An event in World of Warcraft brought roleplayers together in Stormwind. “Void Elves in the Alliance? Not with us!”
On roleplaying servers of World of Warcraft, smaller and larger events happen from time to time. Often these are markets, some secret fighting nights, or simply military exercises by soldier guilds. Last Sunday (02/11/2018) there was rather an unusual event on the server “The Aldor”: a sermon about the Void Elves.
In short: A paladin spoke about the Void Elves and how they pose a danger to the light-loving people of Stormwind. What sounded like a small event, expecting 30 to 40 players, ultimately led to a mass gathering of nearly 150 players in the Cathedral of Stormwind.
Those interested in the details and the full text of the sermon can find it under the spoiler tag, but a warning: It is a long read.
Sermon against the Void
Astária clears her throat quietly and looks again with a calm and friendly demeanor through the rows. Then she raises her voice to a tone that is well carried by the acoustics of the holy halls, yet always appears measured.
“Brothers and sisters in the light, citizens of Stormwind, dear congregation! Welcome to the Cathedral of Light and to the sermon this evening. My name is Astaria Arcados, paladin of the Church of the Holy Light, and I speak today in the name of the light and with deepest concern in my heart to you.”
“Although I am pleased that my outcry has gathered so many believers here today to listen to the words I wish to proclaim as a servant of the Holy Light, despair grips my heart when I observe the recent developments among us.” It seems a heavy burden rests on the shoulders of the woman, considering her serious expression.
“Many of you may have taken arduous paths, some perhaps misled by the ignorant regarding false testimonies about the intention and above all the legitimacy of my words. So let me take away your fears, for the words I will speak are the will of the Holy Light itself, which at this hour can speak clearly to us as never before, to distinguish good from evil and right from wrong. My words do not speak slanderously against His Majesty, whose decisions I always support, as long as they do not oppose the highest truth, the teachings of the Light.”
“But the ignorant, politically naive, do not possess the knowledge to distinguish an acceptance as an ally in a military alliance from naturalization, and thus they throw themselves to the shadow itself as prey, carrying it already within themselves, so that they want to make you believe that the words that spring from the teachings of the Light are something wrong. But even these ignorant shall find enlightenment through the Holy Light.”
She pauses for a moment, letting what has been said linger in the room before her voice is raised again in that measured tone.
“My brothers and sisters in faith: A few days ago, the news broke that the military alliance of the Alliance has new allies, also creatures in our homeland, in our city walls, among us, who bear the very essence of the Void. Touched by the Void, the power of the Old Gods, whose dark whisper is already manifesting itself in organizations like the Shadowhammer or the abominable armor of the undead – the Saronite.”
“Many of you may now wonder what dangers the shadow or the Void pose and why it is precisely to be condemned. Why we often raise the admonishing or even condemning word against it. So I tell you: Where the Holy Light is the primal force of life, all purity and goodness, there the Void is the source of all evil, of hatred, sickness, chaos, madness, ruin, and death.”
“Where the holy power of the Light fills all our hearts, filling us with bliss, hope, courage, and love, healing us from illness and suffering, there the shadow fills us with hatred, anger, fear, and despair, devouring our flesh and our soul. The Light connects us all into a great whole, the shadow knows only destruction.”
“We all stand in the center and must make a choice. With the rise of all our kingdoms, the human race has always professed to the light. The three virtues of respect, patience, and compassion, drawn from the nature of the Light, teach us the rightful conduct among all believers and to accept and cherish life itself as the highest good. It shows us in our society how we should strengthen our bond to the Light and thus our inner harmony, take care of each other, and look after one another. Good deeds that do not make us fear death – for the merciful Light takes all souls who were faithful to it with it and grants them eternal peace and bliss in death.”
“All this has kept our people on the right path and has always led our greatest heroes to victory. Against the scourge, the Old Gods, Deathwing, and the Shadowhammer, the orcish hordes, or even the Burning Legion itself. All threats and dangers, seeking the destruction of our world, in whose spirit and hearts ultimately only the Void dwelled.”
With an upright gaze, she allows her eyes to rest on this or that one. Only the constantly speaking ones are barely brushed by.
“Whoever rejects the Light or inflicts suffering and harm on another not only nourishes the shadow within themselves but also all others around them. Those who walk this path will be plagued by a cruel whisper.”
“Many of you may have lost loved ones to that very whisper, which the Shadowhammer has instilled in the minds of many of us years ago. Veterans among you surely remember the consequences that Saronite, the Black Blood of an Old God, has inflicted on many of your comrades in Northrend. It drives a man to madness, it annihilates his mind, and ultimately transforms him into a puppet of the Void or its greatest servants, like the Old Gods. It is an illusion to believe that you can control this uncontrollable power. It urges you to turn against your loved ones, to harm them – and it will be repaid after death with eternal torment in absolute darkness.”
“Hear my words: The Void is the most horrific enemy for every righteous man, every righteous woman with fidelity to the Light in their hearts. Where the Light brings healing, peace, inner harmony, love, and happiness, it is the Void that brings illness, hatred, discord, death, and damnation upon anyone who approaches it, twisting and corrupting their once-pure soul so that they are denied eternity in the Light, but rather Materia, pain, and darkness will envelop for eternity those who allowed the Void to enter their hearts. And even if it is only through dealing with dark creatures.”
“And this fatal Void will now, adorned with beautiful words of self-deception and alleged control, be brought directly into our community. Just look at the audacity of these beings. See the decay already advanced by self-deception and selfishness of these creatures. For the Void Elves – Light, even that name bears witness to their corruption – are already openly and shamelessly showing their dark intentions. They do not behave as any minimum responsibility would be expected of such an uncontrollable, corrupted, and dubious ally, seeking a home on the fronts or in enclaves. No, they walk as bearers of the powers of madness, death, and corruption among us. They encroach into our civil society. Among our women and children.”
“And that distinguishes them from all the corrupted purpose allies we have ever had to endure, from demon hunters or death knights. But have we not already paid dearly for the death knights? How often have I heard of attacks by renegade death knights? How often did these supposed allies launch attacks on innocents right in our midst? And this, even though they hardly ever had contact with the civilian population. But this time the threat from the Void is far worse. Right among our civilian population, among innocent and defenseless people walk these creatures. They exploit the ignorance of many citizens about the new situation and confuse a military alliance with naturalization into the Kingdom of Stormwind.”
Calmly, and with merely moderate fervor, she speaks the words, her green eyes directed towards this or that present.
“Just yesterday I spoke with a Void Elf and I do not want to withhold his words from you so that you can form your own judgment: He himself, yes, he himself, admitted that he could not say how much longer he would be able to withstand the whisper of the Void. He himself acknowledged his uncertainty that it was only a matter of time before he could resist the influence of the Void. But where does he walk now? Has he taken precautions? Did he remove himself with his kin from the homeland of many thousands to protect them?”
She shakes her head decisively. “No! And do you know what he asked me for? For time. Time in which I should throw the souls of my brothers, sisters, my fellow men and friends, YOUR souls onto his unholy gaming table.”
“So beware! Even absurd words can confuse the mind of the weak in faith, carried by sweetness and charm. So strengthen your spirit with faith, that you recognize the darkness in such words. A danger openly named and kept away from the innocent can be defended against. However, these creatures are careful to worm their way into our civil midst as if they were citizens of this kingdom. Hidden and creeping – as is the nature of the shadow – they seek to undermine our civil life more and more and in the style of the infiltrator to achieve the corrupted consensus among the people that the Void is something ordinary, something normal.”
“But know that whoever gives in to this delusion and does not unmask the Void as the enemy it is has already opened their heart to the darkness. And thus, everyone will commit themselves to the service of the shadow if they allow these creatures entrance into the civil society of Stormwind.
Do not be afraid, my faithful brothers and sisters. Do not let yourselves be blinded by false prophets who want you to believe that the shadow is controllable. For these words were the beginning of every descent, akin to a journey to the Blackrock, to hurl one’s soul into the deepest depths of the molten lava.”
For everyone who contributes to bringing the most dreadful power as something normal and socially acceptable into our midst has already submitted to the servitude of the shadows. And not only that: Every single person who maintains friendly relations with these creatures, even houses them or employs them, ultimately has to answer before the Light itself for bringing the Void into our civil, into our civic midst.
“For, dear believers, dear friends, the time has now come when we are subjected to a test. A test of faith and virtue. Only together can we face the danger of our society being infiltrated. Only together can we preserve our faith and the values in which it manifests, and prevent our children from growing up in a world where they dwell door-to-door with the Void or are taught by the corrupted. We stand on the threshold where it is up to us to decide whether we want the Light in our hearts or the shadow.”
“And so I say: Keep your distance from these void-filled beings. Meet them with distance. And do not be blinded by their beautiful words, but call upon the Light. Let us speak together and with one voice, that we do not birth a second Shadowhammer and no further Cataclysm in our midst.”
She now raises her index finger in a pointing manner before continuing after a moment of pause to lend weight to the following words.
“However, do not resort to violence. Keep the blades in your sheaths and the fists at your sides, lest you become a target of an attack by the Void Elves. For the word shall be our blade, and faith shall be its hilt.”
She raises her hands as the outcries make it impossible to continue.
“Please… have patience. At the beginning of my sermon, I already offered personal conversation with individuals. So please make use of that instead of shouting here.”
She shakes her head and hesitates for a moment, perhaps due to the unrest, simply to formulate shortly and conclusively.
“Keep in mind that every descent into the Void began with thoughts of supposed control and that this decay is certain. If we turn our backs on those in whom the Void dwells whenever we can, we will jointly pass this trial that the Light imposed upon us and find bliss in eternity.”
“I am aware that many of you, out of loneliness or a situation of need, are rather inclined to grasp every hand stretched out to them. But know that you will always find comfort and support in the holy halls. And so I would like to personally extend my hand to each one of you who is searching. Take my promise that I will fight for the salvation of everyone’s soul as I once swore. If you carry the Light in your hearts, you should fear neither the Void nor its “children.””
“In closing, I intended to end with a prayer for those who are tested the hardest, the soldiers of His Majesty. But due to the ongoing unrest, I offer the believers to do this together tomorrow evening in a smaller round, to ask the Light for the blessing for the soldiers of His Majesty.”
Then the preacher is led away by the guards.
Already during the sermon, the mood heated up. Some characters considered the words to be “heresy” and “offense against the light,” while others agreed and even demanded the execution of the Void Elves.
Things escalated when different watch guilds stormed the Cathedral and wanted to capture the preacher because she would be inciting against “the words of the king,” who had invited the Void Elves into the Alliance.
The soldiers form an alley.
Escalation with a lynch mob
And how does an angry crowd react when “the messenger of truth” is simply taken away? Right: The guards were first insulted, then pelted with fruit, and finally even stoned. Alongside projectiles, wild accusations rained down that the guards had allied themselves with the Void.
- “The city watch is corrupted by the Void!”
- “Death to the Void!”
- “Your hearts are like your heads! Full of Void!”
And of course, my favorite from a dwarf:
- “No beer for Void Elves!”
It was also exciting to see the intrigues of individual groups. For example, there were warlocks disguised as priests who rallied against the Void Elves. Later, when the preacher was captured and the mob began to rage, the warlocks appeared as other persons and advised the guards to make an example and execute the “instigator” directly – which would have caused even more escalation.
Basically, except for a few exceptions, the entire active RP community of Stormwind was present in the Cathedral and actively involved in the small uprising – regardless of which side. For a “small sermon,” this was probably one of the coolest and most exciting developments that a small roleplay event has taken.
What is explainable to non-roleplayers: The attitude of a played character has, of course, nothing to do with the alignment of the player behind it. The friendliest raid leader can play a selfish, cunning, or even racist snob in roleplay. A little racism in roleplay can be quite invigorating.
Cortyn says: Although there were a lot of players and you had to pay close attention to the chat to not miss anything, the event was a lot of fun. It was exciting and interesting to play how quickly the moods of a group could change or how individuals could exploit such a tumult for their purposes. Besides, one cannot trust Void Elves – they themselves do not know what powers they are dealing with.
