WoW 101 - What race are you? Night Elves

"The ancient and reclusive night elves have played a pivotal role in shaping Azeroth's fate throughout its history. More than then thousand years ago, their heroics during the War of the Ancients helped stave off the demonic Burning Legion's first invasion. When the scattered remnants of the Legion on Azeroth rallied together with the vile satyrs centuries later, the night elves again rose to meet the threat. The ensuing War of the Satyr exacted a heavy toll from the night elves, but ultimately they vanquished the forces that had set out to wreak havoc on their world."

Starting Location: Teldrassil

The loss of the first World Tree, Nordrassil, during the Third War ushered in a new era in night elven history—one in which this venerable race would no longer be immune to aging, disease, and frailty. As the night elves struggled to cope with their fate, Fandral Staghelm and a group of like-minded druids conspired to create a new World Tree that would restore the night elves’ cherished immortality. Through these druids’ efforts, Teldrassil was planted off the coast of northern Kalimdor, and the bulk of night elven society took up residence atop the new World Tree’s mighty boughs.

Teldrassil, however, was not blessed by the Dragon Aspects as Nordrassil had been, and thus the new World Tree did not change the fact that the night elves were mortal. Even worse, the World Tree and its inhabitants began to manifest signs of an unnatural ailment, later revealed to have been caused by the Emerald Nightmare. Much to the night elves’ dismay, it was discovered that Fandral had fallen to the Nightmare’s influence and had allowed Teldrassil’s corruption to take hold. Ultimately, Fandral’s wayward schemes were thwarted by the powerful archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, and Teldrassil was cleansed. To punctuate the victory over the Nightmare, the Dragon Aspects Alexstrasza and Ysera blessed the tree to ensure its vitality in the years to come. Yet as great and noble as this blessing was, it did not restore the night elves’ immortality.

Of late, Teldrassil’s recovery has slowed, and signs of the Nightmare’s corruption have resurfaced. Already burdened by political tension and the vast destruction unleashed by the Cataclysm, the night elves must now ascertain the cause of their beloved World Tree’s ailment and refocus their efforts on the dire situation facing Azeroth.

Home City: Darnassus

Atop the massive boughs of the second World Tree, Teldrassil, lies the wondrous city of Darnassus. The elegant bridges, beautiful groves, and leaf-covered pathways that dot the city’s landscape are testaments to the night elves’ reverence for nature. One of Darnassus’s most notable structures is the stunning Temple of the Moon, the center of worship for High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind and her Sisters of Elune.

Darnassus is home to night elves of all vocations, and the city has recently opened its doors to human refugees from Gilneas as well. Many of these embattled humans have contracted a strange curse that transforms them into feral wolf-beasts known as worgen. Although they’re usually reclusive, the night elves have allowed these outsiders into Darnassus because they know the perils of the Gilneans’ cursed state all too well: it was, in fact, a group of night elf druids that created Azeroth’s first worgen millennia ago. Despite the arrival of these new residents, Darnassus remains a symbol of the night elves’ rich culture and glorious history.

Leader: High Priestess Tyrande Wisperwind and Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage

Since the War of the Ancients, High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind and her mate, Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, have led the once-immortal night elves. Time and again, Tyrande’s and Malfurion’s wise guidance has helped the night elves prevail against the demonic Burning Legion and other perilous enemies. For many of the past ten thousand years, however, Tyrande has borne the mantle of leadership alone while Malfurion has spent long stretches of time preoccupied with his duties in the Emerald Dream.

     Shortly after the Third War, Malfurion became trapped within the Emerald Nightmare, a shadowy affliction that had spread throughout the Dream. Due to Tyrande’s brave actions, Malfurion was later freed, leading to a grand reunion and wedding between the two leaders. Now, amid political turmoil, natural disasters, and violent Horde incursions into night elven lands, Malfurion and Tyrande are focused on leading their people into Azeroth’s uncertain future, just as they have done in ages past.

Not long ago, a number of draenei resettled on Azeroth, hoping to put a halt to the Legion’s murderous activities in Outland. Sensing great courage in the Alliance, Velen and his followers pledged themselves to this noble faction. The strengthened Alliance then helped the draenei reclaim their former holdings from the Legion. Most recently, Velen used the heart of a fallen naaru to sanctify the blood elves’ tainted Sunwell, transforming the sacred fount into a source of holy and arcane energies. Although the Legion’s forces in Outland have been greatly diminished and the demonic invasion of Azeroth has been driven back, Velen remains fearful of an upcoming war between light and shadow.