they eventually drew the attention of the Burning Legion. Queen Azshara, enthralled at the power offered her by the Burning Legion, pooled her loyal Highborne and attempted to draw in the demons via the Well. This act, and the ultimate sacrifices by the elves during the War of the Ancients, led to what would become known as the Sundering. A continent implosion centered around the Well: all in an effort to stop the Legion. These events would cause the splintering of the original Kaldorei line.
Nightborne Rebellion & The Burning Legion – The Origin of the Shal’dorei
If you’ve played through the Suramar storyline to any degree, you’ve likely already encountered a portion of the origin story of the Shal’dorei, or the Nightborne. Closed off from the rest of the world, with only the Nightwell to provide sustenance, a group of rebellions Night Elves would survive for 10,000 years. However, what the in-game storyline fails to discuss at any length, is that the Night Elves which would become the Shal’dorei, were rebels from the very beginning.
When Queen Azshara was rallying her Highborne into action, Grand Magistrix Elisande (yes, the very antagonist which is currently being established for Nighthold), stood up against Azshara. She disagreed with seeking the power of the Legion and sought to save not only herself but the denizens of her city. She pulled on the power of the Eye of Amun’Thul, a pillar of creation, in order to create the Nightwell and seal off Suramar from the outside world. While in saving them, she doomed them as well.
Over the thousands of years with nothing but the arcane font of the Nightwell to sustain them, the energies twisted the Night Elves into a new race, the Shal’dorei. No longer Kaldorei and dependent on the arcane energies provided by the Nightwell, these Elves would carry on in a time warp of Elf society long abandoned by the other lineages. Rebellion and the desire to protect their own would foster and grow, leading to the events of the current storyline.
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The Exile of the High Elves (Quel’dorei)/ The Founding of the Blood Elves (Sin’dorei)
The remaining Night Elves who survived the Sundering and a new Well of Eternity was created in Mount Hyjal. Illidan had filled five vials with the waters of the original Well, and used three to create a new font for his people–maintaining their immortal lives. Despite this, Malfurion was enraged and sealed Illidan away for his crimes. Their people had decided that the tampering of arcane magics needed to be controlled and halted altogether, to save the world from another catastrophic-level event. The laws were strict and the penalty for breaking them was deemed to be death.
Despite such a steep penalty, after millennia of using arcane magics, many of the remaining Highborne who had not followed Azshara found it difficult to break the habit. Eventually, these were discovered and, out of mercy, were sent into exile rather than sentenced to death.
Under the leadership of Dath’Remar Sunstrider, this group of arcane-using Night Elves set off across the vast sea which now rested where their lands had once been. They eventually landed on what would become known as the Eastern Kingdoms, and slowly moved their way up the coast, until the founding of Quel’Thalas. It was here, that he would use one of the remaining two vials to create the Sunwell, an arcane font for his people to survive. But the time away from the Well of Eternity would change their forms, and in time, the Elves of the Sunwell would come to form a new lineage. It is here where the Highborne exiles become the High Elves.
While there are some remaining High Elves today, most instead are known as “Blood Elves”, or Sin’dorei. Their people’s name changed in memoriam, after the decimation of their population, due to the Lich King’s wrath. It is also at this time, where Sylvannas Windstrider, a High Elf ranger, is taken from her people and twisted into the creature that would one day become the Banshee Queen of the Undead.
The Elves Below the Sea: The Naga
Those most loyal to Azshara followed her down to the depths of the ocean floor. When the waves came crashing in after the collapse of the Well of Eternity she was offered a gift by the Old Gods, specifically believed to be N’Zoth, to be turned into a creature capable of surviving her fate. She accepted their power and the race of the Naga were born. While we have seen Azshara pop up in this expansion, and her Naga since Vanilla, we still do not fully know what will become of the Naga. For now, the majority of them, remain steadfast and loyal to their undersea Queen.
Storming Suramar: A Crossroads in Time
After our walk through the history of these Elven lineages, the monumental occasion we witness in the storming of Suramar should be readily apparent. These are a people split through time and powerful magics to be changed and divided past the point of being part of the same race. At the same time, due to their long lifespans it is very likely that this history of this magical division is very fresh in their cultural (and perhaps even personal) memories. There are Night Elves and Nightborne which co-existed once as one people. Grand Magistrix Elisande walked the same grasses of Suramar as Tyrande Whisperwind and yet now are no longer one people. The union of the Elf races, as we see in the storming of Suramar, is more than simply building an army. It is the reunion of a people divided by extraordinary means. While we as players, may simply look at these iconic characters as representing their playable races, the lore and the history tells a much deeper story.
It is a tragic homecoming tale, where at once things have remained the same, and yet are also drastically different. The level of emotion and pain which must be coursing through all those Elves involved in this campaign is unimaginable. While it is likely that we may not see things develop between these Kaldorei lineages after Nighthold, we can at least ponder on what future these groups may face if they chose to be a reunited force in the world.
Grand Magistrix Elisande certainly has some things to say on the subject (Warning: Spoilers Ahead!)…
Perhaps though, it’s still just all about the Nighthold shinies. Oh, and that this is probably still all Azshara’s fault.
What do you think about the Kaldorei reunion in the siege of Suramar? Let us know, and join in the conversation below, on Facebook, Twitter, or in the forums!
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