Hello everyone! Tyrande Whisperwind and the night elves have
been the subject of quite a bit of debate lately so I figured it would be a good idea
to take a step back, go back in time and talk about her story.
Before there were night elves, there were dark trolls that had found their way to the
well of eternity. Under the well’s influence the trolls flesh and bones were infused by
its energies, elevating their forms to match their graceful spirits. The tribe’s mystics
began worshipping the moon goddess, Elune, who they believed was bound to the well of
eternity itself. The former trolls also discovered the name ‘Kalimdor’ and other titan-forged
words from communing with Elune and investigating strange artifacts scattered around the well’s
periphery. Influenced by this newfound language, they called themselves kaldorei – children
of the stars – or the night elves. The worship of Elune continued and became part of their
culture. The sisterhood’s priestessess had a hand in nearly all aspects of early night
elf civilization, from acting as spiritual leaders to helping defend their burgeoning
territories from outside threats. Good thing too as the Legion’s eye fell upon Azeroth
and the world would need its defenders.
That brings us to Tyrande over 10.000 years ago, just at the start of the war of the ancients,
where she was still an early novice to the temple of elune. She had shared her childhood
with the twin brothers Malfurion Stormrage and Illidan Stormrage, but time changes a
lot. They were no longer youthful companions. The simplicities of their childhoods had given
way to the complexities of adult relationships. Bit of a love triangle going on with both
brothers having feelings for our young priestess. A bit of rivalry, Illidan especially wanted
to be, wanted to prove himself worthy for her. While Tyrande felt flattered, she didn’t
want to hurt either one of them yet at the same time knew that one was going to get hurt...We’ll
get to that, first we have a war to fight.
In Azshara’s palace we find the highborne dabbling in powerful magics, exploring what
they can do with their well of eternity. In time they made contact with Sargeras and the
Burning Legion. Xavius informed his queen Azshara and all of them thought it was a really
good idea to bring sargeras in. Have him transform the world, purge it to perfection while all
the dark titan had wanted to do for a really long time was to destroy it. He just hadn’t
know the planets location and now that he did, he needed a way to get there. They worked
on transforming the well into an epic gateway to bring over the epic power of Sargeras.
A portal that powerful would take time so first came some of his more powerful troops
like Hakkar the Houndmaster, Mannoroth, and even Archimonde.
As you can imagine....things took time. The darkness from the palace surely but slowly
spread. The night elves suffered great losses and teritory, but in time resistance rose
up and some critical players within the war would make all the difference. Obviously Tyrande
was one of those. The teachings of Elune has their priestessess offer guidance, blessings
and healing for those in need. Invoking their goddess, asking her to use them as a vessel
and pass on her grace. When Tyrande left nothing but a string of successes in her wake, capable
of healing even the most infectious wounds, she did not see this as anything special coming
from her. The thanks should always be given to their mother moon, but healing is not the
only thing they do. There’s also fighting, the aspects of the night warrior, she who
takes the courageous dead from the field and sets them riding across the evening sky as
stars for their reward. More then once Tyrande found herself at the front of battle, covered
in blood, slicing away at the demons while trying to defend their home.
Going over the entire war of the ancients would take quite a bit of time so lets focus
on the major events that happened with Tyrande.
She came across a young night elf female named Shandris Feathermoon. 2 maybe three years
away from being able to enter into the service of elune herself. The child sat in miserable
silence, staring at nothing so Tyrande appproached her. Offered her water, comfort and a listening
ear. She had come from Ara- Hinam, a place overrun by demons. Her family might still
be alive but then again, they might not. Night elves, while hardly weak, were very ill prepared
for life outside their cushioned world – a failing only now becoming evident. Tyrande
gave thanks to elune that she, malfurion and illidan had been raised differently, but they
were in the minority. There were so many in the same situation Shandris suffered, but
something about the child especially touched the priestess. Perhaps it was that she somewhat
resembled tyrande in face and form at that age. Whatever the case, Tyrande told her to
come with. A meeting that would change both their lives forever as from that point on
Shandris would hardly ever leave her side and Tyrande would become her adoptive mother.
Then the high priestess of their temple fell in battle and despite being a novice, Tyrande
was named to be her follow up. At first she couldn’t believe it. How could she, with
so little experience, take on the mantle when there are so many more who know the temple
better. But none were so attuned to Elune herself. They had all seen it. There were
already going around about the miracles she performed. People healed where other had failed,
an unbroken string of successes. Without realizing it, Tyrande had even aided several whom other
sisters had failed to heal and then just continued on while they expected her to be unable to
stand. Again, to Whisperwind, she was nothing special. All she did was pray to Elune and
Elune would answer. She would grateful, then move on in the hopes of healing someone else.
But according to the others, she had done much, much more and so she accepted the new
possition. There would be fancy rituals or fancy clothes, no special treatment when all
of them carried Elune in their hearts. Tyrande had joined the order for one thing most of
all...to help others throught the gifts of elune and she would continue that work that
is until she became a prime target.
Earlier on, Malfurion had managed to delay the efforts of summoning in the Legion and
in the process he had slain Xavius. The spirit of the highborne was taken by Sargeras, molded
and transformed until only the finest bits that pleased him remained. The first of the
Satyr was send back through the portal to fullfill the dark titan mission and in order
to claim sweet revenge, Xavius set his sights on the two malfurion cared for most. Illidan
and Tyrande. His twin brother was already drifting away, losing the battle for Tyrande’s
heart to Malfurion, a battle that the druid didn’t even fully understand they were having.
Then for the priestess, Xavius decided to kidnap her and take her back to the palace
but going after the one Malfurion loved might not have been the best idea. Shandris first
shot him with some arrows then Malfurion used his druidic skills to turn Xavius into a freaking
tree. I’ll never get over that awesome display of power, yet all the same, Whisperwind was
still taken away and in his despair...Malfurion gave the legion army a taste of the true potential
he held within. Not the first time that Tyrande helped him push hiself beyond his limits.
This time in his despair, he accidently called upon such a massive storm that both sides
were temporarly seperated in battle. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Mirroring his
turbulent but darkening mood. Nothing was of importance without Tyrande. He knew that
now...for what little good it did him. The wind howled, mourning his loss. Tornado-strength
gales battered everything but the distraught night elf until fInally, a voice managed to
cut through his despair and snap him back to his senses. There was still a chance to
save Tyrande but that meant keeping a cool head and using those awesome powers to turn
the battle to their favor. Meanwhile his twin brother Illidan realises what’s up. Realises
what Tyrande’s heart desires and it’s not him. Believing that he could win this
war all on his own, he rides out to the palace to sign up with Sargeras. As a double agent
of course, but keeping your plans a secret means that his people would soon enough view
him as the betrayer.
Tyrande woke up to a nightmare, firmly in the grasp of their enemy. Not completely alone
tough as a faint aura the color of moonlight had draped around elunes acolyte. They had
wanted to torture her, bend her to their will, but not even the might of the great Archimonde
was able to penetrate elune’s defense. That didn’t mean they couldn’t still use her
as a trump card against Malfurion and while Elune kept her safe from physical harm, the
words of Queen Azshara herself still cut deeply. You need to understand that the queen was
beloved by her people. A bit of magic was involved in that deperartment but still...despite
knowing that Azshara had betrayed them all, Tyrnade still wished to kneel before her if
the bonds that kept her in place would have allowed her to do so. SHe was offered a position
at court as one of Azshara’s handmaidens, something that Vasjh was not happy with. Her
feline eyes were filled with murder, intenssely jealous of Tyrande but the newly appointed
high priestess refused. She was sworn to mother moon, her life and her heart belonged to the
goddess. The queens beauty was suddenly marred by a brief look of pure evil. Ungrateful little
trollop! And such a liar, too! Your heart you actually give rather easily dont you?
First to one brother, then another brother! Are there others besides? The queen’s words
dug deep, complementing her on her excelent work at pitching malfurion and illidan against
eachother. A tear escaped Tyrande’s eyes, but Azshara felt no sympathy. They were already
working on what they believed was turning Illidan into a full blown ally and soon enough
they would get their hands on Malfurion as well.
“You really should reconsider whether to be my handmaiden, dear girl! You could have
had both of them alive and yours to play with...after i’d grown tired of them of course.“ The
queen after her such a possition did not sit right with vashj so soon enough she showed
up at the prison, pretending to be tyrande’s salvation. Offering her a way out, out of
her bonds and away from the demons. The priestess of elune believed her words, prayed to her
goddess that things were alright now. Thanking for the protection but assuring her that this
was now for the best. At first, however it seemed elune paid her no mind, for she felt
the protective spell remain fixed. Eyes shut tyrande tried again. Surely the mother moon
understood that now the very gift she had bestowed upon her servant risked the priestess.
At last elunes presence begane to recede- and a sense of imminent threat overwhelmed
tyrande. Vasjh was mental, trying to slice her throat, scratch her eyes out, end what
was a threat in her eyes, something that could come between her and her beloved queen. The
reflectes of years of training is all that saved Tyrande, but before she could get past
Vashj and escape, the handmaiden restored the magical bonds keeping her in place. Perhaps
getting to Tyrande was not possible, so best to spend her time whispering to Azshara that
she couldn’t be trusted. Then a little while later still another visitor
to her cage, this time a highborne by the name of Dath’remar Sunstrider. He offered
to feed her and while the mother moon had sustained her for a long time, she could only
do so much. There was so much need for elune throughout kalimdor that she could not concentrate
so much on a mere priestess. Tyrande felt no betrayal for this, only thanks for all
that Elune had already done. After dealing with Vashj, she was a bit hesitant to trust
Dathremar, but soon enough figured out that he was a chance, an oppertunity to escape.
Using her position she coaxed him into talking while he fed her a meal. The highborne was
not down with what going on at the palace, but his devotion to Azshara was still absolute.
As the war progressed, that too changed. Realising that their queen had gone mad, that the demons,
the legion were not the way forward, Dathremar released the high priestess and together with
others they escaped the palace. Tyrande would speak on their behalf, make sure that their
people would understand their impossible position, but before they could make a clean escape,
she was dragged up by a doomguard. After slicing him down, the hard earth down below quickly
approached. She might have broken all her bones upon crashing was it not for the betrayer,
Illidan Stormrage who saved her life.
At the conclussion of the war, the night elf resistance was able to revert the portal and
send the legion back to where they came from. Azshara, Vasjh and Xavius were dragged beneath
the waves, where a new power and new destiny waited for them.
Victory did not come without great sacrifice and loss of life. Not without great changes
as the well of eternity imploded and the land of kalimdor sundered apart. The night elves
found themselves approaching a brand new uncertain future, one in which Illidan was certain the
legion would return. Using vials he had filled with water from
the original well, he decided to make a brand new one at mount hyjal. Their people had to
prepare, needed the power to be able to stand up against Sargeras. Obviously, after just
fighting a massive war due to the first well...they were not exactly happy with Illidan the betrayer.
Rather then ending his life on the spot, they decided to imprison him. That did still left
them with this massive magical fount of power that was sure to draw the legion’s attention
again. It was the dragon aspects that came up with a solution for this. They decided
to plant a massive world tree over the well called Nordrassil and upon it placed their
blessings. Alexstrasza granted them Strength and vitality. Nozdormu gave the blessing of
immortality; immunity to sickness, disease and aging. Then Ysera offered them easier
access into her domain, the emerald dream. A domain that Malfurion had began walking,
but more would follow in his footsteps of druidism.
As the centuries passed, the burgeoning night elf society expanded into the dense forests
of ashenvale, south of mount hyjal. Tyrande as still being the high priestess was the
one to lead them in rebuilding their society. Her order was uniquely positioned to fill
the power vacuum, possitioned as the leaders of both their government and the military,
for the sisterhood had emerged from the war of the ancients relatively unscathed. She
also forged a brand new fighting force: the sentinels. Composed of devout and highly trained
warrior women, this order dedicated itself to protecting what they were building. The
sentinels set out to patrol their misty forest home, befriending the native creatures of
the land and standing guards against any threat. Meanwhile, Malfurion continued fostering a
culture of druidism among his people. They kinda gave up on using arcane magic for a
while, which some just weren’t able to do. Dathremar Sunstrider and others like him felt
like this was their ancient birthright and saw no reason, if they were careful, to give
it up. There were so many that execution was not the right call so instead they were exiled
which lead to the eventual creation of the sunwell and the formation of quel’thelas
but that’s a whole different story. Others that were able to let go embraced malfurions
teachings and devoted themselves to living in harmony with nature. The druids often took
very long naps, walking ysera’s domain, the emerald dream. This aloofness frustrated
tyrande and her sentinels. Though they often sought the druids help to safeguard their
lands, few of malfurions followers were ever awake to answer the call. That didn’t mean
Tyrande stood alone while leading their people. Not only was she favored by Elune. At her
side there was still shandris of course and as the sentinels were formed, she rose up
and was named captain of the fledgling order.
So we got tyrande leading the night elves on Azeroth. Malfurion and the druids upholding
the balance of nature and healing the lands. Their efforts resulted in a long-sought period
of peace and tranquility. Life in the forests and thickets of hiyal thrived. The mantle
of leadership was demanding, but she enjoyed it. Yet despite the hope and optimism that
blossomed among the night elves, tyrande could not shake the feeling that dire times were
ahead. Illidan’s words made an impact. They had banished the burning legion, but they
had not killed sargeras. Tyrande believed with all her heart that the fallen titan was
somewhere out in the darkness between the stars, plotting another attack. Perhaps it
was only a matter of time before sargeras renewed his burning crusade to decimate all
life. And if that day did come, tyrande hoped she and her people would be ready for it....
But that is a story for another day. For now thank you very much for watching everyone!
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