Sundered
written by Malanore
Disclaimer: I do not own Warcraft/World of Warcraft. I only own my characters and the events they endure.
Author's Forward: I have attempted to stay true to lore where needed. That said, some liberties were taken regarding the differences in aging among races. I am fully aware that night elves, and most likely both blood and high elves as well, live for thousands of years. However, for the sake of context and plot for this story, their aging will instead mimic that of humans. Also, please keep in mind this story was developed towards the end of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion (Patch 3.3) so events wherein regarding Arthas, etc., have been taken into consideration. Lastly, the languages of Thalassian and Darnassian are used frequently and their meanings will be expressed accordingly. Please note that some translations are provided directly from Blizzard while others are loosely interpreted.
Enjoy!
A/N: I felt this was necessary to set up the views needed to advance the story. If you are proficient in the history of the elves, outstanding, but please note that not all are so this portion gives insight to that part of Warcraft lore. For the latter, this is only a condensed version of the full story. If you wish to learn more, WoWWiki is an excellent source. Now, on to the story!
In ancient times, when the Gods themselves seemed young, there was but one race of dorei, or children. In the beginning there were no differences between them, their eyes all glowed with the same light, pure and yearning. The nourishment provided by the Titan-forged Well of Eternity enabled the young race to flourish. With their immortality and magical energies flowing through their veins, the elves established a grand society.
Yet after centuries of tranquility, the use of such magics had become so prevalent that it attracted the attention of the one known as the Destroyer of Worlds. Seeking to ever increase his own immense power, Sargeras reached out to the elves, claiming to be a god. Thus began the beginnings of what is known as the War of the Ancients, during which the first rift among the elves took root. Those born to the so-called nobility sought to eradicate their world of all those who they deemed unworthy to harness their beloved magics. Under the influence of Sargeras, and the leadership of the exquisite Azshara, these 'highborne' became corrupted with their own obsession for the arcane.
Eventually, the Burning Legion's defeat was had. Yet destruction on a massive scale was on the horizon. Swelled to the brink by the influx of magical energies, the Well of Eternity imploded, separating the lands and giving birth to the Maelstrom. Many lost their lives in this catastrophe. With so many deaths caused by the insatiable greed of the highborne, the remaining peoples, known now as 'Kal'dorei', or night elves, turned away from their arcane legacy, focusing instead on the intertwining fates of their people and their attunement with nature.
The few remaining high elves, unable to restrain the cursed addiction to the arcane, separated themselves from the new druidic society of their kin and settled in the golden woods of Quel'thalas. To replace their beloved Well of Eternity, as well as sate their thirst for magic, the Quel'dorei created the illustrious Sunwell. After some years, the high elves transformed into a diurnal society, replacing the light of Elune with the rays of the sun itself. As a result, their appearances took on the form of paler skin and slighter builds than their night elf counterparts.
Yet the creation of this new fount would ultimately doom the elves once more. Centuries passed, false senses of security befalling the civilization. Lulled by peaceful times, the arrival of the death knight Arthas Menethil and his scourge army overwhelmed them. His goal was to harness the mystic energies of the Sunwell to raise the necromancer Kel'thuazad as an undead lich to oversee the creation of vast armies by orders of the Lich King. The desolation of Quel'thalas and its people shook the survivors to the core. Thus the second rift among elves was to pass.
Tormented by their grief, the majority of the elves, including their prince Kael'thas, renamed themselves 'Sin'dorei', or blood elves, in honor of those lost to the Scourge. Weakened by the destruction of the Sunwell, Kael lead his people in search of energies that could sate their thirst. However, a small portion of them saw their dependence on magic as an omen for death and sorrow - as a weakness. They decided to reject their arcane ancestry and attempted to control their need for fel energies through meditation. Calling upon ancient alliances, the few remaining high elves abandoned their brethren, denying any relation to the addiction-crazed blood elves to any mortal who asked.
Thus, in the current day, the three races of dorei view each other with resentment, claiming the others to be cursed or otherwise. The resulting heartache and grief caused by these prejudices is where the beginnings of the story between two wayward souls unfold.
