View source for High elf

: ''This article is about the high elves' lore. For the playable race, see [[High elf (playable)]].''
{{Infobox race
| name = High elves
| image = HighElfMage.webp
| type = 
| faction = [[Silvermoon Remnant]], [[Alliance]], [[Knights of the Silver Hand|Silver Hand]], [[Cult of the Damned]], Independent
| character =
| capital = {{Alliance}} [[Alah'Thalas]]
| fcapital = {{Neutral}} [[Silvermoon City]] †
| leader = {{RaceIcon|HighElf|Male}}{{RaceIcon|HighElf|Female}} [[Regency Council]]
| fleader = {{Neutral}} {{RaceIcon|HighElf|Male}} [[Anasterian Sunstrider]] †<br>{{Neutral}} {{RaceIcon|HighElf|Male}} [[Dath'Remar Sunstrider]] †
| mount = {{RaceIcon|Unicorn}} Unicorn
| homeworld = [[Azeroth]]
| environment =
| area = [[Azeroth]], [[Outland]]
| language = Thalassian, Common
| exact = 
| height = 
| weight =
| organization = 
| alignment = 
| source = 
}}
The '''high elves''', or '''quel'dorei'''("children of noble birth" in Darnassian and Thalassian), are a race descended from the night elf Highborne who settled in the Eastern Kingdoms millennia after the Great Sundering, founding the kingdom of Quel'Thalas under the rule of the Sunstrider dynasty. For nearly 7,000 years, the high elven society centered on the sacred [[Sunwell]], a magical fount created from a vial of pure arcane energy from the first [[Well of Eternity]]. Nourished and strengthened by the Sunwell's potent energies, the high elves prospered within the verdant forests north of [[Lordaeron]].

During the course of the [[Third War]], the high elven kingdom was brought to the brink of annihilation when the death knight [[Arthas Menethil]] launched a Scourge invasion of Quel'Thalas. Rallied by their prince, [[Kael'thas Sunstrider]], many of the high elven survivors renamed themselves "[[Blood elf|blood elves]]" or "sin'dorei" (children of the blood in Thalassian) in remembrance of their fallen brethren. However, five years after the fall of Silvermoon, a new movement emerged led by [[Vereesa Windrunner]] to bring the high elves back into the fold of the [[Alliance]]. Known as the [[Silvermoon Remnant]], they have resettled a region known as the [[Thalassian Highlands]] as they seek a new path forward.

==History==
===Exile of the Highborne===
As the centuries passed, the night elves' new society grew strong and expanded throughout the budding forest that they came to call Ashenvale. Many of the creatures and species that were abundant before the Great Sundering, such as furbolgs and quilboars, reappeared and flourished in the land. Under the druids' benevolent leadership, the night elves enjoyed an era of unprecedented peace and tranquility under the stars.<ref name="EotHE">[https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Exile_of_the_High_Elves Exile of the High Elves]</ref>

However, many of the original Highborne survivors grew restless. Like Illidan before them, they fell victim to the withdrawal that came from the loss of their coveted magics. They were tempted to tap the energies of the Well of Eternity and exult in their magical practices. Dath'Remar, the brash, outspoken leader of the Highborne, began to mock the druids publicly, calling them cowards for refusing to wield the magic that he said was theirs by right.<ref name="EotHE" />

Malfurion and the druids dismissed Dath'Remar's arguments and warned the Highborne that any use of magic would be punishable by death. In an insolent and ill-fated attempt to convince the druids to rescind their law, Dath'Remar and his followers unleashed a terrible magical storm upon Ashenvale.<ref name="EotHE" />

The druids could not bring themselves to put so many of their kin to death, so they decided to exile the reckless Highborne from their lands. Dath'Remar and his followers, glad to be rid of their conservative cousins at last, boarded a number of specially crafted ships and set sail upon the seas. Though none of them knew what awaited them beyond the waters of the raging Maelstrom, they were eager to establish their own homeland, where they could practice their coveted magics with impunity.<ref name="EotHE" />

The Highborne, or Quel'dorei, as Azshara had named them in ages past, would eventually set shore upon the eastern land men would call Lordaeron. They planned to build their own magical kingdom, Quel'Thalas, and reject the night elves' precepts of moon worship and nocturnal activity. Forever after, they would embrace the sun and be known only as the high elves.<ref name="EotHE" />

===Rise of Quel'Thalas===
The high elves, led by Dath'Remar, left Kalimdor behind them and challenged the storms of the Maelstrom. Their fleets wandered the wreckage of the world for many long years, and they discovered mysteries and lost kingdoms along their sojourn. Dath'Remar, who had taken the name Sunstrider (or "he who walks the day"), sought out places of considerable ley power upon which to build a new homeland for his people.<ref name="TFoQT">[https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Founding_of_Quel%27Thalas The Founding of Quel'Thalas]</ref>

His fleet finally landed on the beaches of the kingdom men would later call Lordaeron. Forging inland, the high elves founded a settlement within the tranquil Tirisfal Glades. After a few years, many of them began to go mad. It was theorized that something evil slept beneath that particular part of the world, but the rumors were never proven to be true. The high elves packed up their encampment and moved northward towards another land rich with ley energies.<ref name="TFoQT" />

As the high elves crossed the rugged, mountainous lands of Lordaeron, their journey became more perilous. Since they were effectively cut off from the life-giving energies of the Well of Eternity, many of them fell ill from the frigid climate or died from starvation. The most disconcerting change, however, was the fact that they were no longer immortal or immune to the elements. They also shrank somewhat in height, and their skin lost its characteristic violet hue. Despite their hardships, they encountered many wondrous creatures that had never been seen in Kalimdor. They also found tribes of primitive humans who hunted throughout the ancient forestlands. However, the direst threat they encountered were the voracious and cunning forest trolls of Zul'Aman.<ref name="TFoQT" />

These moss-skinned trolls could regenerate lost limbs and heal grievous physical injuries, but they proved to be a barbaric, evil race. The Amani empire stretched across most of northern Lordaeron, and the trolls fought hard to keep unwanted strangers from their borders. The elves developed a deep loathing for the vicious trolls and killed them on sight whenever they were encountered.<ref name="TFoQT" />

After many long years, the high elves finally found a land which was reminiscent of Kalimdor. Deep within the northern forests of the continent, they founded the kingdom of Quel'Thalas and vowed to create a mighty empire which would dwarf that of their Kaldorei cousins. Unfortunately they soon learned that Quel'Thalas was founded upon an ancient troll city that the trolls still held to be sacred. Almost immediately, the trolls began to attack the elven settlements en masse. The stubborn elves, unwilling to give up their new land, utilized the magics which they had gleaned from the Well of Eternity and kept the savage trolls at bay. Under Dath'Remar's leadership, they were able to defeat the Amani warbands that outnumbered them ten to one. Some elves, wary of the Kaldorei's ancient warnings, felt that their use of magic might possibly draw the attention of the banished Burning Legion.<ref name="TFoQT" />

Therefore, they decided to mask their lands within a protective barrier which would still allow them to work their enchantments. They constructed a series of monolithic Runestones at various points around Quel'Thalas which marked the boundaries of the magic barrier. The Runestones not only masked the elves' magic from extra-dimensional threats, but helped to frighten away the superstitious troll warbands as well. As time wore on, Quel'Thalas became a shining monument to the high elves' efforts and magical prowess. Its beauteous palaces were crafted in the same architectural style as the ancient halls of Kalimdor, yet they were interwoven with the natural topography of the land. Quel'Thalas had become the shining jewel that the elves had longed to create.<ref name="TFoQT" />

The Convocation of Silvermoon was founded as the ruling power over Quel'Thalas, though the Sunstrider Dynasty maintained a modicum of political power. Comprised of seven of the greatest high elf lords, the Convocation worked to secure the safety of the elven lands and people. Surrounded by their protective barrier, the high elves remained unmoved by the old warnings of the Kaldorei and continued to use magic flagrantly in almost all aspects of their lives.<ref name="TFoQT" />

For nearly four thousand years the high elves lived peacefully within the secluded safety of their kingdom. Nevertheless, the vindictive trolls were not so easily defeated. They plotted and schemed in the depths of the forests and waited for the numbers of their warbands to grow. Finally, a mighty troll army charged out from the shadowy forests and once again laid siege to the shining spires of Quel'Thalas.<ref name="TFoQT" />

===Troll Wars===
As the high elves fought for their lives against the trolls' fierce onslaught, the scattered, nomadic humans of Lordaeron fought to consolidate their own tribal lands. The tribes of early humanity raided each other's settlements with little heed for racial unification or honor.<ref name="AatTW">[https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Arathor_and_the_Troll_Wars Arathor and the Troll Wars]</ref>

Yet one tribe, known as the Arathi, saw that the trolls were becoming too great a threat to ignore. The Arathi wished to bring all of the tribes under its rule so that they could provide a unified front against the troll warbands. Over the course of six years, the cunning Arathi outmaneuvered and outfought the rival tribes. After every victory, the Arathi offered peace and equality to the conquered people; thus, they won the loyalty of those they had beaten. Eventually the Arathi tribe came to include many disparate tribes, and the ranks of its army grew vast.<ref name="AatTW" />

Confident that they could hold their own against the troll warbands or even the reclusive elves if need be, the Arathi warlords decided to construct a mighty fortress city in the southern regions of Lordaeron. The city-state, named Strom, became the capital of the Arathi nation, Arathor. As Arathor prospered, humans from all over the vast continent traveled south to the protection and safety of Strom. United under one banner, the human tribes developed a strong, optimistic culture. Thoradin, the king of Arathor, knew that the mysterious elves in the northlands were under constant siege by the trolls, but refused to risk the safety of his people in defense of reclusive strangers. Many months passed as rumors of the elves' supposed defeat trickled down from the north. It was only when weary ambassadors from Quel'Thalas reached Strom that Thoradin realized how great the troll threat truly was.<ref name="AatTW" />

The elves informed Thoradin that the troll armies were vast and that once the trolls had destroyed Quel'Thalas, they would move on to attack the southlands. The desperate elves, in dire need of military aid, hastily agreed to teach certain select humans to wield magic in exchange for their help against the warbands. Thoradin, distrustful of any magic, agreed to aid the elves out of necessity. Almost immediately, elven sorcerers arrived in Arathor and began to instruct a group of humans in the ways of magic. The elves found that although humans were innately clumsy in their handling of magic, they possessed a startling natural affinity for it. One hundred men were taught the very basics of the elves' magical secrets: no more than was absolutely necessary to combat the trolls. Convinced that their human students were ready to aid in the struggle, the elves left Strom and traveled north alongside the mighty armies of King Thoradin.<ref name="AatTW" />

The united elf and human armies clashed against the overwhelming troll warbands at the foot of the Alterac Mountains. The battle lasted for many days, but the unflagging armies of Arathor never tired or gave an inch of ground before the troll onslaught. The elven lords deemed that the time had come to release the powers of their magic upon the enemy. The hundred human magi and a multitude of elven sorcerers called down the fury of the heavens and set the troll armies ablaze. The elemental fires prevented the trolls from regenerating their wounds and burned their tortured forms from the inside out.<ref name="AatTW" />

As the troll armies broke and attempted to flee, Thoradin's armies ran them down and slaughtered every last one of their soldiers. The trolls would never fully recover from their defeat, and history would never see the trolls rise as one nation again. Assured that Quel'Thalas was saved from destruction, the elves made a pledge of loyalty and friendship to the nation of Arathor and to the bloodline of its king, Thoradin. Humans and elves would nurture peaceful relations for ages to come.<ref name="AatTW" />

===Second War===
At the time of the Second War, the elves were led by [[Anasterian Sunstrider]]. Quel'Thalas was largely uninterested in the coming conflict when the budding [[Alliance of Lordaeron]] attempted to gain their support against the invading [[orcish Horde]]. However, they were duty-bound to aid Lothar because he was the last descendant of the Arathi bloodline, which had aided the elves in ages past.<ref>[https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Alliance_of_Lordaeron The Alliance of Lordaeron]</ref>

During the interim of the Second and Third Wars, [[Vereesa Windrunner]] was tasked with escorting the human wizard [[Rhonin]] to the town of [[Hasic]], leading to the [[battle of Grim Batol]] and the liberation of the Dragonqueen Alexstrasza from the orcish [[Dragonmaw clan]].<ref>''Day of the Dragon''</ref>

When the [[Horde of Draenor]] led by [[Ner'zhul]] reopened the Dark Portal, a unit of elven rangers led by [[Alleria Windrunner]] headed through the portal with the [[Alliance Expedition]] to stop the Elder Shaman and put an end to the orcish threat.<ref>[https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Invasion_of_Draenor The Invasion of Draenor]</ref>

===Third War===
Following the scourging of Lordaeron, [[Arthas Menethil]], now the champion of the [[Lich King]] Ner'zhul, was still haunted by the ghost of [[Kel'Thuzad]] despite having defeated all of the people he now saw as his enemies. The ghost told Arthas that he needed to be revived for the next phase of the Lich King's plan. To revive him, Arthas needed to bring Kel'Thuzad's remains to the mystical Sunwell, hidden within the high elves' eternal kingdom of Quel'Thalas.<ref name="STFoQT">[https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Sunwell_-_The_Fall_of_Quel%27Thalas Sunwell - The Fall of Quel'Thalas]</ref>

Arthas and his Scourge invaded Quel'Thalas and laid siege to the elves' crumbling defenses. Sylvanas Windrunner, the Ranger-General of Silvermoon, put up a valiant fight, but Arthas eventually eradicated the high elf army and battled through to the Sunwell. In a cruel gesture of his dominance, he even raised Sylvanas' defeated body as a banshee, cursed to endless undeath in the service of Quel'Thalas' conqueror.<ref name="STFoQT" />

Ultimately, Arthas submerged Kel'Thuzad's remains within the holy waters of the Sunwell. Although the potent waters of Eternity were fouled by this act, Kel'Thuzad was reborn as a sorcerous lich. Resurrected as a far more powerful being, Kel'Thuzad explained the next phase of the Lich King's plan.<ref name="STFoQT" />

By the time Arthas and his army of the dead turned southward, not one living elf remained in Quel'Thalas. The glorious homeland of the high elves, which had stood for more than nine thousand years, was no more.<ref name="STFoQT" />

===World of Warcraft===
Years after the Third War, the high elves were in a state of diaspora. Most resided in human cities like [[Stormwind City]] and [[Dalaran]]. Others live in seclusion in the wild forests, often in hunting lodges such as [[Farstrider Lodge]]. Several high elves have also integrated into [[Theramore]] under the leadership of Lady [[Jaina Proudmoore]].

Deep within the Hinterlands, the Highvale elves of Quel'Danil Lodge used their outpost as a center of communication, while their ambassadors were working to establish diplomatic relationships with other races of the Alliance, with whom they shared their knowledge of the Witherbark trolls that inhabit the area in the southern Hinterlands.<ref>{{Horde}} [45] [https://database.turtle-wow.org/?quest=2995 Lines of Communication]</ref> In time, they made an alliance with the Wildhammer dwarves, much to the ire of their common enemy, the Revantusk trolls. [[Otho Moji'ko]] of the Revantusk Tribe instructed Horde adventurers to slaughter as many Highvale elves as possible,<ref>{{Horde}} [48] [https://database.turtle-wow.org/?quest=7841 Message to the Wildhammer]</ref> while [[Oran Snakewrithe]] enlisted the same adventurers to burn documents that recorded the Highvale elves' communications with the other races and other information.

In the Plaguelands, [[Aurora Skycaller]], found north of [[Northpass Tower]], helped the Alliance adventurers to recreate the Crystal of Zin-Malor.<ref>{{Alliance}} [57D] [https://database.turtle-wow.org/?quest=5247 Fragments of the Past (2)]</ref> At some point, [[Nathanos Blightcaller]] sent Horde adventurers to ransack the [[Quel'Lithien Lodge]] in order to recover the [[Quel'Thalas Registry]], which contained his true identity before he became undead.<ref>{{Horde}} [60] [https://database.turtle-wow.org/?quest=6133 The Ranger Lord's Behest]</ref>

A small unit of high elven rangers under the command of Ranger Captain [[Fellari Swiftarrow]] fought together with the zealous [[Scarlet Crusade]] against the undead for a while, though they were lost in battle in the [[Silverpine Forest]]. A large statue in honor of the capable elven leader was erected in the [[Scarlet Monastery]]'s [[Scarlet Monastery Armory|armory]].

Several high elves became assassins of the [[Cult of the Dark Strand]] in [[Kalimdor]], while some joined the [[Scholomance]], the school of necromancy on [[Caer Darrow]].

===Mysteries of Azeroth===
[[File:Alah'Thalas.png|thumb|300px|City of Alah'Thalas]]
Five years after the fall of Silvermoon, the remaining high elves received troubling news about Prince Kael'thas: that he had betrayed them when he allied himself with [[Illidan Stormrage]] and now consorted with demons. Feeling abandoned when they saw that he did not return as promised, the high elves attempted to renew their ties with their former allies of the Alliance. Setting out in caravans, they ventured south, seeking help from anyone who could give it and stopping at the [[Farstrider Lodge]] in Loch Modan maintained by their brethren, where their caravan came under attack by the Dark Iron dwarves of Blackrock Mountain. The refugees were granted an alley of [[Stormwind City]] by the House of Nobles that they named [[Little Silvermoon]] where they could be housed.<ref>{{Alliance}} [5] [https://database.turtle-wow.org/?quest=80220 A New Place in Stormwind] ''(Deprecated)''</ref><ref>{{Alliance}} [10] [https://database.turtle-wow.org/?quest=40514 Thalassian Diplomacy]</ref>

[[Vereesa Windrunner]] was a key individual in gaining the re-acceptance of the High Elves into the Alliance, bringing together the [[Silvermoon Remnant]] and acting as Speaker for what remained of her people. From the restored outpost of [[Alah'Thalas]] on the northern shores of Lordaeron, the Silvermoon Remnant worked to make a new home so that their people would not need to live as refugees in foreign lands. Vereesa corresponded with the leaders of the Alliance, seeking to have her people be brought back within the Alliance. However, following the expansion of Alah'Thalas and the resettlement of the [[Thalassian Highlands]], Vereesa was deposed by the surviving Quel'dorei nobility, though she was included in the new [[Regency Council]] that arose to lead the quel'dorei alongside [[Lor'themar Theron]], [[Astalor Sunsworn]] and [[Grand Magister Rommath]].

Though Alah'Thalas grew to be the elves' new capital, the quel'dorei still suffered from the loss of the Sunwell. Afflicted by a terrible arcane addiction, many of the refugees began to wither away as they succumbed.<ref>[[Withered Refugee]]</ref><ref>[[Withering Refugee]]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:High elves]]
[[Category:Alliance races]]