Shadowlands is worth getting just for all the wonderful new customization options!
Here’s how the appearances of my Eversong Elves characters changed.
Although I’m glad that the ear length options exist for the people who will be delighted to use them, I will not be changing any of my existing characters’ ears. To me, the extra-long ears are a significant aspect of how a Blizzard elf is distinctive from how other fantasy IPs envision elves.
The new jewelry options — necklaces, armbands, and bracelets — are lovely. Rather than use them to permanently change any of my characters’ appearances, however, I’ll be using them on a situational basis as finishing touch accessories for outfits.
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Kaelinda (Primary Alt; toon name on server)
skin color 3; face 8; hair style 8; hair color 4; eye color 10; earrings 9
One of my earliest alts and (if I’m remembering correctly) my first Mage. Early in her second century in age, which is young adulthood for a Blood Elf. Became friends with Kamalia when, during a chance encounter, they discovered that they shared a surname, Dawnstrider. Met and became friends with my Human Mages, Kaylynda and Kinevra, and my Draenei Mage, Kaprikka, during a disguised foray into Alliance lands shortly before the Cataclysm.
Very happy to have her eyes back to Quel’dorei blue!
Kaelydia (Alter-Ego; Patch 7.3.5)
skin color 5; face 2; hair style 15; hair color 2; eye color 1; earrings 11
This Alter-Ego appeared when the golden eyes were first introduced in Patch 7.3.5 and I wanted a golden-eyed Blood Elf Mage, but Kaelinda’s face wasn’t one of the three golden-eyed faces.
Now that there are the numbers to help me remember them, I’ve changed her skin tone from being the same as Kaelinda. I also gave her green instead of red earrings.
Kaelyla-AU-Horde (Alter-Ego; Patch 9.0)
skin color 11; face 8; hair style 20; hair color 15; eye color 5; earrings 14
This is what Kaelyla looked like between the Fall of Quel’thalas and the Telogrus Incident — or perhaps what she still looks like in an alternate timeway in which she never got mixed up with Magister Umbric and is still Sin’dorei.
Kateleina (Alter-Ego; Patch 9.1.5)
skin color 12; face 7; hair style 19; hair color 6; eye color 5; earrings 10
Ambitious. Mighty. Insightful. Guileful. Relentless. Necrolord.
Kaelyra (Alter-Ego; Patch 9.2)
skin color 2; face 3; hair style 13; hair color 7; eye color 9; earrings 1
This character is the same person as the Alliance High Elf Kaelyra who first appeared as an Alter-Ego for Kaelyla (see below); because of the Renown catch-up changes in Patch 9.2, I ended up doing the Kyrian Campaign with Kaelyra as an Alter-Ego of Kaelinda rather than as an Alter-Ego of Kaelyla as originally planned.
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Kaelyla (Primary Alt; toon name on server)
skin color 4; face 8; hair style 8; hair color 6; eye color 5; earrings 4
With Void Elves being as close as we’d ever get to Alliance High Elves (until Shadowlands, that is!), I wanted my Void Elf Mage to be as close to a counterpart appearance to Kaelinda as I could manage. When the Void Elves were first announced, I hoped that they would have an un-Void-tainted pink skin tone; they didn’t so I had to settle for what looked to my eyes like the most pinkish of the available skin tones. Now that Void Elves can also have any of the same skin tones as Blood Elves, however, I’ve decided not to change her skin tone because I’ve gotten used to the lavender. I did change her eyes to a brighter, more defined blue, though.
Khrysanthemina (Alter-Ego; Patch 9.0)
skin color 19; face 9; hair style 3; hair color 7; eye color 7; earrings 5
This character appearance just wanted to be. At first I thought she might represent the adult appearance of a yet-to-be-born daughter of Kaelyla and Ishaleron. Then she started showing up in Revendreth and Ardenweald, often with the natural black (15) or natural white (16) hair colors in other styles. I haven’t yet figured out exactly what her connection to my other characters is.
Kaelyla-AU-Alliance (Alter-Ego; Patch 9.1.5)
skin color 17; face 16; hair style 8; hair color 11; eye color 5; earrings 4
This is what Kaelyla looked like when she was Quel’dorei, before the Fall of Quel’thalas.
Kaelyra (Alter-Ego; Patch 9.1.5)
skin color 7; face 11; hair style 1; hair color 12; eye color 3; earrings 1
Patch 9.0 gave Void Elves natural skin tones, but it wasn’t until Patch 9.1.5 gave them natural hair colors as well that I could finally create a character who is a High Elf who never left the Alliance.
Kateleina (Alter-Ego; Patch 9.2)
skin color 18; face 15; hair style 10; hair color 11; eye color 7; earrings 3
This character is the same person as the Blood Elf Kateleina who first appeared as an Alter-Ego for Kaelinda (see above); because of the Renown catch-up changes in Patch 9.2, I ended up doing the Necrolords Campaign with Kateleina as an Alter-Ego of Kaelyla rather than as an Alter-Ego of Kaelinda as originally planned.
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Kalaneia (Primary Alt; toon name on server)
skin color 4; face 2; hair style 14; hair color 16; eye color 5; earrings 4
A relative of Kaelinda at the “first cousins once removed” or “second cousins” level of connection. Much older than Kaelinda. Lost her husband during the Scourge attack on Eversong Woods. Had an early career as a naturalist studying the wildlife of Eversong Woods and other areas in Lordaeron; became interested in the wildlife biology of demons. Also had some skill as a Fire Mage. Her mentor was already delving deep into forbidden sorts of magic before the fall of the Sunwell; thus, she readily took to fel magic and corrupted into a Destruction Warlock.
I’ve changed her hair color from the warm silver that is available to all Blood Elves (8) to the cool silver that used to only be available to Death Knights (16). Sometimes her hair is black, but I was never quite satisfied with the blackness of the original Blood Elf black hair color (14) and so when her hair is black it will be the new, darker black (13). The original black color is now more properly thought of as a dark grey.
Kishalla (Alter-Ego; Patch 7.0)
skin color 2; face 9; hair style 11; hair color 1; eye color 4; earrings 3
Kalaneia’s daughter, estranged from her mother during her late adolescence and young adulthood due to the usual sorts of arguments about choices of career, hobbies, friends, and lovers. Thought by her mother to have been lost during the Scourge attack on Eversong Woods. Reappeared at Dreadscar Rift demanding that the Netherlord help her find her missing mentor. That both mother and daughter became Warlocks after the fall of the Sunwell has not made their relationship any less strained.
Changed her skin tone to be more sallow and her eyes to yellow-green.
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Keliora
skin color 3; face 3; hair style 2; hair color 10; eye color 3; earrings 8
The idea of a golden-eyed, golden-haired Blood Elf Priest aligning herself with the Kyrian Covenant was irresistible, so I spent my Shadowlands pre-purchase Boost to create one. Her name is derived from “eleora”, a word in one of the Biblical languages (I forget which one) meaning “light”. After losing her husband in Archimonde’s attack on Dalaran and her children in the Scourge assault on Eversong Woods, she devoted herself to the Discipline path of walking the line between Light and Shadow. Upon discovering the fates of their souls in the Shadowlands, she finds herself quite willing to discard her mortal memories to serve the Kyrian.
I’d thought I might give her the new “tiara” style, but I’ve gotten accustomed enough to the hairstyle I chose when I created her that it just didn’t seem quite right. So I only changed her eye color, to the new softer golden hue.
Kazuligosa (Alter-Ego; Patch 9.0)
skin color 1; face 4; hair style 23; hair color 11; eye color 10; earrings 14
Now that blue hair is no longer restricted to Death Knights and the shorter ear options exist, well, something like this was more or less inevitable. This half-elf humanoid form of a blue dragon (named after Kazul from Patricia C Wrede’s Dealing With Dragons) has to be an Alter-Ego of a Priest so that the Crafted Dreadful Gladiator’s Mooncloth Helm can be used to give her horns similar to those of the humanoid forms of Alexstrasza, Ysera, and Merithria.
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Kelisanna
skin color 6; face 3; hair style 1; hair color 7; eye color 6; earrings 7
Also a relative of Kaelinda, more closely than Kalaneia. Trained as a Farstrider. Belongs to the Regent Lord’s secret service and capable of Subtlety, but prefers the toe-to-toe combat of the “Outlaw”.
I only changed her eye color, to the more blue-ish shade of green.
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Kiralaira
skin color 10; face 5; hair style 20; hair color 5; horns 6; blindfold 6; earrings 6; tattoo 2
Kiralaira hasn’t revealed much about her past beyond stating that “the woman I was sacrificed herself to become me.”
I changed her face to make her look more forbidding.
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Kandrista
skin color 16; face 4; hair style 9; hair color 12; eye color n/a; earrings 1
I originally created this character to be a blue-haired Blood Elf who could mimic the appearances of various blue-haired High/Blood Elf NPCs. She also looks stunning in blue plate armor, of course.
Now that the blue hair is no longer DK-exclusive, I gave her one of the DK-exclusive skin tones instead (which also changed her face).
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Kelynaera
skin color 1; face 1; hair style 22; hair color 3; eye color 1; earrings 12
I had a Blood Elf Paladin until Cataclysm brought Tauren Paladins. I never quite stopped missing my Blood Elf Paladin, though, so when Patch 7.3.5 introduced golden eyes for Blood Elves, I just had to have a golden-eyed Blood Elf Paladin. She was one of Lady Liadrin’s earliest converts to the Blood Knights.
Changed her hair and her earrings.
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Karolissa
skin color 12; face 3; hair style 18; hair color 13; eye color 2; earrings 11
Once I’d created Kandrista and Kelynaera, I needed a mail-wearing Blood Elf so as to have a Blood Elf for each of the armor classes.
With truer black hair and darker tan skin, now she looks like she’s always been intended to look!
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Now that the Barbershop allows gender-swapping, some of my characters’ significant others might occasionally appear…
Ianestin
skin color 3; face 10; hair style 19; hair color 5; facial hair 13; eye color 7
Ianestin has been one of Kaelinda’s closest friends since their Academy days. A talented mathemagician, he stayed in Silvermoon City, slowly rising through the ranks of the finance bureau of the Regency and pursuing esoteric mathemagical research on the side, while Kaelinda felt herself called to the adventurer’s life. For years, Ianestin was “the boy next door” to Kaelinda, until a Nightborne artisan attempted to court her during the Suramar campaign and she realized that she would much rather be courted by her dearest male friend. Meanwhile, as Kaelinda related in droll tones her encounters with the hapless Nightborne, Ianestin realized that he was jealous of the other man.
His “before” appearance is the result of Kaelinda using a Transmorphic Tincture
Ishaleron
skin color 5; face 8; hair style 13; hair color 2; facial hair 7; eye color 5
Although Ishaleron did not share his wife’s scholarly interest in the Void at all, he was accompanying Kaelyla at Telogrus, while she observed the entities found in this shattered remnant of a world that had been completely overcome by the Void, when The Incident occurred.
His “before” appearance is the result of Kaelyla using a Transmorphic Tincture
Ishaleron-AU
skin color 14, face 8, hair style 21, hair color 13, facial hair 12, eye color 10
This is what Ishaleron looked like before the Telogrus Incident occured, or in an alternate timeway in which Kaelyla didn’t get mixed up with Magister Umbric and they are both still Sin’dorei.
Karolissa: An elf with freckles? Interesting.
Yes! That face has freckles, and I love it!