High Elf

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The **High Elves**, or Quel'dorei ("children of noble birth" in Darnassian and "high elves" in Thalassian), are a race descended from the Highborne night elves who left Kalimdor and settled in the Eastern Kingdoms, founding Quel'Thalas. The high elves were once a significant force on the continent, but in recent times their numbers have been dramatically reduced: almost 90% of their population in Quel'Thalas was slaughtered during the Third War. Following this, 90% of these survivors changed their name to "blood elves" or sin'dorei (children of the blood in Thalassian) in remembrance of their fallen brethren, and no longer consider themselves high elven.

## Brief History

The high elves as a whole enjoyed relative seclusion from the younger races for several millennia, though both the Troll Wars and the Second War saw relations established with them: with King Thoradin of the ancient Empire of Arathor, and the Alliance of Lordaeron respectively. The high elves' allegiance to the latter proved short-lived, however, as the high elven king Anasterian Sunstrider quickly grew apathetic to the plight of his allies, and officially seceded the nation.

The high elven kingdom of Quel'Thalas was brought to the brink of annihilation when Prince Arthas Menethil invaded the country, and slew almost 90% of its population. Rallied by Lor'themar Theron, second-in-command of the fallen Sylvanas Windrunner, the high elves rejoined with Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, and were proclaimed the blood elves, in honor of their perished brethren. Following the conversion of the race from quel'dorei to sin'dorei, a number of elves spoke against the regency of Lor'themar Theron and the methods of Grand Magister Rommath (the siphoning of arcane magic from external sources), and were exiled south to what is now known as the Plaguelands. A few of the high elven remnants have chosen to rejoin the Alliance in recent years, a notion met with mixed reactions courtesy of their secession following the Second War, and the presence of the Alliance's new night elven allies.

## Currently

Presently, there are so few high elves left on Azeroth today that they cannot be considered a race in anything other than the biological sense. High elves do not gather in any significant numbers, nor do they act as a coordinated whole. They are a very small group of individuals scattered all over the world. As such, they do not have common opinions or goals. Indeed, modern high elves cannot even truly be said to have a culture--only a past filled with glory and regret.

As a people, the high elves are all but extinct: the remnants of the remnants of a fallen race. Though without any official leader, Vereesa Windrunner (the younger sister of both Sylvanas and Alleria) leads one of the few organized high elf collaborations, the Silver Covenant, as its self-styled Ranger General.

## Appearance

The high elves closely resemble blood elves, although high elves have blue eyes as opposed to the green eyes of blood elves. As a general rule, they are slim, athletic, and graceful. Furthermore, they all have large pointed ears that tend to be greeted with admiration or mockery by other races.

## Population

The high elves of today are 1% of the original high elf population, and have a considerably smaller population than even the Gnomeregan Exiles. High elves are a rare sight even in Alliance lands, and are largely considered a fallen, all but extinct race.