#nightborne lore

Sources for Lore Fact of the Week #12

Thank you so much! Iwannahugyou and I’M SO EXCITED that someone is making a Nightborne - I want to see more of them around!

OKAYSO … I want to say both. I think that nightfallen may be the technical term for Nightborne who are suffering from the addiction (the Nightfallen page on WoWpedia refers to the race of nightfallen and asks you to look elsewhere for the faction) and also for the faction of elves who are rebelling against Elisande. To be fair, the only difference may be a simple capitalization. Nightfallen? The faction. nightfallen? The race. 

So, there are nightfallen who still have allegiances to Elisande (like the Nightfallen Overseers in the Ley-Ruins of Zarkhenar), but I think the terms got conflated because… if you’re devolving due to an addiction, you’re probably not in Elisande’s good graces any more, and you’re bound to become a part of the rebellion. So, most of the Nightfallen is going to be made up of… well, nightfallen. 

Furthermore, Thalyssra essentially built her campaign around Elisande’s mistreatment of their people, so it’s no surprise that she would actually use a name like “the Nightfallen” as a propaganda tool. Their faction name represents everything about Elisande’s mistreatment of and control over the Nightborne. Thalyssra does have a ton of Nightborne allies, that’s true, but most people who devolve into nightfallen are going to end up joining her side.

As for which one came first? I bet the term for the nightfallen race, and then Thalyssra ended up picking it up and making it into a symbol of the rebellion (like how she did with the Dusk Lily, which is her own family sigil). 

So if your elf is allied with Thalyssra, it might be easier to say that she’s a part of the faction (Nightfallen). If she is allied with Elisande, or has an allegiance elsewhere, then she’s a part of the nightfallen race.

I hope that made sense! Let me know if it doesn’t.

Spellblades

Chronomancy

Warpcasting

Telemancy

Ley Magic

Astromancy

Spellblades

Spellblades, as the name indicates, are those who combine both melee skill and magic into a single form of combat [Dungeon Journal: The Nighthold, Spellblade Aluriel]. Spellblade Aluriel, captain of Grand Magistrix Elisande’s guard, was the first Nightborne to take on the rank of spellblade. She is not only adept in the magical schools of fire, frost, and arcane, but she also commands great prowess with a sword, making her both expert mage and warrior [Dungeon Journal: The Nighthold, Spellblade Aluriel]. Although it was once popular to specialize exclusively in just magic or weaponry, Aluriel was the first to combine both skills and pave the way for generations of spellblades to come [Post: Azshara’s Court - Guards].

In addition to spellblades, a type of melee-based fighter called a spell-fencer also exists within the Duskwatch’s ranks. It is unclear how spell-fencers differ from spellblades, if at all, but there may be a marked difference between them since they are referred to separately. Both Thoramir and Silgryn, who previously served together under Spellblade Aluriel, are spell-fencers [Quest: Waxing Crescent, NPC: Thoramir Dialogue]. Spell-fencers, and most likely spellblades by extension, can empower their weapons with arcane magic [Spell: Arc Blade].

Aluriel may be the first Nightborne Spellblade, but high elven society developed their own version, which may or may not differ from the Nightborne’s spellblade [NPC: Sunreaver Spellblade, NPC: Silver Covenant Spellblade].

Chronomancy

Time magic, or chronomancy, holds a rather significant place in Nightborne society. In fact, Elisande’s command of temporal magic, given to her by the Eye of Aman’thul, rivals even that of the bronze dragonflight’s [Quest: Temporal Investigations, Page: Eye of Aman’thul]. With the Eye of Aman’thul, which was used to create the Nightwell, Elisande could look into the future and freeze, speed up, slow down, or even rewind time [World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume I, pg. 104, Dungeon Journal: The Nighthold, Grand Magistrix Elisande].

Nightborne who specialize in temporal magic are known as tempomancers [NPC: Nightborne Tempomancer, Tempomancer Virinya]. Although a ‘Nightborne Chronomancer’ file exists, the NPC does not actually appear in-game [NPC: Nightborne Chronomancer]. These tempomancers can increase others’ haste and rewind time to heal themselves [Spell: Tempomancer’s Grace, Spell: Celerity Zone, Spell: Rewind Wounds]. Time magic is also used to shorten the wine fermenting period of Arcwine, allowing the Nightborne to produce the magic wine at a rate much quicker than usual [Quest: How It’s Made: Arcwine].

Some Nightborne carry chronometers on their person [Item: Flashy Chronometer].

Warpcasting

Warpcasters can warp the very space around themselves [Quest: Network Security]. Warpcaster Thwen created a warp field around herself that redirected all attacks and spells, however this warp field failed when exposed to unstable space [Spell: Warp Armor, Quest: Network Security].

Warpcasting and telemancy may be related magical arts, since they both entail the ‘warping’ of space [Quest: Survey Says…]. Chief Telemancer Oculeth, who trained Warpcaster Thwen, gives out a buff called ‘Warpwalking’ that causes each kill to increase movement speed [Quest: Network Security, Spell: Warpwalking].

Thalyssra built a device to generate a warp-field that would trap and excite mana in a ley feed conduit, causing a manastorm [Quest: Ephemeral Manastorm Projector].

Telemancy

Telemancers specialize in teleportation, a form of magic known as telemancy. Although telemancers can teleport and cast portals freely, they prefer to use a system of telemancy beacons to stabilize their portals, making them much safer to travel through [Quest: Oculeth’s Workshop, NPC: Chief Telemancer Oculeth Dialogue]. Beacons do this by supplying power for teleportation triangulations, which makes portal calculations much more exact and, consequently, safe [NPC: Oculeth Dialogue, Quest: Bring Home the Beacon, Quest: Survey the City]. Placing too many beacons, however, has the adverse effect of overloading the telemancy network [Quest: Staging Point].

Telemancy beacons also reduce teleportation time. While mage portals take some time to cast, telemancy beacons foster instant transmission [NPC: Oculeth Dialogue]. Teleport pads and telemancy orbs, in addition to beacons, are other means of transport [Quest: The Delicate Art of Telemancy, Quest: Breaching the Sanctum, Item: Entangled Telemancy Orb]. Certain things, like magical wards and manastorms, create interference that prevent teleportation [Quest: All In].

To establish a portal, one must first use the beacon to survey any given area for optimal placement. After the beacon has been placed, a connection can be anchored to it, creating a stable two-way portal [Quest: Survey Says…]. Some beacons can also be used for one-way teleportation [Quest: Grand Theft Telemancy].

According to Chief Telemancer Oculeth, who created Suramar’s telemancy network, telemancy is a delicate art [Quest: Oculeth’s Workshop].

Other Nightborne telemancers include Apprentice Telemancer Astrandis and Third Telemancer Syranel [NPC: Apprentice Telemancer Astrandis, NPC: Third Telemancer Syranel]. 

Ley Lines

Ley magic is the very cornerstone of Nightborne society. According to Arcanist Valtrois, ley lines are rivers of raw arcane energy running beneath the land. Although they are at times chaotic and difficult to control, the Nightborne have become adept at drawing power from them [Quest: Feeding Shal’Aran]. The convergence of ley lines in Suramar feeds power to the Nightwell, which in turn sustains the Nightborne [Quest: A Dance With Dragons]. This unique relationship, combined with centuries of ley line research, has given the Nightborne power over the ley lines.  

Suramar City was constructed on top of a nexus of ley lines that extend beyond the city proper into outlying regions like northern Azsuna. The Arcway, a vast labyrinthine network of tunnels, was built thousands of years ago under the region of Suramar for the purpose of tapping into and channeling the power of those magical ley lines [Quest: Tapping the Leylines]. At some point following the sundering, the Arcway was abandoned after a disaster disrupted mana collectors operating there [Quest: The Arcway: Opening the Arcway]. This is why all ley line feeds require an infusion of mana to operate properly [Quest: Leyline Feed: Falanaar Depths].

The Nightfallen maintain Ley Stations in the Arcway using ley line feeds, large pillars that channel the ley lines. These ley line feeds are topped with leydar dishes, which collect ley energy [Quest: Leyline Feed: Ley Station Moonfall]. The circuit at Tel’Anor’s Ley Station was broken and had to be mended by recharging the chamber’s seals using a high and low potency current in tandem [Quest: Power Grid]. Oculeth owns several personal coils for tapping into the ley lines [Quest: Oculeth’s Workshop].

By placing ley line taps on key points of any given ley line, one can direct the ley line’s flow of energy [Quest: Unbeleyvable]. A ley line stream powerful enough can vaporize anything [Quest: Feeding Shal’Aran, Quest: Flow Control]. However, just as much as it can destroy, arcane energy from the ley lines can also repair physical damage [Quest: Leyline Feed: Ley Station Aethenar, Quest: Leyline Feed: Ley Station Moonfall]. A plant called Manaroot that grows underneath ley lines in Suramar possesses healing properties and can be made into a salve that heals wounds [Quest: Soothing Wounds, Quest: Salvation].

Valtrois casts a buff called ‘Leyline Mastery’ that causes the wearer to attract ley lines, triggering ley line rifts to appear [Spell: Leyline Mastery].

Shal’dorei silk has some ley energy woven right into it [Quest: Runic Catgut].

Nightborne society is full of all sorts of people dedicated to studying the ley lines, from Ley Line Channelers and Ley Line Researchers to Duskwatch Ley-Wardens [NPC: Ley Line Channeler, NPC: Ley Line Researcher, NPC: Duskwatch Ley-Warden]. There is a specific class of mage, known as Ley Walker, that specializes in ley line magic, however it is an RPG only class and cannot be considered canon [RPG: More Magic & Mayhem, pg. 20-22]. Although Arcanist Valtrois is an arcanist, she is clearly vested in the ley line arts, as she has been studying ley lines for millennia, and could be considered a ‘ley walker’ of sorts in her own right [Quest: Unbeleyvable].

Astromancy

Astromancy is undoubtedly just as important in Nightborne society as any other school of magic, however there are very few specific details about Nightborne astromancy, perhaps because it is so subtly woven into the very fabric of Nightborne culture.

Before the War of the Ancients, criminals of any import from Suramar were usually imprisoned in Black Rook Hold; very few ended up incarcerated in the city’s own small, meager prison [The Well of Eternity, Chapter Twenty-One]. After Elisande and the Highborne erected the protective shield over the city, effectively cutting it off from the rest of the world, they saw fit to punish criminals with exile rather than incarceration. Unfortunately, because any Nightborne without sources of mana to feed upon would undoubtedly wither away, exile was considered a death sentence.

The Terrace of Order serves as Suramar City’s current center of justice. The Nightborne do not have a formal jail, since they typically exile criminals, but they do imprison lawbreakers within containment fields and put them on display in public to serve as a deterrent to others [Quest: Waxing Crescent, Quest: Friends in Cages]. These containment fields can be lowered with the control orbs that guards carry on their person [Item: Control Orb, Item: Thoramir’s Control Orb].

The most common cause for exile is treason - or conspiracy to commit treason - but many other reasons have also been cited, such as: sedition, vandalism, bribing an official, aiding and abetting a fugitive, theft, and possession of a controlled substance [Object: Plaques]. After Elisande made her deal with the Legion, bringing down the shield and giving the demons access to the Nightwell, numerous Nightborne were exiled simply for speaking out against her decision [Quest: Lingering on the Edge, NPC: Runas the Shamed Dialogue].

As tensions began escalating between the Legion, the Nightfallen rebellion under Thalyssra, and Elisande’s loyalists, harsher punishments were doled out to maintain the crumbling social order and route out Thalyssra’s forces. Tensions developed to such a point that even those who had committed no crime were severely punished. Margaux, who oversaw arcwine production, was charged with sedition and sentenced to death for “undermining” Overseer Durant’s authority, even though her only crime was intervening to prevent a guard from beating one of her workers [Quest: Reversal, Quest: How It’s Made: Arcwine]. Elisande’s loyalists went so far as to imprison children and kill innocents, massacring dozens in the Waning Crescent simply because of Vanthir’s involvement in Thalyssra’s rebellion [Quest: Special Delivery, Quest: Friends in Cages, Quest: Missing Persons, Quest: More Like Me, Quest: Crackdown]. Elisande intended to make an example of both Vanthir and Ly’leth Lunastre, who served as Thalyssra’s agents on the inside. Vanthir himself was to be executed on the Terrace of Order in order to dissuade Nightborne citizens from rebelling, while Ly’leth was imprisoned and held captive by Spellblade Aluriel in the Nighthold [Quest: Waxing Crescent, NPC: Ly’leth Lunastre Dialogue].

...is Officially Over!

What was Nightborne Lore Month?

For the entire month of June, I gave everyone an in-depth look at everything Nightborne from their history and culture to the very people who make up the Nightborne themselves. I delved into Nightborne lore in a series of posts dedicated to not only revealing random facts, but also going into more detail about certain aspects of Nightborne culture, both past and present.

What did I do?

Posts have been archived with the #Nightborne Lore Month tag. Otherwise, you can find them below:

On Nightborne: Language

On Nightborne: Law and Order

On Nightborne: Culinary Creations and Arcwine

On Nightborne: Craftsmanship

On Nightborne: Schools of Magic

You can also find other posts I’ve written on the Nightborne prior to Nightborne Lore Month here.

Will there be more in the future?

Nightborne Lore Month may be over, but that does not mean I’m done writing about the Nightborne. You are always welcome to ask me more questions, but even if you don’t, it’s highly likely that I will continue to write posts about the Nightborne in the future, especially if there’s ever new lore!

Unfortunately, I will be taking a break from Lore Months for the month of July, but Lore Month will be returning in full force in August! I want to take this next month as an opportunity to get ahead on my regular posts, devote more time to answering your questions, and work on personal projects that I’ve been neglecting for some time. This will allow me to focus on and deliver more content for future Lore Months, starting in August.

Herbalism and Cultivation

Tailoring

Leatherworking

Jewelcrafting

Artificery and Engineering

Herbalism and Cultivation

Suramar’s beautiful blooms are the work of the palace gardener, High Botanist Tel’arn. He spent the entirety of his life cultivating and studying flora, even going so far as to master the art of combining magic with the natural plant cycle. This allowed him and other Nightborne naturalists to magically grow and alter Suramar’s plant life [NPC: High Botanist Tel’arn Dialogue].

Because of aethril’s inherent magical qualities, if imbibed, it can stave off the Nightborne’s addiction for a time [Quest: Spayed by the Spade, Quest: Desperation Breeds Ingenuity]. Aethril’s pollination filaments and reproductive organs contain more energy than the rest of the plant put together [Quest: Spayed by the Spade]. Some withered eat the aethril to extract its energy, temporarily abating their addiction pangs [Quest: Desperation Breeds Ingenuity].

The Nightborne are known to enchant and ostentatiously decorate their herbalism spades [Quest: The Spade’s Blade, Quest: Jeweled Spade Handle].

Tailoring

Suramar’s esteemed tailoring guild is called the Leyweavers, perhaps because the very silk they create has a bit of ley energy woven right into it [Quest: Runic Catgut]. This organization, led by Leyweaver Azayna, used Elisande’s pact with the demons to their advantage. In exchange for supplies, they were given three demonic inquisitors to empower the Queen’s Grace Loom, a simple cloth-weaving loom made of alderwood and a few nails. With the aid of the inquisitors, the Leyweavers were able to weave demonically-imbued cloth (called imbued silkweave) of quality that far surpassed anything they’d made prior. They consider no price, even allying with the demons, too high if it means making a better robe [Quest: The Queen’s Grace Loom].

Many of the leyweavers come from esteemed lineages of Suramar tailors [NPC: Leyweaver Yaphisteia Dialogue].

Leatherworking

Suramar City had a small leatherworking guild, but most of its members were assassinated by former member and Nightfallen Stalriss Dawnrunner. He sought revenge on them for siding with the demons against him [Quest: Wrong End of the Knife]. 

Jewelcrafting

Lespin Silverleaf, one of Suramar City’s most prominent jewelcrafters, helped create the filigree on arcane lamps used throughout the city as one of his first tasks [Quest: All That Glitters]. Since then, he has gone on to make rings, ornamental weapons, and brooches for Suramar’s elite [Quest: An Artisan’s Mark, Quest: Estate Jewelry: Haute Claw-ture, Quest: Estate Jewelry: A Braggart’s Brooch]. Silverleaf only creates pieces for those above his standing to improve his reputation. He has hired outsiders in the past to repossess his works from Nightborne that have fallen in status, since he no longer deems them worthy of owning his works [Quest: Estate Jewelry: A Braggart’s Brooch].

Silverleaf once stole the design for the Magistrix Cut from Lady Anastae’s husband and had him killed so he could claim it as his own [Quest: The Master’s Legacy].

His works never tarnish, even centuries later [Quest: Estate Jewelry: A Braggart’s Brooch].

Apprentice Ardrias worked side by side with Silverleaf before his death. Since then, he has taken over the jewelcrafting business and claims that their jewelry is second to none [Quest: The Master’s Legacy]. He may be Ly’leth Lunastre’s cousin [NPC: Apprentice Ardrias Dialogue].

Artificery and Engineering

Nightborne artificers, led by craftsmen Master Artificer Nyell, specialize in creating Suramar City’s constructs [Quest: Nyell’s Workshop, NPC: Artificer Lothaire Dialogue]. They imbued the cores of just four constructs with rather powerful magical enchantments [Quest: Down to the Core]. These constructs, Oldus, Or’ell, Olmoore, and Oll’ison now act as guards and patrol the streets of Suramar City to ensure both safety and compliance. Some other constructs have personality matrices and are employed as the aristocracy’s personal servants [Dungeon Journal: Trilliax].

The high-end security constructs that patrol the noble district are equipped with warp-resistant alloys [Quest: Ephemeral Manastorm Projector].

The Nightborne have arcanic compressors, which can contain almost any explosion [Item: Arcanic Compressor]. Patrol Captain Gerdo of the Duskwatch owned one [Quest: Court of Stars: Revamping the Recoil].

The Nightborne haven’t produced bows in Suramar for centuries [NPC: Silgryn Dialogue]. Victoire suggests that the Nightborne never embraced the bow because they’re such primitive instruments compared to arcane magic [NPC: Victoire Dialogue].