Blizzard's stance on Elves and Trolls

[Danielfboone]

The theory that night elves were actually trolls mutated (or evolved, depending on your point of view) has been a source of great discussion among fans. Blizzard recently posted the following information in their Troll Compendium:

Little is known about the night elves' precise origins, for their race was formed so long ago that no hard evidence has surfaced to prove or invalidate this theory. All that is known for certain is that a tribe of nocturnal humanoids came to live on the shores of the first Well of Eternity, and the Well's cosmic energies changed them into the night elves we know today.

Certainly many trolls do believe that the humanoids who developed into the night elf race were trolls. The theory does have some credibility, for there is at least a superficial physical resemblance between trolls and night elves. Furthermore, the troll race dominated much of ancient Kalimdor — the only continent on Azeroth before the Great Sundering — long before the night elves came into power.

Nevertheless, many night elves find this theory preposterous and abhorrent. They are quick to point out that the first night elves began their rise to power by defeating a number of nearby troll tribes. As a consequence, the trolls came to fear and respect the might of their new rivals. The troll theory of night elf ancestry may have been a direct result of this early conflict. The trolls hated the night elves — a sentiment that persists to this day — and may have wished to marginalize the night elf race and its accomplishments. Also, attributing the night elf race with a troll heritage likely helped the trolls come to terms with their own shocking defeat.

Without additional data, there is little point in debating the merits of this controversial theory. No doubt it will remain a matter of contention for years to come.

It's more plausible that the "humanoids" were the original Elves rather than Trolls and who knows? The current Blood Elves could be more of a return to that form caused by the Arcane effects of the Sunwell counteracting those of the first Well of Eternity.

The original Wowikki article stated clearly for years that it was a group of nocturnal Elves that discovered and settled near the Well and there was no mention at all of the Troll theory. That was only recently changed to read "humanoids" .

[Danielfboone]

Another interesting Wowikki link.

http://www.wowwiki.com/Origin_of_the_races

There it is clearly shown that the original Elves were smaller and weaker than the Night Elves they became and may have even called themselves the Kaldorei before their transformation occurred.

I also never said that the Blood Elves came before the Night Elves. I said that the original Elves almost certainly looked more like them.

I also consider that WowPedia article, which I have read before, to be from the Horde , and especially the Troll perspective, and don't put much credence in it since Blizzard does not confirm it.

[Wain]

While it seems to have been assumed by the majority of people that elves were descended from trolls I don't believe Blizzard has said anything directly on the matter at all. Just the stuff you outlined above. I guess we'll find out some day

I was also kind of assuming that goblins were a "degenerate" race of trolls (as in they lost stature and tusks) that belonged to a slave caste. But that was never confirmed either, just that they were slaves.

[GormanGhaste]

I thought they confirmed elves descending from trolls in one of the wow magazine articles?

[Wain]

They may have and I didn't see it. I'd be interested to know if that was true.

[Lisaara]

I think I remember that cause I used to get their magazine.

[GormanGhaste]

Unearthed my copy of the magazine's vol 2, issue 1. From the Lore Corner, Brann Bronzebeard's journal:

Dark trolls-->Kaldorei "Tribunal o' Ages. Freya. Cenarius. All o' them confirm. This'll ruffle some feathers, tae be sure."

Also found a WowInsider Know Your Lore article that came out after the magazine, discussing all the racial origins.

[Wain]

Oh cool. Thanks

[Boven]

The drawback to the books/magazine/game is that they contradict each other at times and it's hard to know which is official. From my understanding, the books are supposed to be a greater authority than other media, but I don't know whether any of them ever the racial origins.

I recall back in Burning Crusade when a blue post stated that Night Elves were definitely an older race than the Tauren and that the Tauren were mistaken about being the first druids and such. Then WotLK comes out and Horde players questing through Storm Peaks get to meet a Tauren living among the Taunka who was made immortal by the Bronze Dragonflight. He relates being there when Cenarius hung around with the Tauren and taught them to be the first druids. Go figure.

[Lupis]

To be fair, the Sunwalkers had all sorts of special lore made for them and then Sunwalker Dezco goes off to swear by the Light and talk about how the Light has helped them, so I wouldn't really take every detail of in-game lore to heart. x.x It's frequently off or just flat out wrong.

I definitely remember Night Elves being the first druids, and Cenarius teaching tauren druidism much later. Tauren are a pretty recent race compared to how ridiculously ancient night elves are.

[Holgarr]

At least the magazine gave us final confirmation of Chromie's status as being 100% female, just with an unusually-butch name, so all the jokes about a dragon being a transsexual gnome can stop...

[Wain]

Tauren must have been present by the time the world sundered, which pre-dates druidism doesn't it? I kind of assumed tauren had been there from the start, like trolls, but just hadn't done anything very significant back then. Just wandered and kept to themselves.

[Lisaara]

At least the magazine gave us final confirmation of Chromie's status as being 100% female, just with an unusually-butch name, so all the jokes about a dragon being a transsexual gnome can stop...

It wasn't so much confirmation as it was a retcon. Chromie was a dude at one point, hence the male name. I'm not sure why they decided to change it(as well as removing any quest text that confirmed male identity).

[Chimera]

*geek mode go cause Xarantaur is my hands down favorite Tauren*

Tauren did exist pre-Sundering, as did the Earthen (which we already knew, Earthen were made by the Titans at some point during a visit). Both races fought alongside the Night Elves in the final push against the legion during the Sundering in the Well of Eternity series. Tauren were seen as a lesser and somewhat barbaric race to the Night Elves but all three races put their differences aside since losing the war would affect everyone. Xarantaur states when you speak to him that he is but one individual amongst a few other Tauren to become Druids pre-Sundering, however, Malfurion, already probably far older than Xarantaur cause of species life span differences, was the first individual to be taught Druidism. Malfurion was probably hundreds of years old before Xarantaur was born and was already learning Druidism by Cenarius.

Xarantaur lived to see a world without Cenarius and the Tauren began to forget Druidism, why however it's not stated. Given their respect for the land, it was surprising to me that they were. Perhaps there just wasn't enough Arch Druids left to teach the practice. Specially given Tauren live in tribes which might follow different teachings and shun others. Xarantaur, as he tells the player, couldn't forget, wouldn't forget, Cenarius' teachings and traveled the world for the full length of his natural life span. He became like, the ultimate lore keeper, he traveled in search of knowledge and learned all he could, met races of all kinds, everything. Supposedly, as he states, he had discovered all of Kalimdor. No new horizons he knew of, but still feeling unfulfilled, he was reaching the end of his life when Nozdormu took him and gave him immortality.

Nozdormu's purpose for Xarantaur was to be an eternal watcher, a lore keeper. He had seen and learned things from the earth, nature, long forgotten races, cultures, old cultures that eventually morphed into new ones, he knows things that probably were never recorded in history or is long lost. As such, Nozdormu charged him with spending the rest of time recording history and preserving facts, separating it from fiction, keeping Azeroth's history true and pure so nothing would be forgotten or warped.

Given he is post-Night Elf evolution, even he wouldn't be able to say if it was trolls who became Night Elves or something else :F I've always figured that trolls became Night Elves due to the nature of magic in the WoW universe and the idea that Night Elves were originally Dark Trolls has always made sense to me. Unless, however, it's actually Blizzard confirming what's written in media or simply to put our speculation to rest that at least even one troll became an elf of any kind, I'm still unable to say definitively and can only say that I believe that's what happened. Which bugs me cause it's a big headcanon for me lol.

[Slickrock]

A few things here...

For one, I would expect that Blizzard would keep orgins of races shrouded in mystery to create interest, new lore and gameplay opportunities, and just because they really didn't think through all that.

But regarding trolls to elven races, I have my doubts, at least if they were trolls anything like what we now know of as trolls. The physiology is different enough, especially in the hands and feet, that what are called dark trolls are likely yet another completely different race that both the elves and trolls can look to as a common ancestor, but in reality was something more primitive and quite unlike either.

Unfortunately, the Titans didn't leave much in the way of hieroglyphics to show us what the orgin species looked like.

[GormanGhaste]

Hmm well, the chart in the magazine shows dark trolls, ice trolls, forest trolls, and jungle trolls all branching off from the Zandalari. But yeah, the Zandalari are *old*, so they may have originally looked quite different.

[Danielfboone]

What Bronzebeard said is interesting but given his history, I'm not taking it as carved in stone. I also agree that the "Dark Trolls" may have been very different from the Trolls we know now. They may even have walked upright and had smaller or even no tusks. who knows? I think that for the present Trolls to say that the Elves are descended from them may be a stretch. Maybe it's like Slickrock said and the Dark Trolls were a common ancestor. The Dark Trolls who settled by the original Well of Eternity and were transformed by it's effects (and maybe Elune's involvement) into the Night Elves, and, the Dark Trolls who were not influenced by the Well and became the Trolls of today. I consider the chart shown from the magazine to be speculative at best.

The Night Elf transformation also can not be considered a "normal" evolutionary process so I think they should trace their origins to the Well and again, maybe Elune.

[Slickrock]

Hmm well, the chart in the magazine shows dark trolls, ice trolls, forest trolls, and jungle trolls all branching off from the Zandalari. But yeah, the Zandalari are *old*, so they may have originally looked quite different.

If all those branched off the Zandalari, then there is likely a common ancestor further back.

Or maybe there isn't. There could also be some other influence that"s the root cause here.