User:Jormungand01/Lost Elves

An Account of the History of the Talah'dorei of Talah'danil
When the Burning Legion launched its first invasion of Kalimdor, the night elves were scattered to the four corners of the continent. The strongest resistance was in the west, near Mount Hyjal, and so that was where night elven civilisation was rebuilt after the war. But a number of them also fought the demons in what is now the Eastern Kingdoms, and when the Sundering tore out the heart of the continent they were forever seperated from their kin. Leaderless and vulnerable without the protection of Nordrassil, they were eagerly hunted by their old enemies in the twin Troll Empires, and before long they became a people living on only in legend.

Nearly three thousand years later the High Elves arrived on the shores of Lordaeron and found a fierce and warlike tribe waiting for them. Not realising their common heritage the High Elves utilised powerful magics against them and utterly destroyed the last of the Talah'dorei tribes. The survivors either integrated themselves into Quel'dorei society or wandered far to the south to take refuge in the Redridge Mountains, under a mountain which came to be known as the Talah'danil.

And so for another seven thousand years not a single Lost Elf was seen, for they had gone into hiding deep underground. They had no need to venture out onto the surface, for they could use their sorcery to make crops grow without sunlight. There was only one entrance to their caves, and that was well hidden on a steep cliff. So the generations passed, and their society remained at peace, until the coming of the Dark Irons and the summoning of Ragnaros.

In one sudden blast the entire Lost Elven nation was destroyed as the fires from Blackrock Mountain infested their caves. Hundreds were roasted alive by the heat, and all would have perished that day were it not for the efforts of their mages and shamans. The elves were sealed into the rock and the lava passed them by, but for centuries they were effectively frozen in time waiting for someone to release them.

The releasers turned out to be orcs of the Blackrock Clan, excavating for metals during the Second War. At the time they were thought to be merely statues of High Elves and were discarded, but in time the leader Atalar Earthroarer regained the power of motion and freed his comrades. Together they abandoned their old home and wandered the wilderness for eighteen years, until the second coming of the Burning Legion. At that point they joined themselves to the host of Jaina Proudmoore and returned to Kalimdor, where at last they met once again their long-sundered cousins the Night Elves.

Location
Until the coming of the High Elves they wandered the Eastern Kingdoms in nomadic tribes. Remains of some of their camps can be found all over Lordaeron and Khaz Modan, although they are difficult to recognise to the untrained eye. However after they were driven nearly to extinction most of them gathered together and hid in the Redridge Mountains (today the area east of Burning Steppes). Since the Third War the vast majority of Talah'dorei have migrated to Kalimdor, where they have built several villages among the roots of Teldrassil, but there are also a few in Theramore and some who are prisoners in Blackrock Spire. Talah'danil has been virtually abandoned.

Appearance
Talah'dorei are physically identical to Night Elves, except that their skin is darker blue or navy. This has been caused by their not seeing the light of day for thousands of years, sort of opposite to High Elves who became pale after adopting a diurnal lifestyle. Evolution has caused their ears to grow, as hearing is more important than sight in dark caverns, and the glow of their eyes has brightened enough to provide some illumination. However they could easily pass for Night Elves if not observed too closely.

Culture
Traditionally Talah'dorei have been masters of sorcery, and sorcery is still what much of there culture is based on today. However since the Well of Eternity's destruction and their isolation from the Sunwell it has dramatically weakened for them. In the intervening years they have gradually adopted shamanism, and their magic now tends to be a blend of the two.