World of Warcraft

When World of Warcraft‘s first expansion, The Burning Crusade, had finally, finally finished installing on my computer, way back in January 2007, I had two options ahead of me. I could return to one of the two Level 60 characters I had at the time so that I could start the expansion’s new high-level content in Outland. Or, I could create a brand-new Level 1 character and try out one of the game’s two new races. My way forward was obvious. Outland would have to wait.

I had been obsessed with the glorious new blood elf land ever since seeing brief, tantalising glimpses of it at BlizzCon 2005, so the first thing I did in the expansion was create a blood elf warlock and explore the Eversong Woods for myself. Like all other Level 1 blood elves, my new character spawned on Sunstrider Isle, a small island off the northwestern coast of Eversong, which is connected to the mainland by way of a bridge that spans a narrow strait. I had seen many pre-release screenshots and videos, of course, but nothing could prepare me for the resplendent beauty of the place. I was transfixed by the gorgeous scenery and the rich yellow-and-orange colour scheme that gives the isle – and the whole zone – the feel of a warm late afternoon.

In the lore, by the time of The Burning Crusade, the blood elves had been cut off from the Sunwell – the original source of their sorcery – for a few years now, but you wouldn’t know it from their ornate, gilded starting village. I can vividly remember those first few hours playing the expansion, running around Sunstrider Isle, exploring the golden forests and gentle hills, gawking at the stunning blood elf architecture; the delicate spires and domed pavilions.

Recently, I created a new blood elf character and returned to Sunstrider Isle to see if I could recapture some of the wonders I felt when I first visited this land. Once again, I was struck by how magnificent it looked. For a zone that has existed in the virtual world for nearly 20 years, it has aged remarkably well visually, thanks in no small part to various graphical updates that World of Warcraft has seen over its long lifespan. Warmth and light suffuse every inch of Sunstrider Isle. Ethereal trees drop golden leaves. Everything feels so magical, from the fairytale-esque woodland to the surreal, architecturally impossible structures. Little pots of flowers that look like they’ve been placed on a small round table are, in fact, upon closer inspection, hovering above it, moving slowly up and down in the air. Small shelves of books rotate around a central spire, which is itself floating a few inches above the ground. These are not simply beautification measures – they’re also morale boosters. They are demonstrating to the blood elf people that they have a great deal of power at their fingertips – and with it, they can do nearly everything. Even the outdoor lighting consists of tiny glowing yellow insects that gather around the unnaturally curled roots of trees that twist up out of the ground – all undoubtedly orchestrated by the blood elves to their liking¹.

New blood elf characters spawn next to a tall, elegant tower standing in the east of the isle. This is the Sunspire and, if you look up, you will see smaller satellite buildings magically levitating around it. It is said that, from the top of the Sunspire, a radiant glow was once visible to the north, far out on the horizon. This beam shone from the Sunwell on the Isle of Quel’Danas, once the magnificent heart of high elven society and a nurturing source of mystical energy. These days, thanks to the defilement of the Sunwell during the Third War, that light is no longer visible, but Well Watcher Solanian, who you will likely come across while adventuring on the isle, still maintains a vigil from the Sunspire.

In the north of the isle, away from the main area of activity, there is a small monument: the Shrine of Dath’Remar. This was created to honour Dath’Remar Sunstrider, the first king of the Sunstrider dynasty, who led his people from Kalimdor through the Maelstrom to find a new home in the Eastern Kingdoms. It was he who founded Quel’Thalas thousands of years ago. The bronze placard on the side of the shrine reads:

‘Here stands the Shrine of Dath’Remar, a fitting tribute to a noble elf. Let all who gaze on this monument remember his sacrifices for our people and his dedication to the cause of our continued survival. All who prosper in Quel’Thalas do so thanks to him.’

But as lovely and glorious as Sunstrider Isle is, it quickly becomes apparent that there’s something not quite right; there are hints of a darker truth here. An outdoor relaxation spot close to the Sunspire seems like a great place to study – there are magical bookcases and benches with comfy-looking cushions on them. Enchanted autonomous broomsticks swish past every so often, sweeping up dust in what is perhaps a nod to the classic Disney short The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia – a cautionary tale for those, like the blood elves, who believe that they can control magic without it controlling them. Most noticeably, there are three floating fel-green crystals here, bound and chained to a green orb swirling with yellow and orange energy. Take a closer look at some of these ‘Burning Crystals’, as they are called, and you may notice sinister eyes staring back out at you.

There are, in fact, a few of these Burning Crystals scattered across Sunstrider Isle. They have long powered the arcane experiments that the elves have conducted here. Mana wyrms – glowing eel-like creatures that writhe through the air – feed on stray pockets of arcane energy that accumulate around the crystals. Once, the mana wyrms were the crystals’ guardians… until the Scourge invasion of Quel’Thalas and the defilement of the Sunwell. This corruption severed the blood elves from their main source of arcane power and, in turn, their magical hold on the mana wyrms.  Now the wyrms behave erratically, acting like vermin, sometimes damaging the crystals they were meant to protect. To ensure that the Burning Crystals operate as planned, the number of mana wyrms must be thinned… a job the overworked magisters give to brand new Level 1 blood elf players. These floating serpentine creatures, shimmering with magical energy, are therefore likely to be a player’s first combat target on the island.

But what exactly are these green crystals? Well, as far as I’m aware, it’s not explicitly stated, but it’s heavily implied that they are fel crystals, which are used to imprison and store demonic energies or entities (hence the creepy eyes staring out of them). These energies are then used to maintain the blood elves’ architectural structures. Crystals used to power Quel’Thalas’s magic have seemingly always been present in some form or another. In World of Warcraft: Chronicles Volume 1 (a sort of lore bible for the franchise), there is an illustration of Quel’Thalas as it looked several thousand years ago. Looking closely at the image below, you may see some blue crystals floating around a few of the buildings. Blue crystals can also be seen hovering above some of the high elf buildings in Warcraft III, especially during the campaign. These are almost certainly mana crystals, which are used by the blood elves like batteries to store arcane energy.

So it seems the crystals themselves have been around for a very long time, and only recently, with the corruption of the Sunwell, have the elves started substituting the powering of these crystals with demonic fel energy, which has turned them green. It should be noted, however, that the demonic nature of these crystals has not been disclosed to the blood elf public (as of the timeframe depicted at the start of The Burning Crusade at least) because the Magisters are aware that they would not embrace fel magic as willingly as their desperate brethren on Outland. The blood elves in charge of Sunstrider Isle profess ignorance of the ‘strange power’ that has gripped the island of late; only the warlocks willingly acknowledge and accept it as demonic in nature.

As I slowly explore and quest around Sunstrider Isle, it becomes apparent that this was once a tranquil place of study and research, a magically charged sanctuary. The local creatures were bound into non-aggression and complacency by the elves’ magical skills. Small treants, for example, were used to aid the elves in maintaining the gardens of the island. Things are still relatively peaceful here (this is a newbie starting zone, after all), but the unchecked power of the Burning Crystals has negatively affected the isle’s wildlife, including the local lynxes. With the elves’ hold over these creatures shattered, island authorities assign new blood elf adventurers the task of hunting down these lynxes and bringing back their collars. It is clear that blood elves are not a race that really cares about nature. Above all else, they care about their own power – specifically, magical power. Players are sent to slaughter the lynxes, not necessarily because they are dangerous, or even because they have upset the balance of nature and need to be culled, but simply because they have grown resistant to being controlled by the blood elves. The elves believe that they must reassert dominance over the entire isle and its wildlife if they are to survive. And what they can’t control, they destroy.

There are more dangerous things on Sunstrider Isle than feral lynxes and errant mana wyrms, however. In the west lies Falthrien Academy, a breathtaking example of elven architecture – a labyrinthine complex of ornate floating towers and spiralling walkways bedecked in the red and gold favoured by modern Quel’Thalas.

Atop the academy is a betrayer of the blood elves, Felendren. He was banished from blood elf lands for failing to heed the warnings of their teachers and elders. The unquenchable thirst for magic is a big part of blood elf mythos; even as a Level 1 character, you’re introduced to it. Those who learn to control its power will thrive, whereas those who don’t are headed for misery. Felendren refused to learn control and is now a shell of his former self – one of the Wretched – living now only to feed his insatiable magical addictions. He has summoned several arcane wraiths as minions and acts as a sort of mini-boss for new blood elf players.

The Wretched are blood elves that could not balance their dependency on the arcane and have forever succumbed to their basest cravings. They have overindulged in arcane sources to the point of deformity and, often, insanity. These emaciated fiends develop a large, bony forehead, thinning dark hair, claw-like fingers, and strange growths on their back that glow with an eerie blue light. Obsessed with obtaining and devouring magic, these dishevelled mana addicts are a danger to themselves and others. Desperate and reckless, they will now gladly kill for a few mana crystals and are usually too violent to surrender. They serve as a reminder to others of the dangers of allowing their magical addiction to control them.

After killing Felendren, a blood elf character’s time on Sunstrider Isle comes to an end. Having proved themselves, it is now time for them to explore the wider Eversong Woods and face even greater threats. I won’t be continuing the questline (at least, not yet), but I will be staying in Quel’Thalas a little longer, first to explore the mysterious Runestones that once protected the elven kingdom.

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1. Indoor lighting, by the way, is provided by hanging blue crystals. ↩︎