User:Vorbis/Wood elf

The first of the wood elf fanfics!

The wood elves, or Tel'dorei, meaning "Earth-children" in the ancient Darnassian tongue, have a short but chaotic history. Also known as "wild elves" (not due to their behaviour but rather to their lifestyle choice), they are a breakaway faction of former high elves disgusted at both the decadent and corrupt path the blood elven faction have taken and the inactivity and ignorance of the Quel'dorei mother race. To these ends the wood elves have formed their own nation and have formed a pact with the like-minded tauren in order to learn the the druidic knowledge lost to them generations ago.

= Introduction and History =

Ten thousand years ago, during the reign of the night elf Queen Azshara, an elite magic-using sect known as the Highborne dabbled in magics that many other elves considered heretical by drawing upon the power of the Well of Eternity. Several centuries after the Sundering, which destroyed the Well of Eternity, the Highborne left Kalimdor and settled on the Eastern Continent, founding the kingdom of Quel'Thalas. They became known as the high elves. During this time, they created the Sunwell, and switched to a diurnal waking cycle, instead of the nocturnal cycle they had kept when they were night elves. Their purple skin eventually faded to a peach color, much like that of the humans and dwarves.

The high elves assisted the Alliance of Lordaeron in the Second War against the Horde and in the war against the Burning Legion. During the Third War, however, Prince Arthas led his army of the undead against them, ravaging Quel'Thalas and corrupting the Sunwell. Most of what was left of Quel'thalas was burned down by the high elves, in an effort to give the scourge a psychological victory and leave the number of high elves making their last stand on Sunstrider Isle alive. Despite their efforts, almost 90% of the high elven population were eradicated during this conflict. In rememberance of the fallen, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, last of the royal bloodline, renamed the race the blood elves, or "Sin'dorei", and swore to avenge those who had died at the Scourge's hands. Not long after, Prince Sunstrider left the blood elven kingdoms and was not seen or heard from for several years.

At this time, the Sin'dorei showed no cultural or physical difference to the high elves they had previously been; and those blood elves who were to later become wood elves originally served the new cause to the best of their abilities, aiding their brethren in the reconstruction of Silvermoon. However, as blood elven culture began to change in Kael's absence and the lifestyles of the upper classes descended into excess and extravagance, some members of blood elven society began to turn from what they perceived to be an arrogant and self-centred nation.

The last straw came when Grand Magister Rommath returned from Outland, preaching the benefits of warlockry and claiming that Prince Kael'thas would lead them to a "paradise" on the new world. Led by the Ranger Captain Leon Everdawn, this small faction turned their backs on the old kingdom and on a dark night in mid-summer fled through the Greenwood Pass to the wild and untamed south-western Ravenwind Mountains region of Quel'thalas - only several leagues distant of the destroyed city of Stratholme - before they could be captured. Labelled as outlaws and traitors, a force was quickly dispatched on their heels by Lor'themar Theron, the Prince's appointed Regent, but after several weeks slow progress into the unfamiliar mountainous territory hindered by inferior leadership - Kael having taken his most experienced and faithful warriors to Outland - and hit-and-run ambushes, the force was recalled to Silvermoon to be put to better use against the increasing forest troll threat. Free of the Sin'dorei threat - at least for a while - the exiles ventured further into the mountain range. But they were not alone: Horakastrasz of the Red Dragonflight lived in this wild land as its self-appointed protector. Taking the appearance of a Keeper of the Grove he befriended Leon Everdawn. Impressed by the elf's kind and humble nature, strong leadership and - most importantly - need for support and a new home for his people, he revealed himself as a dragon and made good Alexstrasza's oath to the elves by welcoming the exiles to their new domain, which in the Thalassian tounge they respectfully named "Sha'Thalas" or "Honored Home".

Renaming themselves once more as the "Tel'dorei" in honor of nature, they rejected the embellished crimson robes and vain styles of the north in favour of simple earthen-hued garments which allowed them to greater blend into their surroundings, unanamously naming Everdawn as their new king. Aided by the dragon and his minions, they crafted for themselves a capital of sorts in the valley beneath Ravenbeak Mountain. Horakastrasz, realising the wood elves' need for strong allies, directed them to rejoin the Alliance with the Red Dragon Aspect Alexstrasza's blessing. The proud wood elves politely refused his councel, expressing their dislike of the high elves left within the Alliance and their strong distaste for the Alliance races' greedy and materialistic way of life. Not discouraged by this, Horakastrasz offered an alternative option - to make peace with the races of the Horde, even though this would entail an alliance with the orcs, a race with which both the elves and red dragons had a scarred history.

After some deliberation, the Tel'dorei agreed to take this path. However, instead of meeting the Warchief of the Horde, the orc Thrall, Leon decided to approach diplomacy through a more agreeable route and arranged an alliance with the tauren tribes under Cairne Bloodhoof, whom he realised strived to achieve similar goals to the wood elves. Though Cairne was only too pleased to ally with the fledgeling nation, the arrival of the wood elves within the ranks of the Horde could not come at a more inappropriate time, as they soon learned that their blood elven brethren had joined almost simultaneously at Sylvanas Windrunner's behest; unknowing of the Tel'dorei alliance with the tauren. Though this posed a number of problems for the wood elves, they quickly realised that they could manipulate this political mess to their own ends. With both opposing factions as members of the same league of nations, the wood elves could thus at least arrange a truce with the blood elves, acknowleging that war would be disadvantageous to both peoples at this time.

The wood elves have thus far been able to survive in this fragile alliance, though tensions between the Tel'dorei and Sin'dorei still run high and both hate and have no dealings with one other. The wood elves have worked to strengthen their society by establishing close ties with the tauren tribes and even attempting to curry favour with the night elves of the Cenarion Circle. Though still only an extremely young nation, Sha'Thalas continues to grow and increase in strength, upholding the virtues of honor and truth in a world ever more embroiled in evil.

Physical Appearance
In the time after their division from the blood elves, the wood elves have taken to wearing colors suited to their forest surroundings, favouring practical and discreet garments over the brilliant robes of other elves. The effects of the sun and the rough environment has roughened and tanned their skin to a rich light brown, and their eyes shine with a brilliant green. The Tel'dorei style their hair in wild and fantastic styles which would have been frowned upon in polite high elven society, males growing both hair and beards to some length to better protect against the mountain winds.

Culture
Wood elves have no heavy infantry to speak of, for heavy armor is particularly ill-suited for use in the steep Ravenwind Mountains and the thickly forested valleys which lie below. Nonetheless, a Warrior class exists within the wood elf culture: Glade Guard; lightly armored in cloth and leather but aided by the use of burnished bronze helms, broad wooden shields, long spears and sharp mattocks. Most of the rest of the military force is made up of Scouts and Hunters, having remained close to the ideals and doctrines of the old Rangers of Quel'thalas by maintaining an intimate bond with the wildlands of Lordaeron. Their methods of war reflect their lack of numerical superiority, and the wild elves are better known for hit-and-run ambushes from the cover of the undergrowth than head-on assaults across battlefields. Though healers can be seen within the ranks, the Tel'dorei have come to distrust the arcane and thus have very few spellcasters.

Druidism has spread amongst the Tel'dorei, who are well suited for such a path and eager to learn from their tauren allies and red dragon patron. However, wood elven practices differ greatly from their night elven relatives; being a less spiritual people more dedicated to the proliferation of nature in all its forms than careful balance. Nonetheless, wood elves are conciencious and careful not to disrupt nature's ebb and flow.