Darnassus Darnassus ( aka Darnassus City ) is the capital city of the night elves of the Alliance . The high priestess , and the Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage reside in the Temple of the Moon surrounded by sisters of Elune and Draenei ambassadors . Atop the massive boughs of the second World Tree , Teldrassil , lies the wondrous city of Darnassus . The elegant bridges , beautiful groves , and leaf - covered pathways that dot the city ’ s landscape are testaments to the night elves ’ reverence for nature . One of Darnassus ’ s most notable structures is the stunning Temple of the Moon , the center of worship for High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind and her Sisters of Elune . Darnassus is home to night elves of all vocations , and the city has recently opened its doors to human refugees from Gilneas as well . Many of these embattled humans have contracted a strange curse that transforms them into feral wolf - beasts known as worgen . Although they ’ re usually reclusive , the night elves have allowed these outsiders into Darnassus because they know the perils of the Gilneans ’ cursed state all too well : it was , in fact , a group of night elf druids that created Azeroth ’ s first worgen millennia ago . Despite the arrival of these new residents , Darnassus remains a symbol of the night elves ’ rich culture and glorious history . Background . Darnassus is the greatest city of the night elves , housing the leaders of both the druids and the faithful of Elune . It is carefully guarded by Sentinels , ancient protectors , and ancients of war . The city is formidable in spite of the peaceful natures of the night elves . In addition to the night elves , many guests and diplomats from elsewhere reside here , such as groups from the Explorers ' Guild and the Knights of the Silver Hand , as well as a few representatives of the Horde negotiating peace treaties . There is only one High elf allowed within its borders . The population here is almost entirely elven , and most of the night elves are tolerant of others . However , there is political strife between the druids and priests . The atmosphere inside the city is a quiet and somewhat a melancholic one . It does not have the feeling of confinement that one would feel in Stormwind or Ironforge , where the buildings are grouped close together . Darnassus is open to the sky , and the graceful bridges spanning the lake around which it is built set the buildings wide apart . The prime reason why the city ' s population is so low is that it is isolated : Teldrassil is a small island away from the main mass of Azeroth , and the only way to gain access from another continent is to fly or sail to Rut ' theran Village , a small settlement at the base of Teldrassil , and from there step into the glowing portal to the city proper . This is a good thing , though . It is the elves ' capital , and should therefore be serene and quiet , holding the mystic and melancholic elements of the night elves . History . In the aftermath of the Third War , the night elves had 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 frailty . Seeking to regain their immortality , a number of wayward druid s conspired to plant a special tree that would reestablish a link between their spirits and the eternal world . With 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 are tainted by a growing darkness . In World of Warcraft . Defenses . The defenses are spread out due to the water that surrounds a town . A death knight with Path of Frost can easily get a whole raid in the water and to the temple , passing all guards . However , Darnassus does boast the traditional sentinel guards in most locations , and some elite hunters prowl the city on impressive catlike mounts . However , the city is almost completely abandoned by high - level players , who typically congregated in places like Dalaran during Wrath of the Lich King and now mostly Stormwind City since Cataclysm . Normally players don ' t heed the warnings of an advance . Unless you ' re on an RP server , most really don ' t care about what happens to Darnassus . Though some people do like this city and manage to defend it , the Horde can easily raid it with enough players even during peak hours . There is a second route into Darnassus for sufficiently devious Horde players . By using an elixir of Water Walking , a Horde player with a fast land mount can cross from Darkshore to the outskirts of the great island tree where Darnassus is located . By running up the tree , then jumping off onto one of the lower roots , the toon will die and be brought to the graveyard inside the tree . By accepting local resurrection and waiting out the resurrection sickness , the Horde toon can gain access to the island and all its territories without encountering any guards at all . Terraces . Darnassus is arranged in a few terraces on the north , east and southern sides of a central lake area . Notable characters . From the Temple of the Moon , the high priestess rules alongside her husband Malfurion Stormrage with the support of her fellow priestesses of the Moon . Travel connections . Teleporter . The boat pier is at Rut ' theran Village . Faction . The Darnassus faction has a repeatable cloth donation quest for reputation ; see . Known Faction related bonuses : There are a few Repeatable Reputation Quests ( RRQ s ) which raise Darnassus faction and increase reputation : World of Warcraft : Cataclysm . Darnassus will gain a small worgen district , known as the Howling Oak .