War of the Ancients
Well of Eternity - Well of Eternity 2
The original Well of Eternity, corrupted during the War of the Ancients.
Highborne Banner
The symbol of the night elves during the reign of Queen Azshara.
Main article: War of the Ancients
Thus began the corruption of the elves. As their powers grew, a distinct change came over Azshara and the Highborne. The haughty, aloof upper class became increasingly callous and cruel towards their fellow night elves. A dark, brooding pall veiled Azshara's once entrancing beauty. She began to withdraw from her loving subjects and refused to interact with any but her trusted Highborne priests. The pandaren, long-time allies of the night elf people, saw this change overcoming the night elves and decided to sever all ties.
Before they left, the pandaren decided to offer the Highborne a gift, a chest of pandaren design, said to contain all the arcane magic they would ever need. The gift was accepted and taken down into a royal vault in the Temple of Zin-Malor in Eldarath. However, when the chest was opened, it was found to contain absolutely nothing. The pandaren's gift was actually a message of advice and wisdom to the Highborne: all the arcane magic they needed was nothing, or in other words, they did not need it at all. The chest and the message it represented continued to exist in the vault even 10,000 years later, but as history would record, the pandaren's wisdom fell on deaf ears.[17]
Posing as a venerable god, Sargeras managed to contact Azshara. Sargeras convinced Azshara, and her most loyal assistant, the Lord Counselor Xavius, to open a gateway to Azeroth that this mighty "god" might come forth and "bless" their whole race (meanwhile eradicating all races deemed "unworthy"). In their insolence, those born to nobility, the Highborne, sought to use and control this source of unimaginable power and unspeakable evil; and for their pride, they were consumed by the magic they so eagerly wished to wield.[4]
As the portal into the mortal world grew larger, Sargeras sent ever more numerous "emissaries" to aid with the portal and bring the word of their god from the beyond. These demons were members of Sargeras's immortal army, known as the Burning Legion, and they had put to the flame countless worlds throughout the cosmos. As the portal grew close to its completion to allow the dark titan entry to Azeroth, a small band of kaldorei led by Malfurion Stormrage, the first druid, Tyrande Whisperwind, the high priestess of Elune, and Jarod Shadowsong realized the threat posed to their entire world by this nameless evil and the now-crazed Azshara. Realizing his seemingly imminent victory could be threatened by these few elves, Sargeras commanded that his Legion make war upon Azeroth and destroy the unworthy, which included the entirety of the kaldorei race.[4]
As war raged across the young world, many protectors of the world emerged to aid the young Malfurion Stormrage in closing this portal to the Twisting Nether and the malevolence which now stood poised to destroy them all. The demigod Cenarius and his fellow Ancient Guardians, the Dragon Aspects, the Earthen, the ancients, the tauren and the furbolg clashed head on with the advancing Legion. Having learned much about the power and beauty of nature from his shan'do, Cenarius, Malfurion was able to disrupt the nearly completed portal spell and close his world off from the invincible Sargeras.[4][18]
Suramar's rebellion
Main article: Nightborne
"The city of Suramar became the center of night elf worship and home to the Sisterhood of Elune. This order, composed of female night elves, dedicated itself to venerating the moon goddess. The sisterhood's priestesses 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.
In time the beautiful city of Suramar, jewel of the night elven empire would become its foremost center for magical research and cutting edge advancements surpassing that of the executive and legislative center of the Empire and rival city, Zin-Azshari. Suramar would host the fabled Nar'thalas Academy in Farondale on its most distinguished province of Azsuna, and would become the foremost center for magical learning, where night elves and even members of the fabled blue dragonflight[citation needed] would ponder together the mysteries of the cosmos and the arcane. Under the wise and strong influence of the sisterhood complexly and totally intertwined with the advanced arcane society, Suramar grew and prospered in excellence, knowledge and discipline alongside faith. The marvels of the arcane alongside the serenity and ethereal beauty of the prayers to Elune that would ascend from its numerous temples such as Falanaar, Faronaar and their headquarters of the Cathedral of Eternal Night. It is this region that would produce the heart of the night elven resistance to Queen Azshara and her new demonic allies. It started with the rebellion of Prince Farondis who on discovering the nature of the Queen's new allegiance, devised a bold plan to rid the world of the demons in one fell swoop by destroying the means they entered the world: the Well of Eternity.
