The Question of the Blood Elves, and the Forsaken.

Two days ago, I visited the islands of Azuremyst, and Bloodmyst, for the very first time after constantly being denied passage on the only boat to the Exodar. While there, I did a few tasks for the new denizens of the island, who of course needed help with the environmental nightmare which resulted from the crash of the Exodar. On Bloodmyst, I assisted in the capture of a particularily notorious Blood Elf, known as Matis the Cruel. As I watched him walk to the image of his judge, the prophet Velen, I first thought of how despicable he was, not just for what he had done, but for things he had no control over. For the color of his skin, for the green twinge in his eyes, for his race. I, like many other Alliance members believed him to be malign due to his race. But then I heard Velen dole out Matis's crime, Genocide. Suddenly my perspective changed. Instead of seeing an evil Blood Elf, I saw a man, who was once a Night Elf, or whose parents might have been. Who lived with my parents, and thier neighbors. I saw a Night Elf who had lost his way. My parents were formerly Highbourne, as well as my sister, who nearly joined the High Elves in their departure. As I saw Matis taken back to his cell, I started to think about what might have been if my parents, and my sister did not go to the side of the Night Elves, and instead joined the High Elves. I would be fighting you all, in this vicious war, while you would judge me by the color of my skin, by the green twinge in my eyes, and by my race.

In a sense, I saw Matis's crimes reflected in our own cause. Our own determined cause to rid the world of the Blood Elves, and the Forsaken.

As you know, I am an advocate of peace. Time and time again, the question of the Blood Elves and the Forsaken has come up. All I seem to hear is why they can never be trusted, and why they must all be eradicated. I believe in peace with them too, and I believe the legacy of mutual hatred must end.

The big crime of the Blood Elves, is thier reckless addiction to magic. Mostly, my race which is a staunch believer in eradication. I take a less ideological view to the Blood Elves. I believe thier addiction can be cured, unlike many others, and that thier thirst for magic must be dealt with by moderation, not elimination. If magic were alcohol, would we consider it right to rid the Dwarves of ther beloved drinks, regaurdless of how much they actually drink? Knowing many Dwarves, I'd assume many would revolt against this idea. Now take this and apply it to the Blood Elves, and you see why I am not in favor of killing them all. Sure, they have an addiction, but you don't solve it by yanking the rug out from under them. You solve it through moderation. The Blood Elves may be reckless in thier use of magic, but does that mean that all magic is unforgivable? And if that is the case, then what justification is their for all magic users? Almost everyone in the Alliance will use some form of magic at some point in their lifetime. Including the night elves. Were we right to say to the High Elves that they were wrong in using magic? Are we wrong in killing Blood Elves for thier use of magic, when we turn around and use it ourselves? For a while, the Human Alliance saw this truth, and had the High Elves as a part of thier alliance. Humans and High elves, the very ones who fight each other today, faught side by side against a myriad of enemies. When the Night Elves landed in Lordaeron to pursue Illidain, we assisted the High Elves, and when Tyrande was in mortal peril, Illidain himself, along with Prince Kael'thas's Elves worked together, in combined effort against the Undead. Even the Naga were at our side. Then Garithos started a policy which we all have continued today, racism. After alienating the Blood Elves, they left, and became dissolusioned with the Alliance. Despite many attempts for peace and continued relations, the Alliance continued to shun the Blood Elves, which made them turn to the Horde. To this day, they still try to come back to the Alliance (an ambassador still stands at Nethergaurde keep), but we continue to ignore them.

Then there's the Forsaken, whose only crime was to be citizens of Lordaeron while Arthas began his mass killings. The forsaken broke free from Arthas's chains, and started a war against him. However, instead of helping the Forsaken find a cure for thier undeath, and helping them stop Arthas, we instead decided to make another enemy for ourselves, and attack them, completely forgetting that they are the former citizens of Lordaeron, who worked, ate, slept, toiled, and fought with the humans who now are coming to kill them. Former friends, former lovers, former brothers and sisters have now become enemies depending on thier luck. That forsaken person you used to know before the plauge is still the same person. He (or she) still thinks as they used to, and they still remember thier lives before the plauge. The only thing that has changed is thier leadership, thier landscape, and their anatomy. There's a good chance they still remember you. Imagine if you were a forsaken, when one day, your former best friend attacks you without warning. He calls you an abomination, an abberation of the light, a mongrel, a bastard, a filthy coward, an evil slime... and while you dodge his hammerblows, you think of when you were kids, when you once played hide and seek in your parent's cellar, when you skipped rocks across a tranquil pond, back before the plauge. The fact is, with the humans, and the forsaken, it's much like myself and the Blood Elves. I could have been one of them, and I know that many of them were probably good childhood friends of my sister, or my parents.

We can no longer cling to this dogmatic view of what the other side is. We need to make peace, and full peace at that. Our enemies are closing the vice around us, while we fight petty squabbles, and make excuses for why we cannot make peace. This must end, and soon before there is nothing left to hold onto, before we are all slaves of the legion.

OOC: *flinches* Aleria you are long winded, though I suppose attempting to argue makes me stubborn.

It is a question of race when it comes to the blood elves, though their appearance is makes them the "race" they are, and it is just a outward manifestation of their corruption. When you embrace a man dying of plague, even if you're intentions are pure, the plague will bring you down as well.

for the sake of argument let us assume that the blood elves can have their addiction to magic tapered to a controllable level, and the majority of the night elves forgives the crimes of the highborn. Who said that the blood elves want to give up the power that the magic has granted them. Then the problem of the blood elves is solved, and there is no problem with peace.

you mention that many of the alliance wield magic as well, and it that youre argument is valid. I fear for them as well, though as you mentioned earlier, alcohol is not nearley as dangerous when used in moderation. So as long as it remains under control, it is acceptable.

An undead comes into existance either as an animated corpse who's will is bound to the conroll of another. I suppose you believe that we should not fight the scourge, as they too are victims to the will of the Lich King. Do you believe that we should preach to them until their will becomes strong enough to join the forsaken? Their time came and they were prevented from the natural path. The forsaken intend to destroy the scourge, even if it means brining the rest of life down with them, and for that they must be stopped. Good intentions, as the Lich King needs to fall as well, though their meathod is not the right one. My point is that it is self defense on the alliances part to destroy the forsaken, which you have mentioned countless times as a justification for fighting and killing. I suppose ghost can be counted as well, and their spirits need to be put to rest.

Arguing that they upset the balance or that they should not exist does not seem to hold any sway in most crowds, but their presence will end us even if they are allies. Any attempt to cling to existance after one's time is one bound to fail and will sucumb to corruption. It is that way with the undead, the forsaken, and the new world tree if you haven't noticed.

If I ever join the ranks of the undead, do me a favor: seek me out and end it. Best do it quickly before I try to convince you otherwise. If I was still myself, I would have ended it on my own.

The first time that peace succeeded it took a profit and an apocolypse, and that was little more than a ceasefire to direct energies against the common foe. There were no blood elf or forsaken at the battle of Hyjal either. Then it was just overcoming the old hatered between Orc and Human. Best bargain for another ceasefire Aleria, for you must grow wings before attempting to fly, or else you will make a fool of yourself.

For clarification, there were high elves fighting in the battle of Mount Hyjal. Without them, the battle would have been lost, as they were at the time the alliance preist corps.

I'm talking strictly of the forsaken when I talk about the undead. Those who have broken free from the scourge's taint. Those who make their own decisions, and have made the decision to live on, rather than to be burned in a pyre. They want to live, even if it means going through thier curse. As far as the plauge goes, if we do make peace, then the Royal Apocethary Society (I'm sure you've seen them, they're Sylvanas's scientific corps.) could redirect their focus to finding a cure.

Arthas's scourge however, they are another story. They are under the direct control of Arthas, and so long as they under his control, they must be eradicated. The Forsaken too fight against the scourge as we do. In joining thier fight, we stand a better chance at defeating the scourge. The Argent Dawn knows this, and for that reason, they employ many forsaken to aid their cause. There's one at Light's Hope Chapel, and they fill the breach between thier lands, and the Western Plaugelands. Arthas must be defeated, he's shown multiple times he cannot be reformed. The scourge, the legion, and the silithid, our three primary foes, must be eradicated at all costs. Don't make me out for a fool, or a "peace at all costs" type of person, I do realize that the scourge are beyond saving. But the Forsaken, who are free of Arthas's grasp, must be on our side. Thrall has realized this, and he was smart to incorporate them into the Horde. Now it's our turn to extend the branch of peace, and cooperation. We may even be able to find a cure for the plauge, and transform them back into the humans they once were.

OOC: I know, I'm incredibly long winded, but I have a lot of points to make. I need to work on that.

OOC: And a long winded Night Elf + Stubbern Night Elf makes for a great read and discussion.