#» character study — ⌜moon soaked and dawn flavored.⌟

[eluntara]

i still don't have internet so i didn't manage to set up a carrd as intended :c for now, though, the relevant information is here

i. tyrande was the only daughter of fahlorn and ayla whisperwind. despite the peaceful times, her parents died when she was still young — attacked while outside the borders of azshara's realm. she was looked after by an aunt, mytaena blackstar, her mother's sister. she learned to hunt from her aunt, and quickly proved to be quite skilled at it. none of her family was highborne, neither were they talented with the arcane.

ii. she knows the stormrages since childhood, and anyone who knew them as children would describe the trio as attached by the hip. wherever one of them was spotted, you were certain to find the other two soon after. they were her best friends, her closest friends, the only ones who knew her entirely and completely with no barriers whatsoever, and she loved them both — though given their more similar nature, illidan and tyrande were likely often leading the way into trouble with malfurion trailing after.

iii. when it was time for them to choose their paths, tyrande had no doubt it was priesthood she would choose. her choice was not made out of unyielding faith as much as it was because that was the path that suited her purpose. both a protector at heart and hopelessly incapable of staying outside of action, she sought the sisterhood of elune — to protect others. specially the ones she loved. while malfurion found himself similarly at ease in druidism and wishing the other two to follow him, she never had any true interest in the druidic arts. illidan, the one who remained lost as to which path to follow for longest, would have received nothing but support and reassurance from her. when he found his calling in the arcane, she was as content for him as she had been for malfurion.

iv. the sisterhood took adapting to. it was the first time she didn't have illidan and malfurion with her, and she felt their absence greatly, but she did make new friends among her sisters fairly easily. tyrande showed great affinity for the moon goddess from the start, having a stronger bond to elune than many other, older priestesses. while most rejoiced, there were those envious of her, specially when the high priestess, dejahna, took her under her wing.

v. always worth noting the sisterhood of elune is not like human priest orders. their role in the war of the ancients was so significant because they were both elite troops and healers. they were trained for combat as well as for healing, and tyrande was a skilled hunter even before becoming a priestess.

vi. on the thorny subject of the love triangle: i don't? really see it? as a love triangle? tyrande cared for both of them as friends. she didn't love either of them romantically irrevocably, and if any of the two, i feel she leaned more towards illidan than malfurion, but more importantly, there was a lot of pressure on her related to her making a choice because they were adults and everyone expected her to pick one of the two as her mate. regardless of the choice she'd make, that would have featured heavily on why she chooses at all. still, i think she was closer to illidan, and that this is part of why she only chooses malfurion after the war. in many ways, illidan removed himself from being a choice because tyrande wouldn't agree to the lengths he went for his goals — considering, back then, she still had faith in a better path being possible that did not require the sacrifices he would make.

also relevant to note that i think, in many ways, she feared for him, and that i think all throughout the war tyrande would never have turned her back on him, as seen in the fact she does try to reach out and help him find another path when magic addiction takes its toll on him. which is not to say she didn't care for malfurion, only that i don't think they understand each other as innately as her and illidan did. malfurion is more distant (be it because his concerns lay elsewhere, because he doesn't know how to deal with his crush on her, or whatever other reasons) and often sees things differently (he's critical even of the priestesses fighting, in the books, which is :| ). but ultimately he was also the "safer" choice, still someone she cares about, still someone who knows her better than almost anyone and who she'd trust with everything she has. there's no stating the depth of her hurt when, having trusted that, she's left on her own after the war, without anyone she cares for who really knows her, with him purposefully choosing to leave even though she asks him not to.

vii. which ties into the fact she never ever wanted to be a leader, not even within her own order, much less of her entire people. she was thrust into this role unwillingly, and she embraced it because she loves her people and wanted to protect them. ultimately, though, being high priestess and being without the two people she had always had in her life who she was closest to, and having to deal with war and adversity, all of that hardened her greatly. tyrande was always passionate and decisive and even stubborn, her determination and intensity often leading her to act rashly. but she's not unwise, nor is she uncaring, even if she can be quite ruthless when it comes to protecting her own.

viii. shandris is her daughter. it doesn't matter to her at all she's not her biological daughter, and the fact malfurion was asleep for thousands of years, as well as that he doesn't seem to get that initially, suggest to me that regardless of their relationship as a couple shandris... isn't as much their daughter as she is tyrande's daughter.

ix. i think her distrust of magic following the world almost ending due to her people's misuse of it is in part why she feels betrayed by illidan's actions and decision to try to recreate the well of eternity. that said, while i think she agreed with his punishment being imprisonment, i don't think she would have supported how it was done. maybe it was an oversight on her part, but i think it's also a very emotional reaction, that she didn't want to see him after that. he was her closest friend, and she closed up in face of that disappointment. she left it in other people's hands, and she never doubted malfurion would ensure illidan would be treated fairly, even if that was not what happened.

for ages, she's unaware of whether he's alive or dead. the lack of visits on her part, even after thousands of years, strikes me as odd; specially with how lonely she feels while ruling her people alone. i do think the state of his imprisonment, as well as his status, may have been kept from her — either by maiev, malfurion, or both. in wc3, she seems surprised to find his prison, and she doesn't know what the door to it is until she's told, after which she immediately says they should release him. when she orders the wardens to do so and they refuse, tyrande outright kills them to free him. and while her words suggest illidan is meant to be used as a weapon, i don't think she'd have wanted to free him for that reason, and rather that that's only what she uses as excuse. she wouldn't have killed her people to free him if she didn't care. deep down, it was also about freeing her friend, which is obvious in how much faith she has that illidan will show he has more than earned his freedom.

x. she rebuilds the sentinels to ensure her people will have enough of a defense, specially after they renounce the magic they relied on for so long during azshara's reign.

xi. have i mentioned how lonely she is after the war of the ancients when she doesn't have her closest friends and people look up to her as a savior and holy person and not just a person and she has no one she can rely on while everyone relies on her. have i mentioned how lonely it is, how much it hurts, that she has to remain strong and confident because that's what others need of her. because. that's an important thing.

xii. the differences between tyrande and malfurion are greatly exacerbated when he and the druids are awakened after the long vigil. when she says 'Long ago, I swore to protect this land, Malfurion. I never had the luxury of sleeping through times of great peril.', it's sharp and it's honest. she's aware of the druids' strength and the emerald dream's importance, but she's had to deal with hardship all this time in the real world. and there's also resentment, for sure, towards his choice to leave her when their people needed them to rebuild and she had needed him most. like... that five minutes later he's trying to forbid her from freeing illidan doesn't make it better, 'only the goddess may forbid me anything' etc.

xiii. when illidan inevitably chooses to become even more demon to fight the demons, she isn't sure she made the right choice in freeing him. i do think she has a hard time believing all that change doesn't change who he is, but i don't she hates him for sacrificing his very soul to protect their land. i think she doesn't understand completely, and i think she grieves. she does think her friend is lost.

xiv. she's so distrustful of orc and humans. she'd work with neither given the choice and it's really only desperate need that makes her willing to work with thrall and jaina.

xv. when illidan comes back attacking maiev and malfurion goes deal with him, tyrande 100% goes too because she feels responsible, since she freed him. but honestly she's team fuck maiev all throughout ksndfkjsdnfkjsn and if not for malfurion interfering, i do think she'd have tried more forcefully to stop maiev from pursuing illidan after he saved her and things were okay ish between them.

xvi. while this changes through the years, tyrande is deeply compassionate. she's not someone who ignores those in need. it's why aiding kael was an obvious thing for her to do, regardless of what maiev thought.

xvii. tyrande was in stormwind when teldrassil was first attacked. her immediate desire was to go and join the battle, and the only reason she did not was due to a plea from the messeger that first brought her the news. she was asked to stay instead and receive the refugees of her people, so they would find at least one familiar presence to welcome them. nevertheless, eventually she did go to teldrassil to aid those who yet remained.

xviii. her choice to spare saurfang would be regretted later, but it was rooted not only in the orc having spared malfurion's life, but that he was one of the main generals leading the attack. at that point, she knew at least a portion of her land would be lost, and she hoped granting mercy to him would in turn lead him to have the horde show mercy on any of her people who didn't leave teldrassil in time. that the world tree would be burned was unthinkable to her, even in a dire moment like that.

xix. tyrande has led her people through great loss before, but by this point she is fundamentally changed, and the cruelty that act showed only makes her more merciless. she knows the night warrior ritual is dangerous, and that it'll have a great cost, be it her life or her very soul, and she doesn't care. she'll gladly pay it, as long as it gives her the power to get the justice for her people no one will help them achieving.

xx. the night warrior is initially presented as one of elune's own faces, a warrior facet that the goddess' followers associate with bravery, but others, like malfurion, look at with fear. later, maiev describes the night warrior as the incarnation of the goddess' wrath. when tyrande makes the ritual, she calls upon elune for justice, vengeance and certainly no lack of fury. i do think she resents elune for not protecting her people and teldrassil, and i think tyrande resents it even more because elune continues to heed her requests immediately while letting her people die.

xxi. either way, i don't think those are fundamentally incompatible portrayals and hold both to be true, as there are reasons for the different views on what the night warrior was. but from that point onward, i don't follow canon. i'm not at all interested in the narrative it was too much power for her to handle or that harming people who severely harmed you is being just like they are. what i will write the night warrior as is a corruptible force, which tyrande is only able to use in the first place because of her attunement to elune and the fact her own feelings were already well aligned with the goddess' wrath. however, the change inevitably enhances those feelings, as well as makes her inevitably bound to spill the blood of the enemies of her people. it is a darker turn, and one of which there's no going back, but it does not cause her to lose herself entirely. she is still capable of great love, even if not of the same compassion she displayed in the past. but then again, would that change in face of what she suffered, even without the night warrior change?

xxii. were elune to reveal she purposefully let the kaldorei die to help sb in shadowlands, tyrande would renounce her deity entirely. as of bfa she already had big issues with elune, and that would be the last straw. purposefully letting her people die is grounds for god killing tbh

xxiii. anyway i need better structured/more in depth stuff for where she'd be currently, but the tldr of it while i'm mobile bound is that she remains the night warrior, elune is on thin fucking ice, and the night elves would have either left the alliance officially or fractured further, with those under her leadership leaving the faction behind. the alliance did nothing in their hour of need, and helped the horde deal with yet another problematique warchief instead. tyrande will not forgive that, and shandris alone cannot make amends. both factions only brought her people trouble and she wants both sides dead for the most part. she would maintain good relationships with gilneas, as well as some of the other races, but humans and forsaken alike can disappear from the face of azeroth for all she cares

xxiv. i think there is something of supernatural in her after becoming the night warrior, in a very 'vengeance spirit' esque manner, except she's alive and bound to an entire people. i like to think it did make her a sort of eternal being that will always watch over her people and bathe in the blood of their enemies, but that's just a thought for now

[warwaged-moved]

do you ever think about the fact ty.rande wasn’t prejudiced from the start, and that back in the wota trilogy she actively defends brox.igar, an orc, even though the other elves treat him like an animal, and that she does everything she can to help him? I think about that a lot....  and about her being able to be on friendly terms with thr.all even after the orcs and the nelves clashed...

do you ever think about how war changed that over time, to the point after garro.sh’s reign as war.chief, during his trial some of the arguments she presented were against the entire race and not only his actions? do you ever think that even then, seeing them as enemies alone, she still did not see them as dishonorable, to the point her bet in the war of thorns was that saur.fang would repay her mercy with mercy towards her people? do you ever think about how after teldrassil burned, even that changed and none of her original good will to them remains? do you ever think about how the only reason she did no harm to thra.ll (and c.alia and b.aine) in sh.adows rising was because of their past friendship? I have many thoughts about all of that... 

[warwaged-archive]

but also since I’m talking faction conflicts I think it’s a fine moment to point out tyrande, night warrior or not, will NOT forgive the horde for what they did. not my take on her at least, because her resenting them and being out for blood is just so very in character for her without any ‘power corrupts’ nonsense or whatnot. 

tyrande can be nurturing and caring and loving and gentle but she’s also ruthless and blunt and harsh. what you see of her has always depended on who you are, way before teldrassil. she holds grudges for thousands of years, but she’s also someone who is always giving her everything to people who are on her side.

when it comes to the horde, tyrande has long stopped believing peace would ever be possible. when varian decides not to go after the horde, this is her stance on it: that’s all fine and good for now, but it won’t last. she was capable of working with the horde when necessary, but she was never friendly towards them, and the friendly relationships she’s formed with some of them (thrall) are an exception. 

tyrande has lived long enough she’s unable to believe everyone can change for the better. some people can, yes, but hoping all of them will become better is naive in her opinion. and sometimes that naivety just has too high a price for an attempt to be worth it. 

she didn’t go out of her way to destroy the horde before, but she most certainly does after teldrassil. it is in part why she becomes the night warrior in the first place, not a result of it. I’ve said it like a thousand times before but my take on her is that unless you were not with the horde when teldrassil burned (like thrall) the only way she wants to see you is dead. she will not forgive, and she will not forget, and sylvanas is not the only one to be blamed as far as tyrande is concerned. if you were with the horde and didn’t go against her, then you were part of that too and tyrande would like to see you dead in the bloodiest possible way.

still, her stance has shifted from embracing the entirety of the alliance as her side since teldrassil too. like I said, tyrande gives herself a lot to those who are on her side. since becoming part of the alliance, she’s spared no effort to stand for them. but what she received in return hasn’t gotten even close to it, it was less than the bare minimum. 

gilneas she still counts as close allies, but for the most part it’s only the kaldorei she’s concerned with now. if stormwind was so eager to hold saurfang’s hand and side with the horde, they can go to them when they next need help.

[archaeoelysion]

(IC ask will soon follow, but hi I’m consuming content) So we all know that Blizz has made some bad choices with Tyrande in more recent times, but it’s made me wonder: is there anything of Tyrande’s backstory/history/base canon that you wish they had done differently, changed specific details of or foregone entirely or even replaced with anything in specific? Picking your brain a bit. <3 (Aka, it’s talk to me about Tyrande time)

ASK ME ABOUT MY MUSES!! LITERALLY ANY TIME!!!

⁘ @iniziare​

Illidan and Malfurion and the love triangle!!! Not necessarily the two in the love triangle alone.

I think, generally speaking, canon says Tyrande and Illidan used to be close friends, as close as she was to Malfurion before that relationship turned romantic, but we never see it in practice, and I think that hurts the way their relationship is presented in general. But, more than that, it’s difficult to believe it and believe Tyrande would sincerely have allowed him to be treated as weapon, and genuinely not cared for him, as a person, upon breaking him out of jail. I think it’s very in character for her to say she doesn’t care when he asks (Tyrande is stubborn and complicated and very very guarded with her feelings in front of certain people, which can lead to her presenting herself as somewhat antagonistic -- and Illidan, after being imprisoned, is certainly someone she’d act that way towards), but I don’t think it is in character at all for her to genuinely not care. 

When writing her, I always thought it made more sense that part of her motivation to get him out of prison was not just his power and how useful it’d be to have him around, but really, because she never meant to leave him in prison forever and really really believed he could change and do the right thing and maybe had some hope he could go back to his people (and to her). Because Tyrande never struck me as someone who would use others, while she was always shown as very attached and caring towards those who are close to her heart, no matter what -- something that the lengths she goes to in order to free him (killing other night elves!! in pretty much the only stance she does it, too) definitely also suggest.

In that same way, I think her relationship with Malfurion also needed to be fleshed out better. She loves him deeply, but I feel that’s never as well developed as it should be, and I think there’s also issues between them that are presented and never addressed. The way she acts towards him in WC3, when he comes back and she’s clearly upset (she pokes at him for his absence several times! very sharply!) and how that never... really goes anywhere. Because she loves him and all is forgiven even though his choices hurt her, so that never makes a difference when imo it is something that’d have huge impact in a relationship. 

I have other issues with things that come later, but I think from the start, they never did a great job of showing that Malfurion really cared for her (the WotA trilogy adresses it as ‘Illidan was obsessive and saw her as a prize while Malfurion is good and caring’ but Malfurion is also sexist and the story itself doesn’t make it seem that she’s not a reward for him bc he’s good sooo). I think her relationship to the Stormrages, individually and in the love triangle context, really should’ve been better developed.

Her romantic feelings towards them honestly feel like they vary depending on the source (WC3 seems more like she had, at some point, a real conflict about being possibly interested in those two men who were her closest friends; WotA trilogy makes her love for Malfurion obvious from the start). I personally prefer the WC3 version, although I’m generally very iffy about love triangles. Above all I think her feelings and why she feels them should matter more in this context than they do in whichever version.

Other than that, I don’t really have many issues with her characterization early on. Young Tyrande becoming a priestess to protect people, specially those she loves, is one of my favorite things. Her devotion and faith and passion in all things are all qualities I enjoy. I love that she’s compassionate to Kael’thas despite the divergence between his people and hers. I love her history as a priestess and a leader and honestly, WC3 Tyrande is one of my favorite versions of her ever. I really think other than the Stormrages and her relationship to them there’s not much I’d have changed with one other exception: I think with everything she does in the story, she should be the kaldorei’s sole leader, as she was for many years without Malfurion. For the most part, I really think those bits just had to be better developed -- but I’d honestly be okay with her and Malfurion not having got together at all, after he chooses the Emerald Dream over her. 

[warwaged-archive]

What would Tyrande's reaction be concerning members of the Horde that openly opposed the destruction of Teldrassil?

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MUSES // thanks for indulging me Steph ♡

It would be very different from her attitude towards the Horde as a whole. Ultimately, Tyrande’s resent is so generalized because that’s not something that happened --- people either actively took part on it or passively watched as it happened, and neither of those is good enough. Standing and watching does not excuse them, and frankly, even before Teldrassil burned, the Horde’s entire plan was based on deception to attack Teldrassil and take Darnassus when it would be mostly civilians, which is not something Tyrande takes kindly to either. War is war, and innocent people do lose their lives, but to actively try to attack a city when  you led its defenders to be somewhere else and the people there don’t actually fight those wars, when the actual warriors are somewhere else because of your plan, it’s cowardly and cruel. There is no honor in that, and while Tyrande doesn’t go around preaching about honor like some people,  it was absolutely something she valued. Like, she never believed in peace with the Horde, but neither did she think the Alliance had to hunt them and wipe them out; they were enemies, but it was different from like, the Legion, which really is just an enemy to be defeated. She held some respect for them, in spite of everything. Post-Teldrassil, there is none.

And furthermore, even towards someone who wasn’t part of either of those things, if after that they still consider the Horde worthy and still embrace it and are part of it, well, she won’t hesitate to fight them either. The only difference would be she’s a lot more amenable to them than to those who did nothing, and to some extent she’d still be willing to listen and/or talk depending on the situation (and their approach), but if it comes down to a fight and they’re with the Horde, she’ll have no regrets about killing them too.

As to how she’d react in the moment, if they opposed it there and then, I think immediately nothing really changes, because Tyrande is concerned with her people then, with their safety, and even fighting the Horde is secondary to that --- it’s getting as many civilians they can out of there, saving as many of the few soldiers who bravely defended Ashenvale and Darkshore and Teldrassil as possible. In Elegy, it’s shown she accepts Darnassus is lost before the tree burns, although she believed it would be conquered and occupied, and as much as this hurts her, it is still secondary to the wellbeing of her people and the grief she already feels for anyone who’d have to stay in a city conquered by the Horde. And then and there, when the World Tree burns, it’s still people she’s most concerned with.

Nevertheless, regardless of how successful they were in trying to prevent the destruction of Teldrassil, it would likely make her somewhat less extreme in her views on the Horde post-Teldrassil. Because as is, Tyrande does think they should all be wiped out, because they’ve tried tolerance and coexistence, and look where it got them --- Gilneas was conquered by Forsaken, Teramore was brutally destroyed, Teldrassil was targeted with cruel and cowardly attack. And it’s not to say what came before is less important, but rather that specially in regards to Teramore, which was destroyed in what was a war crime more than just war, I feel like there’d be the wish to consider the Horde as a whole maybe really wasn’t to blame, as it so directly resulted from Garrosh’s actions and everyone knows how Garrosh ended up. But with Teldrassil there’s no excuse for that. Sylvanas was the leader, but the Horde was not kept in the dark. Saurfang, who was considered one of their most honorable warriors, helped plan the attack on night elf civilians. There is no excuse that can be made here, it’s not a few of them, it’s everyone, even those completely different like Sylvanas and Saurfang, and how can there be tolerance after that?

But I say somewhat less extreme because, ultimately, they’d have agreed with this plan, even if they didn’t agree with the World Tree being destroyed. So it’s like, in her eyes, it’s doing the bare minimum, because regardless of the Horde’s conflict with her people, Teldrassil in itself, as well as the huge amount of life there well beyond night elves, as they were not the only race residing on the World Tree, it’s a lot more than even her people, it’s an unspeakable crime against the world and against nature, and so it is something everyone should try to prevent, in her eyes. But even if it is the minimum, clearly lots of people didn’t feel it was reason to try to stop the destruction of Teldrassil even then, so isudhsiahiudhfiau I think in the end she would acknowledge that effort and still hold some respect for those who tried, because for the rest of them she has only hatred and resent and disdain. This, however, doesn’t change that they’re still enemies and still attacked civilians, and she’d still murder them for that. If they were against both then she’d be more tolerant, perhaps.

[warwaged-moved]

* tag drop: tyrande whisperwind.

‣ muse { tyrande whisperwind } —  ❝ MOONLIGHTED. ❞ ‣ character study { tyrande whisperwind } —  ❝ MOON SOAKED AND DAWN FLAVORED. ❞ ‣ isms { tyrande whisperwind } —  ❝ THE MOON ALWAYS SHINES IN TIMES OF DARKNESS. ❞ ‣ in character { tyrande whisperwind } —  ❝ FAVORED BY THE GODDESS. ❞ ‣ aesthetic { tyrande whisperwind } —  ❝ MOONLIGHT IN HER HANDS. ❞ ‣ physique { tyrande whisperwind } —  ❝ IF THE MOON SMILED SHE WOULD RESEMBLE YOU. ❞ ‣ dynamics { tyrande whisperwind & elune } —  ❝ MOTHER MOON NEVER FAILED TO HEED HER PRAYERS. ❞ ‣ dynamics { tyrande whisperwind & illidan stormrage } —  ❝ HER GREATEST MISTAKE. ❞ ‣ dynamics { tyrande whisperwind & malfurion stormrage (aenconsilium) } —  ❝ TAKE MY HEART WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO. ❞ ‣ dynamics { tyrande whisperwind & malfurion stormrage } —  ❝ I HAVE LOVED YOU FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. ❞ ‣ dynamics { tyrande whisperwind & shandris feathermoon } —  ❝ NOT ALL BONDS ARE IN BLOOD. ❞ ‣ dynamics { tyrande whisperwind & sylvanas windrunner (shoresofacheron) } —  ❝ LOVE ME LIKE THE MOON INTENDED. ❞ ‣ dynamics { tyrande whisperwind & maiev shadowsong } —  ❝ SHE BECAME VENGEANCE ITSELF. ❞

[warwaged-archive]

Does Tyrande like chocolate

(     *     VALENTINE’S DAY ALPHABET   ! 

C   :   CHOCOLATE.   does your muse like chocolate? which one is their favourite?

Not particularly! She likes it but she doesn’t love it, and I’d say she’s pretty selective. Anything that’s too sweet just isn’t for her. Dark chocolate is her favorite.

[warwaged-archive]

the sun and the moon for whoever you want to talk about

the major arcana // accepting.

19.  the sun  :  in general, how optimistic is your muse ? does your muse appreciate the small things in life ?

Tyrande is not really optimistic anymore, even before becoming the Night Warrior. She most definitely was, a long time ago, when she was still young --- but thousands of years of life simply erased that with time, and eventually she learned to always expect the worse. One small example of that is her reaction to a truce; even when she was still willing to agree to it, Tyrande did not believe it’d become something more permanent.

Even though she is not an optimist, she does appreciate the small things, nevertheless. Things as small as the beauty of a flower or the refreshing feeling of the wind against your face when you’re riding very fast or having her beloved by her side or getting to hug her daughter --- the list could go own. 

Still, that is for Tyrande before Teldrassil burned. While her lack of optimism was only proved correct (again), I do think the grief and the rage made it a lot harder to appreciate the small things; while other things, that would maybe have been considered minor before, cannot be called small anymore. What happens to her land and her people makes her a lot more bitter, even before she becomes the Night Warrior.

18.  the moon  : what does your muse long for ? is it a realistic desire ?

She cannot have Teldrassil and all who were lost there back, she cannot have what was before back, but it is definitely something she longs for nonetheless, unrealistic as it is. Vengeance is the next best thing, so it is what she’s after --- it is a much more realistic desire, and all she can offer to those she failed to protect.

[warwaged-archive]

The first time Tyrande is mentioned in the book, and most notable other than the two scenes she actually appears in, is this one:

Tyrande and Malfurion had fled to Nordrassil, and all of his missives went unread. A messenger had returned that morning with his letter to them unopened. The man looked shaken, more so when Anduin told him firmly to leave, return to Nordrassil, and try again.

Which is only confirmation of what we already knew of her by the end of BFA rather than new information, both in that Tyrande does not accept the peace treaty and is not really in agreeable terms with Anduin

Anduin: The armistice is signed. At long last, the Fourth War is over. Tyrande: No. Not while the Black Moon still cries out for vengeance. Not until the Horde has answered for its treachery. Anduin: Further bloodshed will not bring back the fallen. We must renew our hope and forge a future for those who survived. Tyrande: And when the next warchief musters an army, will hope save you if it is Stormwind that burns? Anduin: I know it's difficult to trust, but there are signs of change within the Horde. Anduin: In place of a warchief, there is now a council led by Baine, Thrall, and the others. I believe they can-- Tyrande: Your faith is naive, lion son. I will sign no treaty unless it is written in the Banshee's blood!

and that she’s left for Nordrassil, as she notes she will do in a conversation with Shandris following the above one

Shandris: You spoke harshly to King Anduin, Tyrande. The kaldorei can ill afford to shun the Alliance. They have provided aid and comfort to us in these dark times. Tyrande: The young king is foolish to trust our enemies. Harsh words should be the least of his fears. Shandris: The Banshee Queen no longer leads the Horde. Those who do seem more inclined toward peace than war. Tyrande: If the wolf is rabid, it matters not who rides it. Sooner or later, the beast will bare its fangs. Shandris: You are dearest to my heart, Tyrande. I beg you, let go of the Black Moon's rage and embrace the mother's light once again. I could not bear to lose you to darkness. Tyrande: Know this. My hunger for vengeance will not be sated so long as Sylvanas Windrunner remains free--and until I know why Elune abandoned her children. Shandris: Tyrande! Do not say such-- Tyrande: I will tarry no longer in this city of men. Let us leave for the boughs of Nordrassil. Tyrande: From there we will dispatch the Sentinels to every corner of Azeroth. Let no one rest until the Banshee is found!

What happens with Anduin by the beginning of Shadows Rising, then, feels only like a natural continuity from that, in that he’s trying to reach out but she’s uninterested and won’t hear of it. In my opinion, that’s not only coherent, but also justified; she feels like the Alliance has failed her people, repeatedly -- both in denying them help in Darkshore, and now in agreeing to peace before giving them justice -- all the while uniting their forces to aid the Horde solve their problems with the Warchief. 

We don’t hear from her again until Thrall is discussing a visit to Nordrassil, in order to investigate the unrest the shaman are feeling with the spirits. Yukha, who’s been negotiating the meeting, tells him she agrees on the condition Thrall “must bring what is owed” and that he would know what she means. He doesn’t. Not entirely. He knows Tyrande and Malfurion will want retribution for Teldrassil, but he doesn’t know what he can give them, but he goes anyway, choosing to bring Baine and Calia with him. And then, when he actually goes, we finally see Tyrande. (And I liked a part of this one so much ! For the most part I liked it initially -- except for the very ending).  

Tyrande is there, sitting with Malfurion, Maiev and Shandris behind them. While Malfurion stands upon the Horde’s arrival, Tyrande does not. Thrall and company bow and he begins to speak of what brought them there, and he’s rather unsettled by the cold reception and lack of response, noting that Tyrande locked eyes with him and did not look away, and that as he spoke, none of them did even blink. He starts to feel impatient and insulted (lol thrall) and tries to hold back from answering poorly.

He looked into Tyrande’s eyes once more, into the hypnotizing aura of darkness in the never-cool embers of her eyes. That moment in Nagrand returned to him, when he tasted smoke and sensed a far-off pain. That pain was not so far off for her, it was constant and as potent as the day Teldrassil burned.

I like this quote in particular a lot, in spite of it apparently being a tiny thing. It brings to light how although those close and far may have felt sorrow and pain when the World Tree burned, Tyrande carries it with her the entire time. Others may be moving on, concerned with other matters, but she isn’t, and how could she? It may have been a day or three hundred, it is still recent to her, still fresh, constantly fresh, not something she can set aside, not something she can let go of, and not something she would let go of, given the choice --- it is what she owes those who burned, and it is what she owes those who lived. I like this bit, and the initial part with Baine, Calia and Thrall arriving, because to me it did a good job of showing that. To everyone, it’s a great tragedy, it’s horrible, but they’ve moved on. Calia and Baine arrive there taken by the natural beauty surrounding the World Tree, and are initially quite insensitive to the aura of mourning still surrounding the Night Elves. To them that pain is still real. It isn’t something they can just let go of, specially when they have yet to get any justice that may give them some closure.

“I brought what you wanted, what is owed,” Thrall said, and at last he saw a spark of life in her eyes. “I bring you the sincere apology of the Horde. We are not a single voice now spoken through the mouth of a warchief, but a whole host of voices. We have formed a council, so that never again will one take power and abuse it as Sylvanas did. As…as Sylvanas used that power to slaughter your people.”

Then Thrall says he brought her what was owed, and Tyrande demonstrates some interest, but what he brings is apologies and excuses and a bunch of “we’re trying to do better” stuff that isn’t what the Night Elves deserve after what they suffered. He speaks of Baine opposing Sylvanas, of Calia and Lilian trying to do better by the Forsaken, but throughout it all, Tyrande is unmoved.

Was he speaking to a wall? Would nothing move Tyrande? Even Malfurion gave him the smallest nod of understanding, perhaps only indicating that he was listening.

Although Malfurion’s willingness to in the least hear shows (and side note: I do appreciate how in this moment and later on Malfurion is portrayed as, while no less imposing, considerably gentler, because that’s what I’m here for), it is Shandris who then removes her helmet and speaks to Thrall and tells him it’s hard not to be distrusting of promises when even allies have failed to come through with them. Maiev, then, is her counterpoint, proceeding to tell her to listen at her peril, because she’ll end with daggers on her back. 

Although Tyrande doesn’t speak, Maiev is clearly more of her voice, here. It is when she says that that Tyrande shows some reaction again, an almost smile that suggests she’s in great agreement with Maiev’s distrust, with the voiced believe no matter what the Horde will end up betraying them again, hurting them again.

Maiev makes some very valid points, after that. That Sylvanas did not, in fact, act alone; that she acted for the Horde and spoke for them, that they are trying to disperse the blame and “hiding behind cowardly revisions of a history that will not be forgotten". This will be important later on, in comparison to Tyrande’s own stance on the matter.

The Horde gives the “mUsT iNnOcEnTs DiE fOr It To Be JuStIcE tO yOu” excuses a bit, although Thrall acknowledges Saurfang did indeed take part in planning the attack, if not burning the World Tree, but he is now dead by Sylvanas’ own hand and there’s nothing they can do in that regard. I like that it is at very least acknowledged, though, after we spent so long ignoring he had anything to do with it and blaming everything on Sylvanas aksjndfkajsndfkj

Shandris continues to be the most moderate voice from the Kaldorei side, suggesting they do not absolve the Horde for their crimes, but make a temporary understanding as to deal with the more urgent matters. Maiev continues to argue against her. Then we have this:

Tyrande, it seemed, still did not care to speak. 

The elf began plucking her lute again, but Tyrande slammed her hand down on the owl-shaped arm of the bench, demanding a return to silence. Had the moon grown bigger in the sky? Was it somehow closer? Threatening? 

“It was not yet time.” Malfurion’s grave baritone filled the clearing. He leaned down toward his wife, placing a furred, clawed hand on her shoulder. “This was folly. Let them go.” 

Tyrande uncrossed her legs and sat back on the bench, shaking off her husband’s hand with a tight grimace.

Here we have what I mentioned before, of Malfurion being portrayed as gentler of the two. When he notices her reaction, he tries to appease her even before Tyrande has indeed said anything, intervening on behalf of letting the Horde people go, but she’s clearly displeased by then, and very much unwilling to listen even to him, as her reaction shows. And then we have the very best part:

And then, all at once, she cared very much to speak. 

“When you have washed the bodies of a thousand kaldorei burned and broken, when you have fallen to your knees and kissed the feet of a thousand mourning souls, when you look into their eyes and tell them ‘our Horde has changed’ and they believe you, only then will I accept your apology and treat you as my equal.” Tyrande’s voice, edged as steel, pulled the air out of the clearing. “My brethren here may be willing to entertain your empty pledges of justice and aid, but I know better. I have learned better.” 

Then she stood, and Thrall worried that the moon might truly fall from the heavens and crush them at Tyrande’s command. Her eyes, though black, somehow glowed, Elune’s fury blazing colder and brighter along her skin with each word. The glade itself grew gray and almost dead, as if by her will she had sapped the life out of everything around them, withering the trees and obliterating the flowers and grass to dust.

“How many orphans did your Horde create that day?” Tyrande sliced the flat of her hand diagonally across her body. “Those children will grow, they will wake each morning tasting ash, and one day they will come for you. Oh, they will come for you, and they will make you taste that same ash, and then you will know their justice.” She sat down again, as if winded. Light returned to the clearing, and the plants around them were green and vibrant once more. 

“Quickly,” Yukha muttered, trying to gather them. “We must go. This was a mistake; I should not have brought you here.” 

Baine and Calia allowed Yukha to corral them back toward the path of glittering solid water. Thrall remained, only taking slow, careful steps, never showing Tyrande his back. For his trouble, Tyrande directed her final words to him and only him. 

“You will find that justice less sweet than the sorry excuse for punishment you faced, and when this justice comes, there will be no armistice to save you.”

Again, I love how it’s done because of how clearly it portrays that there is no healing for the Kaldorei as is, but I like Tyrande’s words most of all because of how they clearly say “You don’t get to decide what is enough justice. The victims are the only ones who can decide what is enough for them.” Apologies mean nothing to her, because she has no reason to believe they will hold true, and because even if they do, is it enough for those who suffered? Is it enough for those who survived, damaged and broken, their loved ones gone? Is it enough for those who burned? It may all be very honorable and just in theory, but what about practice? What did the Horde’s honor do to stop Sylvanas’ decision to burn the World Tree? If her own allies failed to heed her request for aid, why should Tyrande believe the promises of those who stood on Sylvanas’ side, and turned only when her actions begun to harm the Horde itself?

But even then, Tyrande’s mindset and her words are never about herself. It isn’t about her. Of course she mourns, and of course it wounded her; she is the leader of the Night Elves, and she failed to protect them. It is them, her people, her charges, they who matter --- those she failed, be it because they are dead or be it the survivors left with an everlasting mark and everlasting absences. 

And because of them, because she cannot fail them like that again, because she’s so hellbent on doing right by them now, apologies just won’t do it.

I love how the atmosphere surrounding them reflects Tyrande’s feelings, the moon closer and fiercer, her tone so sharp as to take the air from the clearing, her fury so searing as to appear to suck all life from a place previously praised by its nature and vitality. 

What she speaks next still carries very much the intent behind her former words. How can she accept apologies? Will apologies soothe those children who lived through it but lost so much and will have to live their entire lives with the memory of an unspeakable horror such as that? It won’t leave them. Apologies aren’t enough that they won’t remember the torment of hot flames, the taste of the ashes in their mouths. Apologies do not give them justice; but they’ll never stop wanting for it, needing it, to be able to, indeed, move on and perhaps heal. Until justice is done, however, that can’t be done. They can’t heal without it. There’s no moving on without it. And apologies are not justice. Promises of change are not justice.

She’s not making a threat. In a way, it is a promise, but not a threat. She’s not vowing to kill them all; she’s promising that they can pretend it’s all well and fine and they’ve done enough, but they haven’t and eventually that will catch up to them. 

And it will, Tyrande has no doubt of that. A council instead of a Warchief may prevent the same of happening again, but it doesn’t change what was done, it doesn’t erase it, it isn’t paying for what was done and doesn’t give them compensation in any way. Calia and Lilian leading the Forsaken in a different way may mean a different future for the Forsaken, but it doesn’t help the Kaldorei’s future, it doesn’t help them heal, it isn’t paying for what was done, it doesn’t give them compensation in any way. Baine trying to oppose Sylvanas well after Teldrassil burned may have been a step on the right direction, but it doesn’t change that when Sylvanas gave the order, that the Horde burned the World Tree, that they stood by her even after, that they only changed sides later on; it isn’t paying for what was done and it doesn’t give them compensation in any way. The Horde thinks it did enough, punishing the loyalists and setting up the means to prevent it from happening again, but to the victims at Teldrassil, how can that be justice? The Horde deciding the punishment their own should face, the victims having no voice, the victims receiving no compensation in any way, nothing that would give them closure? Of course it won’t be enough. Of course there won’t be closure. And of course they’ll eventually try to take it themselves, armistice or no.

Lastly, we have the scene closing with this exchange, that follows Thrall’s realization he was (an idiot) wrong to think apologies would be enough:

“I will bring what is owed, then. I will not bring words or promises, I will bring you the head of Sylvanas Windrunner.” 

The faintest trace of a smile appeared on Tyrande Whisperwind’s face. “Do it, then, or never seek to speak with me again.”

I don’t like it, because Thrall isn’t the one who has to kill Sylvanas. And here, I think it’s off that Tyrande would agree to these terms when it’s clear all throughout the previous part that it is important to her that the victims acknowledge it as justice, or it won’t truly be justice, and that the Horde doing it themselves isn’t it. Still, I don’t think her being agreeable is what’s wrong; I think it’s very much in accord to her stance throughout it, that she’d be agreeable to a promise she actually, truly acknowledges as possible justice for her people. If Thrall had promised her Sylvanas would face the Kaldorei’s justice, that he wouldn’t return empty handed not because he’d bring her head, but because he’d give the Kaldorei the opportunity to take it, then I think it’d be more coherent that Tyrande agrees to it.

And imo, if he really does it, meh. He shouldn’t be the one to do it, if Sylvanas does die. Nevertheless, my disagreement on that aside, Tyrande’s agreement is important: it shows she’s not unreasonable. She’s not refusing all compromise, refusing all chance to talk, vowing not to rest until every single Horde member is dead. She’s angry, and rightfully so; she’s terrifying, but she never threatened the Horde group there. She’s resentful and distrusting, and she does want blood, but she’s not after innocents, and she’s not even after those who could be implied alongside Sylvanas. Maiev earlier argued that Sylvanas didn’t act alone, and while I think she’s right, and while I think Tyrande thinks she’s right, Tyrande never voices that. Her desire for justice focuses on those who are to blame and unrepentant; spoken or not, this denotes she acknowledges the Horde’s attempt to change, in spite of her disbelief, and instead of focusing on the entire Horde as being guilty, she seeks justice to be taken from those who were direct cause, and who have taken no steps to make amends.

And I think that speaks a lot of her not being oblivious to Shandris’ point, that they need to not lose themselves, and that they need to heal. Tyrande is relentless in her pursuit for justice, and unwilling to let go of it, because that’s what the Kaldorei need. But her agreement that Sylvanas paying for it should be enough for her to be willing to talk to Thrall denotes that she knows they can’t pursue vengeance forever, that blood isn’t always the answer, that they need justice to heal but once it’s done they need to, indeed, try to move on and heal. (And I’m not talking about forgiving here, but merely turning away from bloodshed to focus on mending their own wounds).

Tyrande appears again in one more scene, by the end of the book, after the battle is done, and the Horde captures Sira, who Thrall then sends to Tyrande. It’s funny that here, he does pretty much what I said I think he should have promised in regards to Sylvanas: he captured her, yes, but he didn’t impose the Horde’s justice, and instead gave her to Tyrande so Tyrande did with her what she thought was suitable.  

But yeah, she gets to Stormwind with Maiev and Shandris, who “had insisted on coming along, perhaps sensing that Tyrande should not be left alone" which I think it’s pretty understandable since they didn’t know what the ‘gift from the Horde’ was, and what reaction it may cause, specially when in spite of not being unreasonable before, there is something of volatile in her now, perhaps due to how the power she has received impacts so heavily Tyrande but also her surroundings. 

They get there, see Sira, Tyrande recalls Thrall’s letter saying it isn’t yet what was owed but he hopes it’s a start, Sira rages and says Tyrande is a coward who does nothing even with the Night Warrior’s rage and power.

“I wish I could have done more to protect you,” Tyrande said, cold. “But some natures prove too evil to curb. Too ambitious to abide. Sylvanas has such a nature, and I will not forget that. You are her servant now, Sira, I have not forgotten that, either.”

This is a very important point because everyone else does not, apparently, care that Sira chose to serve Sylvanas.

Before I move on to that, it’s nice to notice that Tyrande shows no guilt in regards to Sira’s fate, which, in my opinion, is entirely understandable because of the before mentioned reason. She’s failed Sira, yes, and she wishes she could have protected her, yes, but Sira chose to side with the one who caused them all of that in the first place. She knew the horrors Sylvanas had already done, and she still followed. She knew her crimes were unforgivable, and she worked to further her plans. And because of that, Tyrande has no pity left for her, even though she was one of them before, even though she regrets her inability to have aided her in time. 

But Maiev and Shandris disagree and have plenty of pity left for Sira, and both make a plea for Tyrande’s compassion, Maiev citing an occasion when she had witnessed it before, accompanied by her stubbornness to give up on something she believed could still be saved. Tyrande replies she failed.

“How long did you try?” Maiev asked. “And would you try again? If you continue down this path, Tyrande, you will find yourself no better than Sira. She is in pain, can you not see it? She is in agony. The only relief comes from spilling blood. Is this what you want? To find your only comfort in the suffering of others?”

“And so I should do nothing?” Tyrande seethed. 

“That is not what I suggest and you know it. Listen, Tyrande.” Maiev went to stand beside Sira, a warden she had considered more than a friend. A sister. “I have lived as one consumed, and though there is no great love between us, Tyrande, I would not see you become what I was. What Sira is now. You are more than just rage and vengeance, you are more than simply the Night Warrior: you are a priestess and a leader. Can you not, as a priestess, take pity on this creature?”

I think Maiev throughout that scene sounds off, in that not only there’s this gentleness I have no idea where came from but just overall she definitely doesn’t sound like Maiev and her dynamics with Tyrande are also??? but other than Maiev, I have several issues with how this is played. The plea for compassion becomes a comparison between Tyrande and Sira, as if it was somehow comparable that this is the path she’s in, when the previous scene the book showed us, the meeting with Thrall, does not speak of it at all. Like I said, then she’s not portrayed as unreasonable, she’s portrayed as relentless in her pursuit of justice, disillusioned with promises, unwilling to forget, filled with righteous anger, but never unreasonable and lost to a dark path of blood and vengeance. Here, somehow, Maiev and Shandris argue that she is, because of her initial choice to end Sira --- ignoring that Sira, although a fallen comrade, became a willing follower of the one who initially caused them so much misery, the one they wish to bring justice to, the one who caused Sira to be what she became. Sira shows no remorse at all throughout the book, and is, in fact, considerably vicious and bloodthirsty, delighting in cruelty for the sake of it, only wishing for the death toll to be as high as possible (much more so than, for example, Nathanos, who should wish for it if only for how it strengthens Sylvanas, but never goes out of his way for the sake of killing or cruelty). 

She doesn’t kill Sira, but she gives her a cut, and we have this:

She was the Night Warrior, revenge made flesh, but now with that one shallow cut, she felt suddenly, horribly alive again.

Which is???????? I don’t even know, given that the book itself shows Tyrande is clearly feeling, and not simply anger. How isn’t she, when you have Thrall himself notice her pain for Teldrassil never left, that is is as fresh as when the World Tree burned?

I think the pleading her for mercy, specially coming from Shandris, could be valid. I think Shandris showing concern that Tyrande is losing the softer side of her would be very valid, if it was coherent with what we saw of Tyrande so far speaking of it also. Speaking to her, asking her to look at things as a priestess, to remember how compassionate she was, would all be very valid; I just think this wasn’t the situation to do it, not how it was done, and not with the previous scene. Towards someone different, I may agree, but Sira has plenty of crimes of her own, beyond the fate she didn’t chose, and to say Tyrande’s decision here accounts for her loss of compassion doesn’t seem fitting at all, specially when the other scene has her willing to talk to a representative of the Horde and accept his offer of justice (no matter how much I disagree with that). 

In spite of it, she shows herself very much capable of mercy still, and doesn’t strike Sira down. Again, her attitude is not that of one lost to a dark path of vengeance; she heeds those that are with her and ask her to be compassionate, even if her first impulse is not to be. She allows Shandris to take away her weapon, and ultimately turns away from the prisoner. 

And given there is reason for her to feel about Sira as she does, I don’t know to which point her reaction can be blamed on her being the Night Warrior. Maiev remembers her compassion, in that scene, but forgets her ruthlessness; Tyrande has never hesitated to shed blood, specially in defense of her people or commitment to the course of action she believes right. 

[warwaged-archive]

reading my own post about tyrande again, I realized that while I like bits of the first scene she’s in, her participation on the book only furthers the problems I already had with what they were doing with her in bfa/seem to want to do with her in sl. she’s supposedly bloodthirsty and vengeful, apparently as a consequence of becoming the night warrior, except she never really acts unreasonable and bloodthirsty and vengeful? and then the whole thing they’re trying to do with her re: the night warrior continues being ??? not good. like, the vengeance narrative will continue to be pushed, the idea that this new power of hers changed her into something terrible, when tbh a lot of how she acts is very in line with how I could see her acting after all that happened even if she wasn’t the night warrior, because it’s not incompatible with her character, or pushed to an extreme? idk. my complaint all throughout bfa is that the game yelled at me she was being unreasonable and lost to vengeance while she really wasn’t, and I feel the book has this same problem with the direction they clearly want her to follow.

my idea of the night warrior initially and how I've written her so far (or tried to) is that it would exacerbate those feelings that would already be there. to actually make her unwilling to compromise, unwilling to accept sylvanas is the only one that needs to face justice, angry and violent towards the horde as a whole, angry and resentful towards the alliance (though less so as a whole and more so stormwind, and gilneas being a clear exception to that anger). I just feel like if she’s supposed to be taken to an extreme, if she’s supposed to be consumed by anger and vengeance, then that’s the least they had to do. as is, she’s more powerful, enough so her surroundings are directly affected by her anger, but it feels weak to push the ‘she’s losing herself’ narrative when nothing supports it.

tldr: let her be powerful and terrifying and justified in her anger and then forget the narrative of her losing herself to vengeance OR make her violent and angry and endlessly resentful to the point she’s losing who she is, because the first with the consequences of the second just??? hmmm no

[warwaged-archive]

Tyrande’s favorite flowers are Burning Blossoms (why yes this is entirely based on MEMENTO OF TYRANDE). The favorite plant she had in her home, however, was the alor’el Shandris gave her and Malfurion as a wedding gift.

Thalyssra’s are, of course, Dusk Lilies — but she actually really likes flowers in general (I feel like her estate validates this because… many flower thingies). She actually enjoys tending to her gardens herself, too, very much so — using a bit magic, of course. She is a nightborne, after all, and the First Arcanist no less asdnjskadnfsakd

Tiffin loves flowers! all flowers! I don’t actually think she has a favorite? not one she could say ‘ah yes that’s my favorite’. you bet the keep had a nice garden dedicated to her that was probably her favorite place.

If you give any of them flowers, they’ll be very happy

[warwaged-archive]

@psychcdelica​ said:  Okay but, thoughts on - what if Shandris was made into a Kaldorei Dark Ranger instead of Delaryn -

UNPROMPTED ASKS // always accepting

listen I’ve opened this ask and noped out like 4 times why would you come for my heart like that???

but well. okay, let’s do this.

when delaryn and sira are raised as undead, tyrande isn’t outright hostile to them; on the contrary, she tells them to ‘fight the shadow in their hearts’, and when she strikes, it isn’t at either of them but rather the val’kyr that raised them. and well, she feels their losses and she feels for their fate heavily, regardless of not having any sort of close relationship to either of them, because tyrande cares for her people, each and all of them, and she cares for all the lives lost, even the ones she never knew personally.

her heart bleeds for them, yet, that doesn’t come even close to how it would be if it had been shandris instead. shandris may not be her blood but she is her daughter in all the ways that count, and shandris has been the one person she’s had at her side for the longest. tyrande knows what she’s capable of, knows that being the sentinels’ general is a potentially dangerous role, but even knowing that it never diminishes how much she cares, how much she’s concerned for her well being, or how desperate she is to even think of shandris being beyond salvation.

back in cata (it’s in seeds of faith more specifically, I’m just too lazy to open it and get the quote rn aksdnffdj), tyrande went out during the cataclysm because not going and not making sure shandris was well was inconceivable to her, even if all she had was a feeling her daughter was in danger. when she gets there and finds shandris unconscious and in a pool of blood, she literally has a breakdown to the point she barely even notices malfurion there.

I just wanted to mention that for perspective because honestly, I don’t think losing shandris in bfa would be any easier for her to deal with --- if anything, it’s worse, since it comes with teldrassil. that shandris dies would already do some serious damage; having to deal with her being turned into an undead, to serve the very people she had given her life in a hopeless batlle, it’d be so much worse.

given she’s not hostile even to delaryn, she wouldn’t at all be to shandris (and I am not sure tyrande would be able to fight her, if it came to it; for the most part, she is very much someone who does what must be done, even if it breaks her heart, and in 98% of the cases I’d argue tyrande would fight whoever had to be fought and kill whoever had to be killed, but shandris is very unique in regards to their bond, and I’d say it is actually the strongest bond tyrande has --- she loves malfurion with all her heart, but she’d fight him if it was a situation of ‘there’s no other way’, but she might falter if she had to fight shandris. and well, shandris is her daughter, her most trusted lieutenant, the one who has stood by her for over ten thousand years, who was there when their kingdom crumbled and they had to pick up the pieces and forge a new path, the one she’d expect to take over kaldorei leadership after herself, and to say tyrande would trust her with their people’s leadership is only further testament to just how much she trusts shandris; so it’s not without reason, that although she loves malfurion deeply, shandris means to her even more).

so yeah, she wouldn’t be hostile to her, she would still urge her to fight the val’kyr’s control, but she would be devastated by it happening; it would shatter her, and I only see that further pushing her towards vengeance in an even more vicious way, if that’s possible. as I see it, tyrande already carries a lot of guilt for teldrassil, and that’s without having lost those closer to her. if she lost her daughter, there just wouldn’t be coming back from it, night warrior or not, although when she does become the night warrior that might be worsened too.

while canon didn’t bother much with establishing it so, I still tend to think even now tyrande is also concerned for the future of her people, not only vengeance; losing shandris, that wouldn’t be as true. I think she wouldn’t be able to focus on anything that far ahead more so than she wouldn’t care, but still, it’d be a thing that would happen with how distraught by it tyrande would be; all that would matter would be to bring the horde (the entire horde) to justice. by which ofc I mean she’d think they have to die akdjfnkjsand

but as to shandris personally, while I don’t see tyrande being hostile to her, or repulsed, I still think she wouldn’t be able to be close to her again. it would be more pain than she can bear.

[warwaged-archive]

“You are the Night Warrior herself, in fact,” Illidan continued smoothly. “I hear you’ve been put in charge of a band of your sisters.”

I’m keeping this quote because I still find it funny that he said that way back and now she is, in fact, the Night Warrior. Other than that, this is me revisiting an old post about the Night Warrior that I did back in 8.1, considering what we knew about the Night Warrior then from past mentions and the scenario. I just changed some tidbits and added or removed some others in light of new content c: 

To Malfurion, she looked more like the priestess of a war god and evidently Tyrande could read such in his expression. With a bit of defensiveness, she admonished him, “You may excel at your new calling, Malfurion, but you seem to have forgotten the elements of Mother Moon! Do you not recall her aspect as the Night Warrior, she who takes the courageous dead from the field and sets them riding across the evening sky as stars for their reward?”

The first time the Night Warrior is mentioned in the WotA trilogy is this one. It doesn’t tell us much about it but, to me, it presented some interesting points:

1. Elune isn’t a peaceful goddess, in the sense that her philosophy isn’t one of being dedicated solely to peace and healing. She has a warrior facet, that might not be her most known face, is a part of the goddess nonetheless. The fact Tyrande points this out to Malfurion as something he may have forgotten indicates that this part of Elune wasn’t something only those devout to the goddess and dedicating their lives to her would know, so I’d say that while not primary, it would still be one important aspect of Elune as the Night Elves understand her.

2. The idea that Elune “takes the courageous dead from the field and sets them riding across the evening sky as stars for their reward” is indicative that this aspect of the goddess glorifies war, even rewarding those that show bravery in the field of battle. It reminded me of the concept of warriors being rewarded with Valhalla for glorious deaths in battle, to some extent. If Elune has a face to her that is devout to war and that rewards warriors, this only reinforces the idea of her not being a goddess of peace. 

Malfurion gaped at them, only belatedly realizing that they were not the soldiers of Jarod Shadowsong. Their armor was more silver and—he looked twice—shaped for more feminine figures. The song he heard was in praise of the Night Warrior, the fearsome battle incarnation of the Mother Moon.

The Sisterhood of Elune had come to their rescue.

For the first time, Malfurion saw the quiet, gentle priestesses in their wartime roles. Many carried long, curved swords, while others wielded short lances with points on both ends. A few even had bows no longer than their forearms, from which they swiftly shot dart after dart.

The effect on the demons was immediate. Felbeasts dropped, riddled. A priestess swung her blade with the ease of a soldier, decapitating a horned warrior. Two night sabers dropped upon another hound, slashing it repeatedly from both sides until all that remained was a bloody carcass.

1. Let’s ignore Malfurion’s perception that the priestesses can’t be awesome warriors because they should be “quiet and gentle”.

2. In spite of the character’s biased views, I think this passage makes it quite clear that martial aspects are important to Elune — the priestesses are trained, they don’t just fight “with the ease of a soldier” they are soldiers too. The Legion is attacking and while it is part of their duty to heal and help those in need, they actively participate in the fight, and are a considerable force on their own.

3. Malfurion now refers to the Night Warrior as “the fearsome battle incarnation of the Mother Moon”. I find this interesting because it is one more quality we now learn about the Night Warrior – when Tyrande talks about it, she mentions only courage, and when Illidan mentions the Night Warrior, it is as a compliment towards Tyrande. Malfurion, however, brings up “fearsome” and I think that it can add to this form of Elune not being solely that of a warrior connected to bravery and the usual ideals of “nobility” but of an aspect that is also imposing, powerful, and even scary to some extent.

Direct mentions of the Night Warrior end there, so there isn’t much. Let’s see what we have about her on patch 8.1 now.

There are mentions of a ritual, but the first time someone talks about the Night Warrior is Maiev, and she’s explaining why the ritual Tyrande intends on doing is dangerous.

What ritual do you speak of, Maiev? Who is the Night Warrior? She is the incarnation of Elune’s wrath. Even witnessing the ritual to become her would put our lives at risk.

Maiev doesn’t talk of the Night Warrior as a warrior aspect of Elune, but rather as an embodiment of her wrath. Of course, wrath is suitable both to the current situation of the story (as it makes all sense that Tyrande, in her own wrath, would seek to become an embodiment of her goddess’ rage) and as important part of a warrior aspect in general.

Legend says that long ago, Elune bestowed her fury upon our greatest warriors to secure Kalimdor.

Maiev continues to explain the Night Warrior, saying that they came to be through Elune’s fury, which furthers the notion that Elune’s warrior aspect is more tied with anger and even vengeance than with the more noble aspects such as bravery.

Now, I will serve you only if you grant me justice! With ancient words, I invoke your most ruthless phase. With this offering, I demand to wear your darkest face.

Elune! Make me the instrument of your vengeance! Now, we shall have justice.

I am no queen. I am the kaldorei’s vengeance.

When Tyrande calls to Elune to ask for the Night Warrior’s powers, the Night Warrior is connected to justice, but also to ruthlessness and vengeance. She even says it is the goddess’ “darkest face”, which is completely coherent with the “dark side of the moon” theme, with everything Maiev said, but with it being one of Elune’s faces, too, given she’s much more broadly seen as ‘Mother Moon’ than ‘Night Warrior’. In the end, she does demands to be made an instrument of the goddess’ vengeance, and later, when she talks to Nathanos, this is what she claims to have become.

When it comes to the Night Warrior itself, the content we seem to be getting in game seems to be somewhat different from that of the books. Here, this face of Elune isn’t connected to simply being a warrior aspect of the goddess, or to courage; it is only tied with wrath, fury, vengeance. I don’t think the two representations are incompatible, though. When Tyrande links the Night Warrior to courage in WotA, she does so immediately after Malfurion seems judgmental about her war outfit – she’s defensive, and would of course not talk about Elune’s warrior facet in any way that would further his apparently bad impression of it. The other “positive” mention of the Night Warrior comes in Illidan using it to compliment Tyrande, and is actually quite simply explained: she’s a priestess of Elune, and it is a logical conclusion that she would feel flattered to be compared to an aspect of the goddess she’s devout to. Not only that, as he is portrayed in the books, and in a time of war, I don’t see a reason why he would find Elune’s warrior aspect to be a bad thing. Bravery isn’t mutually exclusive with ruthlessness or wrath, either; and it is very likely that the Night Warrior was all of those, as I’d argue Tyrande very much is.

I think it’s also interesting to note the shift of it being one of Elune’s faces to a more literal, embodiment-of-her-wrath-through-a-devout-follower in that it is something her followers become, like Tyrande did, and not a part of the Goddess herself (though it doesn’t rule out that it may be based on it still, I’d say). 

Getting a bit into speculation and spoilery territory, I liked it more when I thought the consequences of it would be more tied to wrath and rage and this sort of relentless pursuit for justice in a maybe too bloodthirsty way than the idea of the power being too much for Tyrande to handle, though. I think it’d make a lot of sense thematically with vengeance and all, while still making her face consequences for her choice to do anything and go through any lengths so she can try to protect people and right wrongs all on her own. 

[warwaged-archive]

@raerns​ said: During the Night Warrior encounter, Tyrande mentions she believes Teldrassil burned because she spared Saurfang's life... and then I remembered about Broxigar in War of the Ancients. Do you think Tyrande's memories of Brox influenced her choice to leave Saurfang alive?

No. Her reasoning in sparing him was hopeful, but it wasn’t really a choice based on her feelings. Tyrande spared him because at that point she knew Darnassus was lost (it hadn’t burned yet, but they didn’t have the strength to defend it), so it would be occupied by the Horde, and her choice was entirely based on what those they wouldn’t be able to save and get away from Teldrassil in time would suffer under the Horde. If she killed Saurfang, the Horde was likely to retaliate on those of her people she wouldn’t be able to get out of there then; sparing him, who was High Overlord and leading the attack, she hoped he would in turn show similar mercy to the Night Elves who stayed behind.

That is why she is as bitter as she is when it proves futile because there is no hope for none of them when the World Tree burns. It’s not honorable war, no matter how much the Horde might yell about honor later on; and if anything, Tyrande would think herself foolish to have expected them to be capable of honor at all.

To her, Saurfang is to blame as much as Sylvanas, so of course when it proves useless to have spared him, she regrets having done so.

Her feelings about Brox never prevented her from resenting the orcs as a whole for defiling kaldorei forests and killing Cenarius; her memories of him never weigh in on how she feels about his brother. As far as she’s concerned, he was always the exception, not the rule. Maybe if Brox was alive that might have influenced something, but as is, how she feels about him really doesn’t impact at all on her feelings or actions towards Saurfang.

[warwaged-archive]

WHICH HOZIER SONG REPRESENTS HOW YOU LOVE?

SUNLIGHT

Love to you is sacrifice. You are acutely aware of the heartache that comes with love, but it is well worth it to you. You gladly welcome the pain if it means having love for even a moment. You have a very “it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all” vibe to your love. But this sacrifice love also equals devotion. There’s something so powerful about loving someone so much that you’re willing to accept the heartache; that your love together overweighs that. You also want to give when you are in love. Whether that be material items, sentimental things that you make yourself, or just more love back; you love to show someone love by giving and sharing what you have.

FROM EDEN

Love for you is about comfort and familiarity. Love is that feeling of coming home. It’s about always finding a way back to each other no matter what, because your love is stronger than what can keep you apart. “I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door” fits this so perfectly. Overcoming anything that has separated you, but also there’s something so gentle and true about waiting at your lover’s doorstep. It’s a pure connection of patience and belonging. You have belonged together since the beginning of time, and you feel that in your chest when you see them. There’s a magical eternity there between your souls. 

TAGGED BY: @embercrested​ ty ♡ TAGGING: @ceruleanelf​ @sunrunnerrs​ @shadowsblades​ @aen-consilium​ and whoever else wants to but wasn’t tagged yet feel free to do the thing and say I tagged you

[warwaged-archive]

@psychcdelica​ said: 🍑🍒 for Tyrande & Alexstrasza

𝐅𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒   ♡   𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 // accepting.

🍑  :    how meticulously does my muse look after their physical appearance?  do they spend a lot of time on their hair,  makeup,  grooming,  and clothing?  is there a particular reason why they do or don’t?  

I’d say both of them are mindful of their looks, but not to the point of vanity.

For Tyrande, I believe the greater care with her appearance wasn’t something she always cared about, as in, beyond a basic level. The higher her position became, first as a priestess (because even a novice priestess was held in high regard way back when the kaldorei empire was still a thing that existed), then High Priestess and leader of her race, that made her more actively concerned about presenting herself right, specially considering how that might reflect on her order and her people, seeing as she’s a representative of both.

Still, most of her concerns/time investment is on clothing (that she will pick according to the situation, but also to her own comfort so you’ll never really see Tyrande wearing anything too elaborate). As far as what she wears goes, clothing itself is often rather simple, and it’s her jewelry that stands out a bit more. She doesn’t usually waste much time debating on what to wear, though, and like I said will just pick something that both fits the situation and she’s comfortable wearing.

I think her hair would be what she’d spend more time in, because it’s what demands more of her attention in order to be made presentable, even if she’s not wearing it in an updo (which I headcanon she doesn’t do often; most of the time her hairstyles would be kept simple or her hair entirely loose, even though she likes braiding it and wearing it in different styles).

The way she goes about it really is the way she feels about it. She always cared enough to be neat and presentable but due to her status she also came to have a greater care with her appearance because of how she needs to present herself as a leader.

For Alex it’s much less complex, I think. She doesn’t really care about looking pretty, or dressing well (as we all can see from her bikini armor rip). She isn’t very meticulous with her appearance beyond, much like Tyrande, caring enough to be neat and presentable, but I don’t think it weighs as heavily on her as it does Tyrande that looking a certain way may cause a certain impression. As a dragon, she obviously doesn’t have to waste any time on clothing and hair so asjknfksjdn it really is just about being neat (and also the jewelry? I guess? since she has some). As a mortal, while I don’t think she has any disregard for her humanoid guise and would in fact consider it as true or close to being as true as her original form, it’s magic so she doesn’t have to waste any time on it.

🍒  :    how much does my muse value companionship?  do they constantly keep people around them,  or do they prefer to be alone often?  do they have or desire to have many friends?  do they see every meeting as an opportunity to make a new friend?  

I think, again, it’s similar for both of them, but also somewhat different. Both Tyrande and Alexstrasza, as they are now, are a lot less open and friendly than they once were. Both of them definitely value companionship, but I think they have a hard way letting people that aren’t already close to them grow close to them now.

Tyrande, as I write her, puts a lot less weight on blood bonds than other bonds, because in her experience the bonds she made with others, be it the Stormrages when she was young, Dehjana as a mentor or Shandris as a daughter, those were all more important to her than a blood family she didn’t really have. Likely because of that, they matter to her a lot, and I think that’s true of any friendship she makes. And with those people, she really values their company and will always be glad to have them close to her. I don’t think she ever cares for having many friends, but the people she loves she wants to keep close.

That’s something I believe is different post becoming the Night Warrior. Not because she doesn’t care, quite the opposite: she’s changed, and she knows that. I think it’s rather telling she finally seems to be on better terms with Maiev by then, both of how she feels and where she’d find herself most understood, I think, and that combined with the hatred and rage and guilt she’s been carrying really make her more prone to isolation rather than wanting people around. Her journey to become the Night Warrior is significant here, too, because she set aside everything and acted alone (for varied reasons, too, sometimes because she didn’t trust people to understand and support her choices, sometimes because she was being protective of them), and all of that is reflected in how she deals with people from then on, I think.

Young Tyrande would have been very different of WoW timeline Tyrande though, Night Warrior or not, because she was definitely the sort to make friends with just about anyone and every meeting was an opportunity to make a friend. That’s why she made friends with an orc, after all.

Alexstrasza loves having people around. She also loves having only one or a couple few of those closest to her around. I think the only thing she’d really dislike is being completely alone, even though nowadays that would be sometimes preferable to her. To elaborate and explain it better: she likes crowds. She likes the liveliness of them, of having many people around. She likes having company, even when she doesn’t know people very well, simply because she likes people. At the same time, I think if she doesn’t feel pressured in regards to her looks, she feels the pressure when it comes to keeping up the appearance of being strong and brave all time, and being surrounded with people don’t really help with that. With only very few but who are very close to her, I think she’s freer to be herself, and cherishes that companionship even more. There’s a closer bond, so having time with just those who are closer is often much more enjoyable to her than having many people around. Under normal circumstances, she really doesn’t appreciate being completely alone. It’s something she only seeks to be when she’s in a particularly bad place mentally and/or emotionally, because most of the time she’d really just prefer to have the companionship of someone she loves. Nowadays, when she feels there isn’t really anyone left of those few who were closest to her heart and that she’d turn to, she’ll prefer to be left alone when before she’d have sought the company of someone like Korialstrasz or Ysera.

Before, Alex would have taken every opportunity to make friends. I think that changed much earlier on, with Neltharion’s betrayal, and with each subsequent loss she ended up more and more closed off. She’s not necessarily distrusting, though; in her case, I think it’s much more unconsciously keeping people at a distance to prevent hurt than really consciously fearing losing them, or suffering betrayal again.