Blood Elves and Fel

[Vagabond]

Alright, I would just like to open up this thread to discuss something that is bugging me about the Blood Elf lore.

Unfortunately, the eyes of the Blood Elves won't revert themselves back again in a very long time. The fel energies that they were either exposed to or actually consumed in order to continue to sustain themselves have caused a mutation in them. All Blood Elves got green eyes from the fel residue coarsing through their entire systems, and some even got redder skin as a result to give an example of how thorough these changes became. This doesn't go away in just a few years, and it's not even certain that the fel taint is going to go away in a single Blood Elf's lifetime.

So, you'd have to change your eyecolour back to green.

This is from an app I submitted. Now, I made the changes, but it still doesn't make sense to me how this drastic of a change can happen so permanently.

Now, using orcs as an example, them being the only others to suffer from a similar affliction that I can think of. The normally brown orcs were tainted by the burning legion, turning green. The tainted orcs were further tainted by the fel properties of Monnoroth's blood. Grom was a tainted orc turned fel, but was returned to his previous state when monnoroth was killed. All other fel orcs remained fel because they joined illidan. More being created because they had captured a pit lord named magtheridon. Illidan was using Magtheridon's blood to keep the fel orcs fel, and to make new ones. Kil'jaeden having been messing with the orcs on draenor for at least a hundered years or so- tainting them, corrupting them.

Now..High elves had been addicted to magic for a very long time. Without the sunwell they were required to meditate on their addiction or be in proximity to a moon well or other such thing. The addiction was only fatal to the young, elderly, or those already sick. They are the wretched. Now... The high elves/b-elfs were only without the sunwell for one or two years, and as I said there were many different ways of dealing with addiction.

I don't think being a blood elf is JUST about the fact you have green eyes and sucked fel magic to kick back your withdrawls. Blood elves are an ideal, a culture. It's almost like the civil war in america. You got family on both sides. Now for my character, Callith, he is first and foremost a Knight of The Silver Hand. Maybe not according to the reformed Knights, but he has been fighting their cause for many years. Being a 'blood elf' to him, means that his home is Silvermoon, Quel'Thalas. It is where he was born and raised. It is where his family was. It doesn't mean he hates the Alliance, he's known the races of the alliance far longer then those of the horde. Tauren? Didn't hear of them till the horde came about. Orcs? sure, he fought them in two wars. They are cool peoples now that he has gotten to know them, though. Undead? Really? They are dead. They don't like shiny holy men with all their positivity. For as recent information provided by the Blizzard Creative Development team says that, while it is possible for Forsaken with intensely strong willpower to use the Holy Light, it is very painful for them to do so. Holy Light spells can still heal the Forsaken but they must suffer nobly. The trolls and Elves have been at it forever.

However, he has never been to war against humans, gnomes, dwarves, or night elves. Granted his race has a history with night elves. Instead... he has fought beside the alliance races through three wars, and been amongst them for a little over a hundred.

Callith has lived and breathed the holy light since he was young. I just don't get how the lore can be so backwards...aside from blizzard needing it to be so they can keep the amount of horde/alliance races equal.

But this is a roleplay server... it shouldn't be confined to blizzard lore, we are more sensible.

-Michael

[c0rzilla]

Alright, I would just like to open up this thread to discuss something that is bugging me about the Blood Elf lore.

We'll try to help clarify!

Unfortunately, the eyes of the Blood Elves won't revert themselves back again in a very long time. The fel energies that they were either exposed to or actually consumed in order to continue to sustain themselves have caused a mutation in them. All Blood Elves got green eyes from the fel residue coarsing through their entire systems, and some even got redder skin as a result to give an example of how thorough these changes became. This doesn't go away in just a few years, and it's not even certain that the fel taint is going to go away in a single Blood Elf's lifetime.

So, you'd have to change your eyecolour back to green.

Aye, this is true of course.

This is from an app I submitted. Now, I made the changes, but it still doesn't make sense to me how this drastic of a change can happen so permanently.

Let's see what's up...

Now, using orcs as an example, them being the only others to suffer from a similar affliction that I can think of. The normally brown orcs were tainted by the burning legion, turning green. The tainted orcs were further tainted by the fel properties of Monnoroth's blood. Grom was a tainted orc turned fel, but was returned to his previous state when monnoroth was killed. All other fel orcs remained fel because they joined illidan. More being created because they had captured a pit lord named magtheridon. Illidan was using Magtheridon's blood to keep the fel orcs fel, and to make new ones. Kil'jaeden having been messing with the orcs on draenor for at least a hundered years or so- tainting them, corrupting them.

Actually, I do not believe he was returned to the status of Mag'har. He only ended the curse of rampaging Blood Lust in his people, and demonic control.

Now..High elves had been addicted to magic for a very long time. Without the sunwell they were required to meditate on their addiction or be in proximity to a moon well or other such thing. The addiction was only fatal to the young, elderly, or those already sick. They are the wretched. Now... The high elves/b-elfs were only without the sunwell for one or two years, and as I said there were many different ways of dealing with addiction.

Actually, incorrect. The Wretched are not those that fell ill from lack of magic. They are those that consumed too much magic in too short a time. They lacked control and paid for it.

I don't think being a blood elf is JUST about the fact you have green eyes and sucked fel magic to kick back your withdrawls. Blood elves are an ideal, a culture. It's almost like the civil war in america. You got family on both sides. Now for my character, Callith, he is first and foremost a Knight of The Silver Hand. Maybe not according to the reformed Knights, but he has been fighting their cause for many years. Being a 'blood elf' to him, means that his home is Silvermoon, Quel'Thalas. It is where he was born and raised. It is where his family was. It doesn't mean he hates the Alliance, he's known the races of the alliance far longer then those of the horde. Tauren? Didn't hear of them till the horde came about. Orcs? sure, he fought them in two wars. They are cool peoples now that he has gotten to know them, though. Undead? Really? They are dead. They don't like shiny holy men with all their positivity. For as recent information provided by the Blizzard Creative Development team says that, while it is possible for Forsaken with intensely strong willpower to use the Holy Light, it is very painful for them to do so. Holy Light spells can still heal the Forsaken but they must suffer nobly. The trolls and Elves have been at it forever.

True, it is an ideal and culture to boot, and a lot of people forget that. But, a key, integral part of that culture is the green eyes. It shows you either remained with your people as a true citizen, and/or ventured to Outland with Kael'thas.

And this character concept is fine. Lots of played sin'dorei are less than hateful to other races given certain circumstances. My own sin'dorei Templar is an Argent, for example.

However, he has never been to war against humans, gnomes, dwarves, or night elves. Granted his race has a history with night elves. Instead... he has fought beside the alliance races through three wars, and been amongst them for a little over a hundred.

Never been to war with humans, no. But remember--the elves had a long history with the humans. They gave them magic, and outside of Dalaran, were generally derided as "prissy knife-ears".

And then that bigotry piqued with Garithos' actions.

It isn't war, but it isn't a rude word either.

Callith has lived and breathed the holy light since he was young. I just don't get how the lore can be so backwards...aside from blizzard needing it to be so they can keep the amount of horde/alliance races equal.

...I'm not quite sure what the problem is, though. Are you thinking your sin'dorei can't use the Light based on faith? They can! But it won't change their eyecolor. Elves are so susceptible to magic, and the fel use has actually begun to mutate them.

And mutations cannot be healed. At least not so easily.

But this is a roleplay server... it shouldn't be confined to blizzard lore, we are more sensible.

-Michael

While Blizzard lore might not make sense all the time, we do try to keep to it as part of policy.

Hope I helped!

[Loxmardin]

Think of it this way, as far as Blood Elves are concerned;

They had lived their entire lives, fed by the magical fount that was the Sunwell. Their eyes glowed because of the arcane power that coursed through their entire beings, making the magic part of who they were. They lived off of it, were in a way part of it, and were greatly dependent on it. This Sunwell is the reason why they mutated from being Night Elves to High Elves, as well. The energy in the Sunwell was vastly different from the Well of Eternity that had previously been their source. They became shorter and scrawnier and their eye-glows changed from white/amber to blue. It's a very drastic change, though this happened over the course of ten thousand years.

The Sunwell was corrupted and destroyed, taking all of this away from them. So they suffered severe backlash from their addictions and had to turn elsewhere; this time being fel energies that they drained from demons and the big, green fel crystals with the nasty eyes that you can see scattered across the city of Silvermoon. These forces combined became their new Sunwell, meaning they coursed these demonic energies throughout their entire bodies and being and fed off of it. Because of the pure, corrupted nature of the fel energies, they were quickly corrupted even if they never directly fed. The residual taint that laid across all of Silvermoon affected the rest who wouldn't directly feed from the crystals or from demons. However, the amount of energy they took in was enough to mutate their bodies, as the fel effectively became a part of them for several years.

EDIT: To add on to what Aphetoros said...

High/Blood Elves are sponges for magic. They suck it up from their surroundings without effort, which explains how they were corrupted without directly feeding.

[Aphetoros]

Um, there's lore somewhere and I do not remember where, but even if you did not suck in Fel energy, you were tainted by being in the presence of other tainted elves (similar to how the orcs were tainted by being around corrupted orcs.) You didn't HAVE to consume Fel energy; your eyes would turn green no matter what, if you stayed within Quel'thalas with corrupted elves. I don't want to find the posts/QA thing, but I know Reigen knows where it is for sure.

[Reigen]

Um, there's lore somewhere and I do not remember where, but even if you did not suck in Fel energy, you were tainted by being in the presence of other tainted elves (similar to how the orcs were tainted by being around corrupted orcs.) You didn't HAVE to consume Fel energy; your eyes would turn green no matter what, if you stayed within Quel'thalas with corrupted elves. I don't want to find the posts/QA thing, but I know Reigen knows where it is for sure.

Ask and you shall receive.

Q: How did the blood elven fel eye glint become so widespread? The Warcraft Encyclopedia suggests that Rommath only taught the blood elves of Azeroth about how to siphon arcane magic, as most of the populace would likely be “horrified” if they knew the true extent of Kael’s dealings with Illidan.

A: The situation regarding blood elf eyes is, in fact, extremely similar to that of the green skin of orcs: just being around heavy use of fel magic turned the eyes of the blood elves green. You could be the most pious of priests or most outdoorsy of Farstriders, chances are, if you were a high elf in Quel’Thalas or Outland following the Third War, you were around fel energies, and your eyes would turn green. Like the orcs’ skin color, such an effect would take a very long time to wear off. Fel magic works a bit like radiation in this sense; it permeates the area and seeps into anything in the vicinity. Anything near a source of fel magic shows signs of slight corruption, it just so happens that high elves and orcs manifest it in a very visual way.

[Vagabond]

Alright. If all this were the case and High Elves are so heavily influenced by magic... Wouldn't a high/blood elf warlock mutate at an extremely rapid rate? Since it only took two years of passive fel absorption (or active, depending on the elf) to change hair color, skin color, and eye color... Wouldn't a High/Blood elf rapidly show changes if using fel magic like a paladin uses the light. Since all a Fel-sworn is, is a person showing high levels of change...a blood elf warlock should show changes similar to a fel-sworn within a few years...

Or does it only count if it is simply cosmetic and in line with Blizzard's story?

-Michael

[c0rzilla]

Using fel magic, and absorbing to sate an addiction it are two different things. Not every warlock who uses the magic will mutate. And Light magic does not cause physical changes, large lore figures aside.

Or unless you're a Templar. Crazy Templars.

I'm also not sure if there were High Elf warlocks before the Sunwell was corrupted. We might have a profile or two like that, but generally I don't think it occured.

[Loxmardin]

Felsworn have been redefined on CotH. The only playables are Warlocks who have aligned with the Legion in some way and taken on a demonic tutor to give themselves more flavour and a new "spin" and "insight" in their fel magic. There are no mutations involved in becoming a Felsworn, unlike the last prestige system said.

If you're going by Felblood Elves, those are completely different.

If people want to have minor extra mutations besides the already racial ones, you can possibly have minor cosmetic changes such as blackened nails, sickly skintones, paler hair, brighter glow in your eyes, sunken in eyes... But nothing major or significant. All is purely cosmetic, with the changes working as if in the direction of their racial "height of corruption". For Blood Elves, this would be the Felblood Elves. That said, player characters will come nowhere close to that sort of corruption, but when deciding on minor cosmetics, it's good to keep the Felblood Elves in mind.

The Felblood Elves are what happens when you become part-demon after extreme, extreme, extreme exposure to and ingestion of fel.

[PvtFrog]

Alright. If all this were the case and High Elves are so heavily influenced by magic... Wouldn't a high/blood elf warlock mutate at an extremely rapid rate? Since it only took two years of passive fel absorption (or active, depending on the elf) to change hair color, skin color, and eye color... Wouldn't a High/Blood elf rapidly show changes if using fel magic like a paladin uses the light. Since all a Fel-sworn is, is a person showing high levels of change...a blood elf warlock should show changes similar to a fel-sworn within a few years...

Or does it only count if it is simply cosmetic and in line with Blizzard's story?

-Michael

Using a real world scenario, the difference here is how they were exposed. Sitting around Quel'thalas or using the crystals to sate their addiction would be like someone being exposed to the sun's UV rays. It's unavoidable, and with enough constant exposure like the High Elves during that time, you'll find your skin becoming slightly tanned. However, being a warlock and actually channeling those energies would be like someone going into a tanning salon. Hope that makes sense.

[BountyHunter]

In comparison, the change of Orcs is actually really similar to the change in Elves from how they go from untained (Mag'har, High Elves) to tainted (Greenskins, Blood Elves) and to 'Wooooh Nelly, too much Fel there' (Redskins, Felblood). The change from untainted to tainted is pretty easy in both cases and will take a very long time to reverse. The change from tainted to too-much-fel occurs, yes, but we have been shown that it can be reverted back to tainted if you tried hard enough.

[Ormica]

Um I'm going to through my own two cents here and maybe help to "disagree" with what's currently been said by the FHs and GMs (I hate to rgue but I've had similar questions). I'll start by saying that I know we have policies but I'll also say that I don't agree with all of them (Though I get why they are there). Now I'll be honest and say I hate saying no to my players in D&D. I hate also being told no, I agree with explaining though, when a player has an idea me and him/her discuss why I would say no and why he/she would like it. Then more or less after the discussion I usualy agree with the player and as long as what he/she wants isn't over powering players I also tend to add to my own lore >.< The draw back to something like CotH is it has set lore and if the GMs have to much leniency then players get OPed...that's not very good. Though I'm in support of a Belf who didn't get felized (Turning eyes green and such) I understand policies and what not, though mayber something can be changed? /ends two cent rant

[BountyHunter]

While some leniency is good, if Blood Elves were capable of keeping their blue eyes then there are a few things I'd like to point out.

One, there are none of them within WoW which doesn't seem to show that such a thing is possible.

Two, if people were allowed to be Blood Elves with blue eyes then there is absolutely nothing stopping them from waltzing into Stormwind or (insert Alliance city here) and just saying they are a High Elf. We don't allow High Elves, that's something we've stuck with for a very long time and wont be budging.

[Ormica]

K just wanted to through that in there, thought he had some good points on the warlocks espiecaly (Not to continue any arguements). I personally think that'd make sence but again I don't know all the reasons for it >.<

[CappnRob]

Actually, I think Koltira was a high elf DK who sided with the blood elves despite not being fel-touched because Thassarian insisted he help his people.

BUT HE'S KIND OF A SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE THERE.

[Aphetoros]

Alright. If all this were the case and High Elves are so heavily influenced by magic... Wouldn't a high/blood elf warlock mutate at an extremely rapid rate? Since it only took two years of passive fel absorption (or active, depending on the elf) to change hair color, skin color, and eye color... Wouldn't a High/Blood elf rapidly show changes if using fel magic like a paladin uses the light. Since all a Fel-sworn is, is a person showing high levels of change...a blood elf warlock should show changes similar to a fel-sworn within a few years...

Or does it only count if it is simply cosmetic and in line with Blizzard's story?

-Michael

Note, mayhaps this was mentioned. When Valira (or Valeera, I can't remember) absorbed the powerful magic in a naga's staff (As a high elf) her eyes seethed with purple, very suddenly. The color changed until the magic from the staff dissipated. I would say that fel, being sickly strong and corruptive, stays far longer than the abundance of arcane that was within the staff. Therefore, a blood elf that was absorbing fel (passively or actively) would retain the fel for such a time that it would have a more devastating affect on their form than any sort of arcane would. In addition, we know that arcane did have a staggering effect on High Elves. It caused them to turn... I'll let this convenient picture I found explain.



We first had Dark Trolls, which settled somewhere around the Well of Eternity. My guess is all the way from Shatterspear to the Well of Eternity, because I speculate (a bit unfoundedly, more to their location than anything else) that the Shatterspear also evolved from Dark Trolls. We know that they were ten feet tall, nocturnal, and lead a mostly subterranean existence. They had pale yellow eyes, and had skin of royal purple hues. They had powerful regenerating abilities (moreso than other trolls) and had from shaman to shadow-priests! From being near the Well of Eternity, they 'passively absorbed' the arcane energy and became the kaldorei.

Night Elves were darker and more natural in color. It wasn't a blood-based thing, the ability to use arcane magic as a night elf. It was very possible, and common, for night elves to learn and master arcane magic even in the lower classes. We see this in the Moon Guard, for example. As we know (from lore descriptions and ectcetera) Upon actively using arcane, (RAHUEHUHG I SEARCHED FOR AN HOUR AND HALF FOR THIS LORE PIECE FOR A QUOTE AND COULDN'T FIND IT [/endrage) they began a painful transformation their skin would become pale and mottled and they grew brighter eyes.

Here we have an off-shoot: the Naga. This mutation is really unrelated to this discussion, but briefly they were transformed by the Old Gods as last-minute salvation from drowning in exchange for eternal service. (Cue menacing laughter.)

And here something relevant: Satyr. Overloaded with fel energy, initially created by Sargeras himself and later by Xavius. This is relevant due to fel energy and the reason that it is not the same as a High Elf becoming fel-corrupt is not only because of the direct source of the fel: Sargeras himself/the Satyr Lord Xavius, but because there was further mutation/evolution to be had for Blood Elves->Felblood Elves than from simply Highborne->Satyr.

I vaguely remember that there was some problem, I don't remember what though, and in effort to prove to the anti-arcane night elves that arcane was helpful and good, the remaining Highborne conjured a terrifying storm of arcane energy to combat the threat. They were then exiled, but some Highborne stayed within night elven lands in hiding and became the Shen'dralar. I'll explain why I think they didn't evolve further later!

Segway into Worgen for a moment, because I feel like talking about the Worgen. Skip this paragraph if you don't care :>. Worgen are another mutation/cursed variety of Night Elves. They were druids who submitted to the Scythe of Elune, in hopes of controlling their form. Unfortunately, that didn't really work well, now did it? There's not much to say about them relating to the subject other than showing how vast the population of Night Elves had to be to create such a vast multitude of off-shoots and mutations. They were eventually sealed by Malfurion in the Emerald Dream, trapped in an 'eternal' slumber.

Then, they left and as they were separated into a new environment along with still practicing their arcane magics, they became more human-like. I speculate that since they used magic for most things, their bodies adapted and grew shorter and less muscled. Powerful, tall, bodies weren't needed because magic worked for them. Then, as they took in fel, which had a powerful effect on them, I would say that their bodies reacted so quickly because of the elves natural weakness to magic. I do believe that, based on several instances I'll go into if you ask, elves are inherently less resistant to magical effects due to their years of letting it into their bodies almost in unison with their life force. Their eyes changed color because of the nature and hue of fel magic. The fel lingered inside of them, due to its lasting and addictive properties, and caused their skin to redden and possibly other effects we can't see due to the simplicity of in-game models.

There are two more evolutions, I'd say, being the Wretched (arguably a devolution) and the Felblood Elves. Siphoning too much fel via fel crystals and using fel magic overloads the elven body, and since the body is accustomed to using fel and working with it, it can't process all the fel quick enough and it almost looks like the body begins to fall apart (along with the mind.) Then, the energy seems to create tumor-like crystals within the flesh, and given enough time I believe the elf would become entombed in crystal, if they didn't die or combust before then.

However, if one gorges on actually demonic blood they will become a Felblood Elf. For following Kael'thalas, the favored and loyal Blood Elves were given copious amounts of demonic blood as a reward and allowed to gorge upon it for days. For some reason, this is different than simply siphoning fel. I'm lead to believe that there is a unique property in demonic blood that is not present in straight fel energy that completely alters the genetic structure of the elf and mutates them into a demon, instead of overloading their body and killing the host. Additionally, and I find this really interesting, when a Felblood Initate is engaged heavily in combat and becomes weakened, they transform into a wretched model. So it seems to me that if the process of becoming a full-fledged felblood is interrupted, one falls into Wretched state.

So as an answer to the question, if I haven't veered too far off-topic, is that I believe it is specifically in the gorging of demonic blood that transforms you into a felblood elf. I think you can go pretty far with small mutations for a felsworn elf, including but not limited to: small horns, thick blackened nails, ruddy skin, more intense fel-eyes, sharper teeth, higher natural body temperature. I wouldn't go past that, honestly. Horns might even too much, but I'd personally like to allow them. ('tis not my decision, though.)

Correct me if I'm wrong, anywhere! I think I mentioned all elven off-shoots/mutations/evolutions except the Darkfallen because they're entirely irrelevant to the subject because they're undead nubs.

quick-edit: Honestly, having green eyes is a part of being a blood elf. It really is. It has become a mark of shame for some, but for many is a trait they carry with pride. It is who they are. It separates them from High Elves, deemed as traitors and weak by the Blood Elves. I think that trying to have a Blue-Eyed Belf is a terrible idea because not only would their eyes have changed due to proximity of other tainted elves, they would be ostracized and loathed. Hell, my character Alivan was stand outside of his apartment and his succubus was furiously watching from the window, only the blue-eyed glow visible in the pulled back curtain. His house was searched by a Blood Knight approved character because he was suspected of harboring a High Elf. Of course, the character had gone inside before he knew the Blood Knight had been called, and as such he was hidden by the succubus and she herself vanished. To be more precise, here are a few posts if you're curious about the whole succubus thing... I don't really feel like going into any further detail at the moment. It's here.

edit 2: And this is without looking at half-elves...