I don't have WC3 installed on this computer so I can't immediately verify this, but I'm pretty sure when the Night Elves debate the destruction of the world tree and the loss of their power Tyrande mentions without the tree "they will grow old and die" and Malfurion's response is actually that wry sense of timelessness we expect from druids, and he in return asks if that would really be so bad. All paraphrasing, I'll leave it to the Internets to clear that up. And while Blizzard doesn't contradict its lore with frightening regularity, I still take that to mean the Night Elves were immortal up until the end of the Third War, which is the fodder for most of the societies we see up and running in WoW today.

To that extent I would argue greatly with David. If you are referring to an immortal race that has been sentient for tens of thousands of years - the fact that less than a decade ago the Night Elves not only lost their immortality, they *sacrificed* it on behalf of all of Azeroth, it is a pretty big deal. I think that would still be a very recent event in their collective memory and shock to their culture.

Also keep in mind the Ancestral Spirits used to destroy Archimonde and Nordrassil are feasibly the spirits of Night Elves themselves who have crossed over/"died." While that may be purely legend, it's feasible that the Night Elves believe they not only gave up their own immortality, but thousands of "the souls" (which many people who believe in such things would also agree is immortal) were also destroyed in the process. Sort of a double-whammy.

I think one of my favourite descriptions of Night Elves was by Metzen himself, "What if dark elves were noble?" The kal'dorei purchased that nobility through all of the sacrifices they have made throughout their history - but then again they probably owed it to the world of Azeroth for all of the trouble their ancestors wrecked.

It's got to be pretty foreboding to battle Satyr's, the High Borne, and Naga - knowing the entire time the same potential that plunged these creatures into darkness is also part of the genetic stock of the Night Elves.

To be honest I find their story, and that of the Forsaken, to be some of the most tragic. And hence some of my favourite.