So i believe the biggest problem with this race is the fact that they aren't visually distinct. It blurs the line of faction identity and that breaks immersion, which i think is one of classics biggest selling points. As you guys mentioned you want the world to be the main character. Making sure the races fit within the faction they represent goes a long way with building the world and making it richer more immersive.
With just a few tweaks i think this could work out really well as all the lore that has been written in is all around pretty good i think it just needs to be tightened up to represent a more coherent visual identity behind the 2 factions of Shen'dorei.
- High Order : These elves are the ones who want to remain independent and in control of their own destiny, which is already how you present them in the game. Ultimately they want to find a new source of magic rather than rely on untrustworthy benefactors. Their culture and aesthetic are also closely aligned with the traditional High Elf identity, making them a natural fit to help bolster the severely diminished High Elf population. This also fills in the long-standing desire to have the more traditional LotR style elves within the Alliance.
- Skin tone: should range from fair to dark skinned to reflect that they only partake in the magic of Skywall to sustain themselves much like the High elves did with the Sunwell.
-Eye color: For High order it should be a range of blue to white. Blue just makes sense that the magic in Skywall would give that kind of color. White is also a good color as some elves in warcraft 3 had those eyes and i think its awesome to finally be in the game.
- Windshapers : Currently, the blue skin is essentially a mysterious blessing that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It initially affected only a small number of elves before gradually becoming more common. I think it would be much more interesting if the origin of this transformation were tied directly to the Windshapers' story. Instead, I would have the Windshapers swear allegiance to a mysterious, rogue wind elemental lord who openly defies Al'Akir. This would create an interesting parallel to the existing conflict with the elemental cults. Both elven factions already oppose the forces that serve Al'Akir, but rather than simply fighting the elementals, the Windshapers would ultimately make the radical decision to ally themselves with one.
It could almost be an Anakin Skywalker moment for the Windshapers: in their attempt to defeat a greater threat, they make a choice that fundamentally changes who they are. They believe this rogue elemental lord offers them the power necessary to oppose Al'Akir and continue their way of life which is one of the driving forces behind this decision, but in doing so they cross a line that permanently separates them from the High Order. That would also give the blue skin a much stronger narrative purpose. Rather than being a random blessing that slowly spreads through the population, it would be a physical manifestation of the Windshapers' allegiance to their elemental patron.
This would also help establish the Windshapers as something more distinct than simply another group of elves. They would effectively become an elemental elven race, which could fit particularly well with the Horde and give them a much stronger visual and thematic identity.
Finally, their relationship with an elemental lord could naturally explain adding the Priest class.
-Skin tone: So similarly to how the Dark iron dwarves skin tone was affected by Ragnoros magic. The Windshapers were blessed by this rogue elemental lord and that is what changed the skin to different shades of blue. I would also add in some gray skin tone as a way to softly give horde player something similar to darkfallen but still distinct enough to where darkfallen customization options could be added in the future.
-Eye color: Same reason as above the blessing gave them golden/orange/purple colored eyes. The cinematic showed blue skin with gold eyes and I think it would be good to stay true that. Purple eyes can be for the electric side of air magic.
- Race Name :I feel the names should be altered so that the races themselves have a cool, streamlined nickname rather than being named after the faction or subfaction they belong to. As it stands, the character creation screen feels unnecessarily messy. For example, we don't call the Night Elves “Kaldorei” or “Sentinels.” Those names still exist, but they serve as lore and backdrop that enrich the Night Elves' identity.
I think the same approach would work better here. The High Order elves could simply be called Sky Elves or even just High Elves, while the Windshapers could be Wild Elves, Elemental Elves, Primal Elves, or something along those lines. There are probably even better names someone could come up with.
The important part is the distinction: the races should have a streamlined name that fits alongside the other playable races, while the High Order, Windshapers, remain as organizations within the lore. That would make the character creation screen much cleaner while also giving the world more depth, rather than making the faction names do double duty as both racial and organizational identities.
- Skyborne Race Select Portrait: This needs some work right now the male skyborn portrait is really really rough and its just not appealing to click on lol.
