Quel'dorei Limitations

Through the portal on the Magister's Terrace, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider instantly returned to the Sunfury Spire in Silvermoon City, the capital of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas.

As the wealthiest magical kingdom in all of Azeroth, Quel'Thalas's Sunfury Spire was built entirely from costly Enchanted Metal, gleaming in lavish gold and vivid red.

The portal on the Magister's Terrace on the Isle of Quel'Danas connected to a room belonging to the Legion of Magisters on the eastern side of the Sunfury Spire, and that was where Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider arrived.

The moment the delighted Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider stepped out of the portal, he saw Prophet Vortale. The prophet's face was frosty beneath his refined, luxurious robes. He radiated a distinctive aura, and his eyes brimmed with wisdom, giving him the air of a profoundly learned man.

"Mentor Vortale..." Seeing Prophet Vortale, who usually adored him and almost always smiled whenever he saw him, looking like this, the guilty Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider immediately wiped the smile from his face.

Seeing Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider lower his head, Prophet Vortale had words right on the tip of his tongue, but in the end, he did not say them. He merely said with extreme displeasure, "Come. The Sun King is waiting for you."

Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider silently followed behind Prophet Vortale. He did not dare make a sound along the way, nor did he greet the Spellbreakers within the Sunfury Spire as he usually did.

After walking for some time, Prophet Vortale brought Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider to the main hall of the Sunfury Spire, where the throne stood.

A middle-aged High Elf wearing a crown and bearing a majestic expression sat upon the throne. He was King Anastarian Sunstrider, the Sun King of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas.

The once-majestic king had nothing but indulgent affection on his face when he saw Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider. He hurriedly waved him over. "Tyrel, come here. Come to your father's side and let me have a good look at my little Tyrel."

As Prophet Vortale subtly shook his head, Little Prince Tyrel went straight to King Anastarian Sunstrider's side and obediently lowered his head, allowing his father, who loved stroking his golden hair, to dote on him to his heart's content.

Watching the father and son act as though no one else were present, Prophet Vortale could only quietly clear his throat twice to announce his presence.

Hearing Prophet Vortale's cough, King Anastarian realized that he had just ignored this prophet, who was about the same age as himself. "Hahaha, Vortale, it has been a long time since I last saw Tyrel. I hope you will not take offense." As he spoke, he had Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider stand at his side and resumed his former bearing as a majestic king.

"Sun King, both you and I know that Tyrel possesses unparalleled Arcane Talent. Even the Sunwell has shown an affinity for him. I hope that, as the Sun King of Quel'Thalas, you will focus on nurturing a future Archmage for the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, rather than letting him follow the path of the Paladin, which has only emerged in the human kingdoms over the past decade or so." The reason Prophet Vortale, who had always adored Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider, was acting this way was that after turning eighteen, Tyrel, who possessed the potential to become an Archmage in the future, did not wish to follow the path of the Mage and instead wanted to become a Paladin.

To Prophet Vortale, this was unacceptable. The Kingdom of Quel'Thalas had been founded upon magic. Nearly eighty percent of the High Elves within Quel'Thalas were spellcasters, and even those in professions such as Warriors and Rangers used magic.

Moreover, High Elves possessed uniquely favorable conditions for training as Mages, conditions that even human Dalaran could not compare with: abundant magical knowledge, a great number of Magisters, and the Sunwell.

Yet the usually understanding Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider did not yield in the slightest on this matter. Even though Prophet Vortale, his mentor, repeatedly tried to persuade him, he could not dispel Tyrel's resolve.

Faced with Prophet Vortale's relentless stance, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider could only look pleadingly toward his father, King Anastarian.

A son born in one's old age was always especially cherished. Moreover, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider had been beloved throughout the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas since childhood for his adorable appearance and his intelligent, kind nature. After Tyrel was born, the queen had passed away, leaving him without a mother's love. This made the old king even more inclined to grant nearly any request Tyrel made. Yet Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider had displayed extraordinary independence since childhood. He did not even keep attendants and had never asked King Anastarian for anything. Now that he had finally made a request—to become a Paladin—how could King Anastarian refuse him?

"Vortale, I understand what you mean. As you said, Tyrel has the talent to become an Archmage. But the Sunstrider family's tradition has always been to let them choose their own path after they turn eighteen. Did Kael not choose to go to Dalaran as well? Besides, the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas already has Kael. In the future, Kael may even surpass me. We can absolutely let Tyrel choose for himself." King Anastarian, the Sun King of Quel'Thalas, was a hidden powerhouse—a powerful fire Mage and an equally powerful swordsman.

Just as King Anastarian had said, the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas needed only one powerhouse like him standing guard for it to rest easy, not to mention the exceptionally gifted Kael'thas Sunstrider.

Given the lifespan of High Elves, the emergence of a single powerhouse was enough to protect the kingdom for thousands of years.

Upon hearing King Anastarian's words, Prophet Vortale understood as well, yet he still did not wish to simply let Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider choose the path of the Paladin. Thus, he said, "Sun King, I still hope you will consider Saloren and the limitations inherent to us Quel'dorei."

Salorian Dawngrasper, wielder of the holy sword of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, was the High Elf with the greatest Warrior talent in history and the one who had gone the farthest down that path. His name had resounded throughout the Eastern Kingdoms centuries ago. Yet over those centuries, even the human kingdoms of the Alliance had forgotten the existence of such a powerful High Elf warrior. Salorian Dawngrasper, however, had remained stalled, his strength barely improving.

The root cause lay in the physique of the Quel'dorei High Elves. Since leaving Kalimdor and coming to the Eastern Kingdoms, the Quel'dorei had diverged from their distant relatives, the Night Elf Kaldorei, and completed a transformation. The Sunwell had granted them powerful Arcane affinity, but it had also limited their physiques.

Among the dwarves of Ironforge, there was a joke: "Every High Elf I've ever seen was stronger than you." This was a jab at the Quel'dorei High Elves' innate physical weakness.

Salorian Dawngrasper's thousand-year lifespan had allowed him to hone skills beyond anything humans could imagine. His long years of fighting Forest Trolls had tempered his instincts until they were like those of a beast. Yet because High Elves were innately lacking in physical strength, his power had forever been capped at a certain level.