World of Warcraft - Night Elves Lore

For ten thousand years, the immortal night elves cultivated a druidic society within the shadowed recesses of Ashenvale Forest.  Then the catastrophic invasion of the Burning Legion shattered the tranquility of their ancient civilization.  Led by the Arch-Druid Malfurion Stormrage and the Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, the mighty night elves rose to challenge the demonic onslaught.  Aided by the newly arrived orcs and humans, the night elves succeeded in halting the Legion’s advance and defeating its master, the demonlord Archimonde.  Though victorious, the night elves were forced to sacrifice their cherished immortality and watch their beloved forests burn.

In the aftermath of the horrific conflict, Malfurion and Tyrande helped their people rebuild their shattered villages.  Slowly the night elves began to adjust to their mortal existence.  Such an adjustment was far from easy, and there were many night elves who could not adjust to the prospects of aging, disease, and fraility.  Seeking to regain their immortality, a number of wayward druids conspired to plant a special tree that would reestablish a link between their spirits and the eternal world.  When Malfurion heard about this plan, he warned that nature would never bless such a selfish act.  Shortly thereafter, Malfurion’s spirit was somehow lost within the depths of the Emerald Dream.  Though his fellow druids attempted to find his wandering spirit, only his body remained sleeping within his Barrow Den.

With Malfurion missing, Fandral Staghelm – the leader of those who wished to plant the new World Tree – became the new Arch-Druid.  In no time at all, he and his fellow druids had forged ahead and planted the great tree.  Teldrassil, off the stormy coasts of northern Kalimdor.  Under their care, the tree sprouted up above the clouds.  Among the twilight boughs of the colossal tree, the wondrous city of Darnassus took root.  However, the tree was not consecrated with nature’s blessing and soon fell prey to the corruption of the Burning Legion.  Now the wildlife and even the limbs of Teldrassil itself are tainted by a growing darkness.

As one of the few night elves still left in the world, it is your sworn duty to defend Darnassus and the wild children of nature against the Legion’s encroaching corruption.

DARNASSUS CITY

High atop the boughs of the enormous tree Teldrassil is the wondrous city of Darnassus, the new refuge of the reclusive night elves.  Druids, hunters, and warriors alike make their homes among the rows of wood-crafted lodges and delicately tended groves.  The Temple of the Moon rises like a shining beacon above the trees, flanked by the colonnaded Hall of Justice, where the vigilant Sentinels gather to safeguard the land.  Ruled by the High Priestess Tyrande Winterspring, Darnassus stands as a tranquil testament to all that the Night Elves hold sacred.  A city in tune with the rush and flow of nature, Darnassus was built along the shores of a large lake, with elegant bridges spanning its crystalline waters.  Elsewhere, the falling leaves of the forest carpet the soft pathways of the city.

NOTABLE NIGHT ELVES

Tyrande Whisperwind
Tyrande is the High Priestess of the moon goddess, Elune.  She has served as the leader of the night elf Sentinels for nearly ten thousand years, but her long vigil has left her with little mercy for those she regards as her foe.  An exceptional and fearless warrior, she stands as one of the greatest heroes in recorded history.  Following the catastrophic invasion of the Burning Legion, Tyrande ruled over her people alongside her mate, the Arch-Druid Malfurion Stormrage, until he disappeared into the mystic Emerald Dream.  With Malfurion inexplicably lost, Tyrande has again become the sole ruler of her prideful people.  Troubled by Malfurion’s disappearance, she nevertheless strives to keep the night elves from reliving the mistakes of the past.