Nightborne

This article is about the nightborne lore. For the playable race, see Nightborne (playable). For the quest, see  [40-80] The Nightborne.

Nightborne
Faction/Affiliation	Kingdom of Suramar, Nightfallen, Horde, Kirin Tor, Independent Formerly: Felborne (Burning Legion)
Character classes	Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior Botanist, Felsworn, Leyweaver, Sorcerer, Spellblade, Telemancer Druid
Racial capital	Suramar City
Racial leader(s)	Thalyssra   Oculeth   Valtrois   Ly'leth Lunastre
Formerly	Elisande †
Racial mount	Manasaber
Homeworld	Azeroth
Area(s)	Broken Isles
Language(s)	Shalassian, Darnassian, Orcish

“May the downtrodden one day rise up and take the place of those that would oppress them.”

— First Arcanist Thalyssra, the leader of the reunited nightborne

The nightborne (also spelled the Nightborne) or shal'dorei in their native tongue are a powerful and mystical race of elves. Since the city of Suramar was first separated from the rest of the world over 10,000 years ago, virtually the entire group resided in Suramar, being solely led by Grand Magistrix Elisande until recent times. The nightborne race owes much of its unique physical characteristics to its long dependence on the Nightwell, an ancient source of power crafted by Suramar's Highborne residents during the War of the Ancients. Over their lengthy isolation, their exposure to the Nightwell's energies gradually transformed them from their original appearance to their present darker, more night-based form, which makes them no longer true night elves.

At the climax of the conflict with the Burning Legion, as the Kaldorei Empire began to crumble, the night elves of Suramar City, led by the Elisande, erected an immensely powerful shield that protected and isolated the city from the remainder of the Legion that overran Azeroth and the erupting Great Sundering. There, the shal'dorei flourished and remained in self-imposed isolation for millennia, still excelling and progressing in the arcane arts, while their isolation preserved a strand of the ancient culture of the Kaldorei Empire pristinely over so many millennia.

Their isolation eventually came to an abrupt end with the onset of the Legion's third invasion of Azeroth. Presented with a dire ultimatum, a majority of the nightborne leaders, following the Grand Magistrix Elisande's lead, ultimately chose to ally with the demons in order to preserve their civilization. Despite this, the Nightfallen rebellion, composed of nightborne dissidents opposed to the Legion and assisted by outlander adventurers, rose into open insurgency against Suramar's ruling powers. With the aid of various forces from outside the Broken Isles, the Nightfallen were successful in not only liberating Suramar City from the Burning Legion's control but also in freeing the nightborne people from their addiction to the Nightwell. By consuming the fruit of the powerful arcan'dor tree, the shal'dorei thus finally succeeded in escaping their dependency on the power source that had at once both preserved and enslaved them.

At its height, the nightborne civilization is thought to have reached the pinnacle of elven magical prowess and sophistication, continuing the only unbroken line of magical progression of the mighty Kaldorei Empire it alone of all the existing elven groups, successfully continued in.

Background

War of the Ancients

The night elves of Suramar.

The nightborne are the night elves of Suramar who fought the Burning Legion in the great War of the Ancients to defend their home and close a second demonic portal with the Eye of Aman'Thul that would have overtaken and outflanked the Kaldorei Resistance forces led by Kur'talos Ravencrest and Malfurion Stormrage to stop Queen Azshara.

The Great Sundering submerged a part of Suramar to the bottom of the Great Sea, although a good portion of it remained above the water in the Broken Isles due to the efforts of the resident Highborne, who crafted a magical shield that kept the center of their city together. This shield would stay up for 10,000 years, as the Highborne-led group believed the world outside Suramar had been destroyed. While the city was shielded, it was nearly impossible for normal nightborne to leave, though some illegally did through skillful navigation or by forced exile. Under their shield in a perpetual shroud of night, they evolved into an even deeper night-based state over millennia, sustained by the energies of their arcane font, the Nightwell. It became a vital source of power that they relied on entirely for survival within the impenetrable shield. These night elves would come to call themselves the shal'dorei or nightborne. When the city ran out of food, the nightborne started utilizing the substance of their Nightwell as nourishment and thus were spared death. However, this dependence soon made them incapable of surviving without drawing magic from the Nightwell. For the millennia to come, the nightborne were ruled by Grand Magistrix Elisande.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

Suramar City, capital of the Nightborne civilization.

10,000 years later, the nightborne lowered their shield and surrendered to the Burning Legion under the orders of their leader, Elisande. At the Nighthold, she made an alliance with Gul'dan, but many nightborne disagreed with Elisande's decision but kept their dissent hidden. With loyalists and demons marching through the streets of Suramar, fear and distrust spread among the elves, turning family against family. Arcwine was the method by which the nightborne imbibed the Nightwell's energies, and the palace rationed it to control the populace.

A resistance group of nightborne and Nightfallen led by First Arcanist Thalyssra formed within the hidden hallways of the ruins of Shal'Aran, backed up by Ly'leth Lunastre. Together they sought to overthrow Elisande and inspire the nightborne populace to remember they were once brave and noble. They aimed to overcome their fear of exile in order to rise up against the current Legion occupation and bring to justice those who had betrayed their people by allying with the enemy.

The Nightwell within the Nighthold.

With the help of their foreign allies, the Nightfallen quickly gained ground and support against Elisande and her forces. They waged a war of stealth, using hit-and-run tactics while relying on disguises and the shadows. The figure of First Arcanist Thalyssra, in particular, inspired hope and support among the populace, while Elisande's increasing cruelty drove many of her allies away.

As the conflict reached its climax, the Nightfallen were able to reverse their withering state using the fruit of the powerful arcan'dor tree, which freed them from their magical addiction. With the arrival of three allied elven armies to support them, the Nightfallen were prepared to march on Suramar City and overthrow Grand Magistrix Elisande's regime. After fighting through the city and laying siege to the Nighthold, they and their allies emerged victorious—Elisande was slain, and the Burning Legion's hold on Suramar was broken.

In a closing act of the civil war, and as part of her new role in leading her people, Thalyssra made the decision to let the waning Nightwell die. She reasoned that its death would mark a new beginning awaited the nightborne, with the Nightfallen guiding them in rejoining the world.

In the aftermath, efforts were made to ensure that every nightborne had the chance to eat the fruit of the arcan'dor.

Joining the Horde

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

The Nightfallen would continue to support their allies in the ongoing war in the Broken Isles against the Legion, which eventually proved successful. Suramar itself had suffered terribly in the civil war, and work was done to rebuild their society and their city. First Arcanist Thalyssra assumed the role of leader, while other prominent Nightfallen also took up positions of power in the Nighthold. The Duskwatch, once the rebellion's sworn enemy, was assimilated into the new regime. The deserter-turned-rebel Victoire was placed in charge of the security force and made First Blade under Thalyssra.

Despite their victories, Thalyssra believed the nightborne should seek out allies as they took their new place in the world. While she initially considered the Alliance, she and the other Nightfallen ultimately chose to align with the Horde. As the Fourth War approached, the Nightfallen aided the Horde in its war preparations, while many new nightborne adventurers set out to explore the world for the first time.

Battle for Azeroth

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

First Arcanist Thalyssra, ruler of the kingdom of Suramar.

During the war in Zandalar, nightborne were present in Zuldazar alongside the Reliquary and competed against the Alliance and their Dark Iron dwarves. The expedition, led by the high examiner's daughter, Tae'shara Bloodwatcher, was a joint blood elf-nightborne effort to excavate the bones of Xibala, first of the devilsaurs and mother to the great loa Rezan. The Zandalari did not object to the elves' activities, having ceded the area to local wildlife long ago.

Arcanist Valtrois personally joined the Horde in its war campaign against the Alliance, notably helping to rescue Priscilla Ashvane from Kul Tiran captivity. Thalyssra and Chief Telemancer Oculeth later journeyed with Lor'themar Theron and the remnants of the Horde navy to Nazjatar, the underwater remnants of Suramar's former sister city Zin-Azshari. Oculeth helped provide a portal for Horde adventurers, while Thalyssra and Lor'themar eventually faced and managed to narrowly defeat the Highborne's former ruler, Queen Azshara herself.

As the Horde divided itself between Varok Saurfang and Sylvanas Windrunner, Thalyssra and the nightborne sided with Saurfang. During the battle at the Gates of Orgrimmar, Saurfang challenged Sylvanas to a mak'gora, which ended with his death and Sylvanas abandoning the Horde.

After the Fourth War, Kiro and his Voldunai vulpera assisted Vintner Iltheux in managing arcwine production for the Horde, a contribution that played a role in the vulpera officially joining its ranks soon after.

Following the death of N'Zoth, the leaders of the Horde convened at the Orgrimmar Embassy, where Thalyssra represented the nightborne. She then joined the newly-formed Horde Council, a coalition of leaders established to represent their people's interests and lead the Horde.

Shadowlands

This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.

Under the Lich King Bolvar Fordragon's command, the Four Horsemen acquired fallen champions of both the Horde and Alliance through the battlefields and graveyards of Azeroth, including the nightborne. Thus, the Knights of the Ebon Blade welcomed a new generation of death knights in preparation for times ahead. They were later sent by Highlord Darion Mograine to Orgrimmar to join the Horde once more and help protect the world.

The War Within

This section concerns content related to The War Within.

Following the arrival of the Horde fleet to Khaz Algar, Suramar Historians could be found within the Horde embassy in Dornogal.

Culture

The Dusk Lily, the symbol of the Nightfallen resistance, and now of the kingdom of Suramar.

The nightborne are a group of kaldorei Highborne transformed into a new race by the power of the Nightwell. They represent the ancient night elf culture from when they were the rulers of the world, before they abandoned arcane for druidism.

The culture of the Shal'dorei is the culture of the Suramar region of the Kaldorei Empire preserved pristinely in seclusion for over 10,000 years. They have an air of superiority that often comes across, especially amongst loyalists and the elite (with exceptions) as pompous. Isolated in their city refuge under the impenetrable shield, the arcane culture of Suramar continued uninterrupted in relative safety and serenity, while their counterparts who survived the aftermath of the Great Sundering on Mount Hyjal, laid aside the arcane culture for a nature-based one under their self-imposed ban on the use of the arcane.

Similar to the night elven Highborne group of the House of Shen'dralar in Eldre'Thalas, the night elves of Suramar continued on in the traditions and customs of that era, but unlike the Shen'dralar of Eldre'Thalas that eventually fell to ruin towards the end of its 10,000-year isolation, their refuge endured under diligent and faithful stewardship. The great terror of the Burning Legion invasion would fade and life as they always knew it would resume in the timeless bubble. With the Nightwell ingeniously employed to solve even shortages of food and armor, the night elves would advance their knowledge and hone their craft in the arcane arts to new heights over the millennia as they transitioned into nightborne.

The night elves ruled the world 10,000 years ago, and no one came close when they built elegant cities and sculpted graceful forests, nor was any race a match for their mastery of magic, knowledge, and wisdom. In time they would grow haughty and regard other races with contempt, and one of the reasons Malfurion Stormrage who saw value in other races often found himself a social pariah in his home city of Suramar.

An ancient kaldorei tradition Tal'ashar is an honor duel to death still used by the nightborne, though on very rare occasions. It can be used to settle disputes and prove oneself worthy over an adversary, usually when key positions or appointments are made that the challenger isn't satisfied with. The challenger or defender may appoint a champion to fight on their behalf. The victor also gets to keep the nobility titles of the defeated participant.

Crime in the nightborne society was punished by exile. Cut off from their Nightwell, the exiled would first diminish into the starved nightfallen state. Continuing without nourishment in this state causes further degradation into mindless creatures called the withered. Unlike nightfallen, the state of withered is irreversible and death follows not long after.

While several nightborne characters seem to vaguely acknowledge Elune (such as Oculeth recalling how the Temple of Fal'adora once "glowed with prayers to Elune"), it is implied that worship of Elune gradually receded after Suramar was sealed off from the rest of the world, without sunlight or moonlight, and its inhabitants turned to the arcane-based Nightwell instead of traditional religion to shape and sustain their culture, with there being no known priestess of Elune remaining within the city.

In Zandalar, the Reliquary's blood elves have been teaching their nightborne allies the art of the dig, but some of the shal'dorei – particularly their cloistered leader, Astrandis – were rather out of their element. According to Examiner Tae'shara Bloodwatcher, the nightborne were not precisely good with their hands, nor did they enjoy getting dirty.

Language

Main article: Shalassian

Shalassian is the language of the nightborne. It is an offshoot of Darnassian, the ancient elvish language, similar to Thalassian. Ancient nightborne language is so archaic only the oldest elves might be able to read it.

Structure

Nightborne civilian noble and military champion.

Like all night elven culture, beauty and perfection are often the end goal, but their vanity has set them apart from their druidic kin. But beneath the pomp and airy rhetoric of the loyalists, the real plight of the city under the Legion's occupation was witnessed by visiting heroes ushered in under disguise by the nightfallen resistance and guided by the Lady Lunastre and her friend Vanthir. They expose the true suffering of the nightborne and the noble character of these ancient night elven folk. They diligently and tenaciously encouraged the heart of their people in the face of oppression and callous indifference of a not insubstantial number of the nobility often too willing to turn a blind eye. Nightborne society is full of artisans, vintners, highly skilled craftsmen, the military Duskwatch guard, and the elites of society; magic is woven into every aspect and discipline. As it was in the days of the Kaldorei Empire, spell casting is taught from a very early age amongst nightborne children.

Despite Grand Magistrix Elisande's decision to accept the Legion's ultimatum, and some of the cruelty exhibited by the loyalists, some measure of justice was meted out. A nightborne noble was thrown out for punishing her servants too much, and Iadreth was not happy about it.

Groups

During the time of the Nightfallen rebellion, there were four main groups identifiable among the nightborne:

• The loyalists: They doted on Elisande and — often too zealously — carried out her every whim. They were given an abundance of arcwine and were the ones in charge of rationing the supplies to the main populace to keep them compliant. Elisande claimed to the populace that there was a shortage of arcwine and thus the reason for rationing, however, this was a lie. The entire 'shortage' was a ruse in order to, once again, keep them in line. The military and its Duskwatch formed the bulk of the most loyal and fanatical supporters of Elisande. It was the Loyalist-dominated military that invaded Moon Guard Stronghold. Yet even within the Duskwatch sympathizers and undercover rebels could be found such as Silgryn and Vanthir, Arluin, Cyrille, Lorin and Sylessa who carried on the fight to save Suramar with a tenacity that outstrips their over-zealous colleagues.

• The citizens: These were the vast majority, nobles and non-alikes who did not want the Legion around but were too afraid to speak out against them openly after Thalyssra's failed coup. While the nobles continued to vie for position and standing, too many for comfort turned a blind eye to the suffering of their kin, so as not to be found out of favor with the Grand Magistrix. This was the motivator that kept them all but a few nobles in line. The non-elites, in contrast, were overworked, threatened with imprisonment or exile, or worse kidnapped to feed the terrible soul engines of the Burning Legion. They were given rations of the vital arcwine, the nourishment their bodies cannot do without to keep them obedient and in line to meet the burdensome whims and quotas of the Legion. Where once there was plenty for all, hunger gnawed and bit at the people, continuing this strategy to force their compliance through fear of not having arcwine, thus beginning their descent into the withered state. These were the hearts Ly'leth Lunastre and the resistance sought to stir into open opposition against the Legion by reminding them of their noble night elven heritage.

• The Resistance: The group that opposed Grand Magistrix Elisande's decision to align the nightborne with the Legion; they fought to put an end to the new allegiance before it became irreversible and sealed the nightborne and Suramar to an irreversible and irredeemable fate. Through stealth and subterfuge at first, they fought in the hope of building enough support and strength to fully assault the Palace. Their main headquarters was outside in the hidden sanctum and refuge for outcasts, Shal'aran, an abandoned cave in the ruins of Melidor. Here they were utilizing all the resources of the zone in partnership with the other nightfallen of the land to liberate the city. The resistance sought to bring Elisande to justice and eradicate the Legion, thus saving both Suramar and Azeroth and returning the Nightwell's use for good, not evil.

• The Felsworn/Felborne: Fel infusion has become all the rage among those eager to please the Legion; Lady Ly'leth declared that there was no redeeming these traitors, as she directed the rebellion to hunt them down in the city. The nightborne that had pledged undying loyalty to the Grand Magistrix were indirectly in the service of the Legion and had to do anything in their power to ensure the Legion's goals were accomplished. They flaunted their newly gained powers lording it over their peers in a bid for more power but found themselves unwelcome and with few friends even amongst the noble elite. They were however feared by all which some find desirable thus given a wide berth by elite and non-elite alike.

• There is also an exiled faction under Prince Ael'Yith at the Ley-Ruins of Zarkhenar.

Magic

The steps of withering: nightborne, nightfallen, withered.

While the usage of some forms of magic is limited to higher-ranked officials, magic is all-encompassing in Suramar and the nightborne culture. Magic constructs are common, some of them for patrol and guard duty while others for cleaning duties. Enchanted magic collars were used in the Suramar Menagerie to keep its exhibition animals tame. Other magic objects such as enchanted books and pens, brooms, and magic-based security modules can be found across Suramar. Some nightborne seem to have great respect for magic, such as Oculeth.

Besides arcwine, the nightborne also favored mana gems as magical "snacks".

Likely in part due to the Nightwell's connection to Aman'Thul, Elisande's mastery over temporal magic was said to rival that of the bronze dragonflight, and she was capable of placing an entire army of three elven groups into a long-term stasis, as well as stopping time and sending her enemies back into the recent past. Some nightborne guards as well as other elves such as Advisor Vandros, Tempomancer Virinya and Thalyssra herself also appear capable of using time magic (the latter casting a time stop spell to suspend Erasmus Moonblade in midair), notably to reverse damage and heal themselves as well as to increase the haste of their attacks, and it is even used to expedite their manufacturing of arcwine. However, Elisande's level of mastery nevertheless does not appear to be extremely widespread, as Oculeth stated that much of the nightborne's knowledge died with their former leader.

The Burning Legion's brutal occupation of Suramar left the nightborne disdainful of fel magic. They severed all ties with warlocks, who for personal gain summon demons so like those that hunted and oppressed their people. Demon hunters, though feared by many nightborne, are held in slightly higher regard: while their usage of fel magic is condemned, their commitment to destroying the nightborne's slavers is grudgingly respected.

Magic addiction

Main article: Magic addiction

Cut off from the rest of the world after the War of the Ancients, the elves of Suramar began to feed on the Nightwell itself, consuming arcane magic in the form of arcwine. While it sustained them, it also cursed them with a far more debilitating addiction to magic. Failing to sate this addiction led to a nightborne quickly becoming emaciated, a state known as 'nightfallen', with their hunger becoming stronger and stronger, and having clear effects on their behavior such as paranoia and delirium. Nightfallen that have not entered the withered stage can fully recover back to nightborne if they regain access to arcwine.

If the addiction remained unsated, a nightborne would eventually be transformed into a feral, enraged creature known as a withered. Tormented by crazed and confused memories, no longer possessing higher brain functions, and driven purely by hunger, becoming a withered is considered a fate worse than death and irreversible. It can take up to as much as 50 days for nightfallen to turn into withered. Though they are physically similar to the wretched blood elves, they are fundamentally different. The transformation into wretched is due to over-indulgence and reckless abuse of arcane magic, whereas withered are a result of withdrawal from the energies of the Nightwell.

By the time of Year 42 ADP, every nightborne had been granted the chance to taste the fruit of the arcan'dor. According to Thalyssra, the undertaking required much work, relentless diplomacy, and a few well-placed threats, but no longer does any nightborne starve for arcane magic. Upon the rebellion's triumph, policy towards the withered remaining in the thickets of Suramar was to help them towards recovery or grant them a gentle death.

Relations

With the Horde

Some of the nightborne, aside from their close kinship with the blood elves, appeared to initially harbor reservations about some of the Horde's races and their cultures. For example, Elisande herself called the Horde "misfits and monsters" when she mocked the blood elves for allying with them. Thalyssra was at first skeptical that they would share common ground with them, and felt the night elves of Kalimdor would be obvious allies before Tyrande rejected her; she later mentioned that Suramar still warned nightborne children of the Zandalari's dark ways, and her people had thought the trolls nothing but "bloodthirsty savages". Some Leyline Navigators mentioned that the orcs' mood lighting was not conducive to studying, seemingly different than what they were familiar with, and Melitier Vahlouran noted Orgrimmar was not as beautiful as Suramar, acknowledged the orcs' "interesting" aesthetic choices, and warned nightborne adventurers to be careful of the spikes and smells. Valtrois also noted she was skeptical of the Forsaken when she first joined the Horde and was particularly perturbed by Sylvanas raising Derek Proudmoore.

However, after the Fourth War, the nightborne seem to have become far more comfortable with their new allies, with Suramar even sending arcwine to the Horde.

With the kaldorei

“Magic has long been a vice of the elves. It shaped us, and lifted us out of the darkness - but without balance, it also threatens to unmake us. The shal'dorei are too proud to admit it, but they are the product of indulgence. They live without harmony. But I sense potential among the Nightfallen. Losing everything has humbled them. It has made them stronger.”

— Valewalker Farodin, last of the kaldorei keepers

Grand Magistrix Elisande, former ruler of Suramar.

Night elves worked alongside the nightborne aiding the nightborne resistance led by First Arcanist Thalyssra. All is not lost with the Nightfallen state, as already the night elves are at work with the rebellion in trying to help them, and at the forefront of the various efforts is Valewalker Farodin standing alongside the First Arcanist herself, stating that: "In the changing of seasons, the truth will be revealed." and sensing potential within the nightborne.

The destructive effect of Grand Magistrix Elisande's allegiance with the Legion continued in the attack on Moon Guard Stronghold, hours after the shield vanished. Although the nightborne loyalists managed to wipe out most of the Moon Guard despite considerable resistance, believing them to wield "inferior magics", the Moon Guard remnants in reality seem to be much more effective against the nightborne invaders than they against them, though their superior numbers nevertheless won the day. Later, Lothrius, Thalrenus, and Syrana Starweaver were invited to Shal'Aran by Thalyssra, who sought to make amends for Elisande's crimes against their ancient neighbors and friends. The three Moon Guard survivors subsequently openly joined the rebellion, journeying to Meredil and observing the arrival of Tyrande and Liadrin's elves. Apparently, the nightborne initially feigned friendship with some of their old acquaintances, at least long enough for books to be lent by the Moon Guard to some of their elite in the Court of Stars. The Moon Guard were familiar with the nightborne's magics, but were never allowed access to the Heart of Zin-Azshari, reserved only for the Queen's favored among the Highborne, but were still able to tap its power with some assistance.

Nighteyes, a kaldorei druid, was shocked by the nightborne loyalists using magical devices to trap animals and take them back to the zoo, remarking. He soon realized that such behavior did not pertain to all the nightborne of Suramar, although most of the nightborne, having been secluded in a major center for millennia, lacked the high standards the night elves hold themselves to the reverence of wildlife and nature. Night elven druidic refugees from neighboring Val'sharah eventually joined the nightborne rebels, some even traveling to their haven in Shal'Aran and assisting their efforts against the Legion in Suramar.

While the Resistance apparently welcomed the night elves with open arms, the view was seemingly not shared by Elisande and those loyal to her. When the night elves gathered their forces and finally confronted her at the gates of Suramar, Tyrande, one of her former subjects who fled their city millennia ago, was the first to be addressed, with Elisande accusing her people of disgracing their ancient heritage, followed by insulting the quel'dorei of the Silver Covenant for "diluting their heritage", and then the blood elves for allying with "misfits and monsters". This exchange also indicates that Elisande at least is aware of both the night elves and the high elves, as well as their activities and societies to some extent.

Some night elves in Suramar such as Sentinel Moonshade express dismay at how their nightborne brethren have seemingly forgotten how much their race lost in the War of the Ancients, although most of the nightborne seem to remember the conflict itself, with Thalyssra recalling how Azshara betrayed their people to the ruin of the world, and Silgryn remembering how the legendary Kur'talos Ravencrest was a "brilliant tactician". Prince Farondis also acknowledges that the nightborne were once his people's kin, but he can no longer tolerate their transgressors, such as Leodrath, in Azsuna, and asks adventurers to slay the withered, whom he still regards as his brethren, at the Ley-Ruins of Zarkhenar. Vereesa Windrunner further states that the nightborne are foreign to the other elves, despite their common heritage, noting that they have apparently changed immensely in their long separation from the other elven groups. Valewalker Farodin later expressed his belief that his "long lost brethren" in Suramar belonged under a starry sky like their ancestors, not a conjured one.

Some of the nightborne also apparently believe that the night elves' traditions are somewhat old-fashioned, with Silgryn remarking that it was difficult to imagine how they were all descended from the same elves, and that none of them were impervious to the passage of time. He also mentions that Suramar has not made bows in centuries when observing the Sentinels practice archery, with Victoire believing that [Arcane Missiles] served as a far more potent substitute to such "primitive instruments". However, despite these differences, Valtrois, one of Suramar's elite arcanists, nevertheless pays respects to the night elves buried at Tel'anor, noting that her people owed their unmatched grace and intellect to the "noble heritage" of their kaldorei ancestors, and Thaedris Feathersong also remained there, mourning what his people have become as well as the loss of his long-deceased Sentinel wife, Latara.

Initially, Tyrande said that the regrets she had for the Highborne "vanished when they went under that shield" ten thousand years ago, as mentioned when she first had to attack the city of Suramar controlled by Magistrix Elisande. When the rebellion started however, she sided with Thalyssra's nightborne. Thalyssra implied that "Elune's wisdom" guided Tyrande away from the nightborne, while the blood elves retained close relations with them. She found the Alliance too walled off and cloistered, and didn't want her people to "endure such stagnation again". She ultimately decided to heir ally with the Horde and give her people "a fresh start".

Much later, attacking Azshara's armies in Zin-Azshari, Shandris Feathermoon criticized the Highborne for the downfall of night elven civilization and, jointly, the people of Suramar for walling their city off as Kalimdor burned around them. Thalyssra pointed out that they still courageously rebelled against Azshara.

With the sin'dorei

First Arcanist Thalyssra and Lady Liadrin's diplomatic meeting.

During the nightfallen rebellion, the blood elves found some familiarity in the Highborne-based culture of the nightborne of Suramar. Some blood elves have great sympathy for the nightborne and understand their situation with a genuine desire to help. Grand Magister Rommath notably said that the battle for the liberation of Suramar was of enormous importance to the elf-kind future. The sin'dorei eventually joined their forces under the direction of the Resistance in the final assault on the Nighthold.

During the course of the rebellion, a few nightborne showed respect towards the blood elves, such as Victoire and Silgryn who commented that they were battle-hardened and disciplined, with some formidable magic that they hoped would be enough to counter the might of the Nightwell. On the other hand, the sin'dorei were eventually confronted by Grand Magistrix Elisande who turned to address Liadrin, expressing her disappointment that of all the elves she thought they would understand her choices, but instead, allied with "misfits and monsters".

After the liberation of Suramar, Silgryn and Lady Liadrin journeyed abroad the Vindicaar to contribute their respective peoples' talents and strengths to the Argus Campaign. During a deep conversation, both noted their people's similar experiences, and Liadrin mentioned that the Horde provided the necessary allies they required to stand against a world that often turned its back to them, leaving Silgryn with much to ponder.

By the time of the Fourth War, the nightborne maintained good relations with the blood elves through the positive interactions between Thalyssra and Lady Liadrin, establishing an alliance between Suramar and Silvermoon. When Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner summoned the Horde's leaders to seek out new allies, Liadrin suggested the nightborne; leading to their introduction into the Horde.

The good relations between Sin'dorei and Shal'dorei made the nightborne join the Horde, Sylvanas considers the nightborne an important addition in the fight against the Alliance.

Outside world

Isolation did somewhat taint the view of the outside world for most nightborne. As exemplified by their menagerie in Suramar, they now have a naive view of other lands and their inhabitants. Now that they have rejoined the other races of Azeroth, many nightborne started exploring the world again. Those who volunteered for the Zuldazar expedition alongside the Reliquary were surprised to learn that jungles were actually wet, hot, and full of insects.

Sub-species

• Fal'dorei — A race of former elves found in Suramar twisted into spider-like creatures.
  • Fel-corrupted fal'dorei can be found in the Cathedral of Eternal Night.
• Nightfallen — Outcast nightborne elves that have been cut off from the nourishment of the Nightwell due to being exiled from Suramar City and have begun to wither into a state of withdrawal.
  • Withered — Nightfallen who could not find sources of arcane to feed their starvation.

Notable

Name	Role	Status	Location
Grand Magistrix Elisande	Grand Magistrix and ruler of Suramar.	Deceased	Various
First Arcanist Thalyssra	First Arcanist of Suramar and leader of the nightborne resistance.	Alive	Various
Ly'leth Lunastre	Nightborne noble who led the opposition within Suramar City.	Alive	Various
Oculeth	Inventor of the city's teleportation system, once expelled for opposing the Legion.	Alive	Shal'Aran, Suramar
Valtrois	Foremost expert on Leyline magical conduits and the Nightwell.	Alive	Shal'Aran, Suramar
Silgryn	A Nightwatch guard working at the city's entrance.	Alive	Suramar City, Suramar
Victoire	First Blade of the Duskwatch; a deserter during the rebellion.	Alive	Suramar City, Suramar
Spellblade Aluriel	The first Spellblade.	Killable	Nighthold, Suramar
High Botanist Tel'arn	High Botanist of Suramar.	Killable	Nighthold, Suramar
Advisor Vandros	High-ranking advisor to the Grand Magistrix.	Killable	The Arcway, Suramar
Advisor Melandrus	First Blade of Elisande.	Killable	Court of Stars, Suramar
Erasmus Moonblade	Second Blade of Elisande.	Killable	Meredil, Suramar
Thoramir	Replacement Second Blade of Elisande.	Killable	Terrace of Order, Suramar
Star Augur Etraeus	High-ranking astromancer.	Killable	Nighthold, Suramar
Patrol Captain Gerdo	Captain of the Duskwatch.	Killable	Court of Stars, Suramar
Allaris Narassin	High-ranking member of the Shadow Council.	Killable	Tomb of Sargeras, Broken Shore
Andaris Narassin	Newly-appointed First Arcanist of the Duskwatch.	Killable	Suramar City, Suramar
Thaedris Feathersong	An historian and a steward to First Arcanist Thalyssra.	Alive	Tel'anor, Suramar
Vanthir	A tavern owner and known contact of Ly'leth, he champions the inner city fight.	Alive	Suramar City, Suramar
Lespin Silverleaf	A jeweler of unsavory and haughty character who would stoop low to get his way.	Killable	Suramar City, Suramar
Margaux	Vintner in charge of Twilight Vineyards and the supply of arcwine for the city.	Deceased	Suramar City, Suramar
Arluin	Sacrificed his life to provide the arcan'dor with enough arcane energy to grow fruit.	Deceased	Suramar City, Suramar
Arluelle	Sister of Arluin, trainee of Silgryn.	Alive	Suramar City, Suramar

Notes and trivia

Nightborne females at BlizzCon 2015.

• Nightborne children are too young to be fed arcwine below a certain age. They subsist on 'mana juice' instead.
• They are known to build special nightborne constructs.
• Nightborne reuse most night elf animations, except for the standing animation.
• Elisande and Spellblade Aluriel are female nightborne that don't have the characteristic upward-pointing ears as other nightborne but have ears that are the same shape as the ears on night elves. At BlizzCon 2015 the regular female nightborne shown also had ears that looked the same as night elves' ears.
• Many "imperial" characters can be found in the ranks of the nightborne, including Arcbinders, Arcanists, Conjurers, Servants and Spellbreakers. These may all have been members of the Kaldorei Empire.
• Some of the nightborne humor quotes (if at all taken seriously or canonically) seem to indicate that they still remember Tyrande from her time in Suramar; that the nightborne regard the kaldorei as "country elves" who lack the cultural sophistication to reside in a real city; and that some of the night elves believe that the nightborne's culture, such as their fashion, is severely outdated.
• In a 2019 interview with Steve Danuser and Steve Burke, it was mentioned that the writers were not surprised that some Alliance players were somewhat upset by the nightborne becoming a Horde playable race, as they had the same reaction internally, but they had to make a choice between the two sides, despite "interesting arguments" from both. The nightborne apparently provided a sense of gravitas to the Horde, while the void elves gave the Alliance a potentially darker side that might be explored in the future.

Inspirations

• Nightborne use mostly French historical elements and the drow of Dungeons and Dragons.
  • Names like Grand Magistrix Elisande, Margaux, Arluelle, and Victoire are all French or French-styled inventions.
  • The nightborne bear a superficial resemblance to the drow of Dungeons And Dragons aesthetically calling to mind the classic "dark elf" fantasy, and using similar story themes to the blood elves, something that is even acknowledged in-universe.
  • The fal'dorei are thus a reference to the Driders, being drow that were transformed into spider-like beings.
  • The nightborne dependency on arcwine and vintners resembles the real-world association of France with wine.
  • The use of the "dusk lily" as the revolutionary flower motif of Thalyssra's revolution is likely a combination of the cockade of France (in turn said to be based upon the carnation used in later revolutions worldwide) and the fleur-de-lis (meaning lily flower) common to French heraldry.

Speculation

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

"Kaldorei" means "Children of the Stars" in Darnassian. It is thus possible that "shal'dorei" means "Children of Shadow" since Shalla'tor means "Shadow Render", or "Children of the Night" since shal'dorei are also called "Nightborne".

Gallery

World of Warcraft

• 

  Heritage of the Shal'dorei armor set.
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  Arcanist Valtrois
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  Thoramir
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  Star Augur Etraeus
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  Joanna Newsplice
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  Oculeth, a male nightborne.
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  Ly'leth Lunastre, a female nightborne.
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  Nightborne male child.
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  Nightborne female child.
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  A male felborne.
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  A female felborne.
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  Nightborne male customizations.
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  Nightborne female customizations.
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  Nightborne glow hands.
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  Nightborne prison.
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  Nightborne ship.

Flags and banners

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  The nightborne flag.
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  Kaldorei banner found only in Suramar ruins, with the old race icon.
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  The Nightborne old Race icon.
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  The Nightborne race icon from the Archaeology UI.

Art

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  Nightborne Crest, with dusk lily.
• 
• 

  Concept art.
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  Nightborne concept art.
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  Nightborne construct concept.
• 

  Highborne saber mount concept.

Hearthstone

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  Ambassador Faelin a larger proportioned nightborne druid in Hearthstone.
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  Ambassador Faelin
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  Caye Stardusk in Book of Heroes.
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  Champion of Y'Shaarj in Hearthstone Battlegrounds.
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  Game Master
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  Holomancer
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  Patrol Captain of a Suramar vessel in Book of Heroes.
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  Renowned Performer
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  Knife Vendor
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  Ray of Frost
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  Rigged Faire Game
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  Soul Shear
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  The Stars Allign

Fan art

• 

  "Light and Night" by Dmitry Prozorov.