| Curators of Thalassian Culture | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Founded |
624 K.C. |
|
Head Curator |
Lord Arcanist |
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Location |
Dalaran |
|
Headquarters |
Hall of Thalassian Ancestry |
|
Affiliation |
Highguard |
|
Status |
Active |
The Curators of Thalassian Culture are a sect of the Highguard devoted to the preservation and expansion of traditional Quel'dorei culture, and are currently deeply invested in the Suramar Campaign seeking to at last establish their most important cultural goal - a High Elven settlement.
The Curators hold a number of priceless Thalassian artifacts in their Dalaran vaults, and have long worked to preserve their ancient culture in a variety of ways, including archaeological expeditions, traditional ceremonies, Thalassian lessons, historical and genealogical work.
Since the lowering of the barrier around Suramar City, the Curators are devoted to fully exploring the potential for Quel'dorei settlement in the ancient city and if promising, establish the Curators' chief priority, a safe and distinctly Quel'dorei living and breathing home in which the traditional culture of Quel'Thalas may again flourish, connected to their proud past by the Curators' knowledge and physical reminders of simpler times long gone.
The collection and re-creation of pieces from the long Quel'dorei past dominated much of the order's work prior to Suramar as does keeping Thalassian customs alive and teaching of High Elven Culture and Thalassian to those whom seek, striving to close cultural divides through understanding as well as preservation. While in lands laden with elven history as Azsuna and Suramar, Highborne era finds are common, though with focus on the liberation of Suramar and the establishment of a Quel'dorei settlement, much of the order's typical historical and archaeological work in the Broken Isles is superceded by operational tasks amidst the effort and wider war with the Legion.
Not hesitant to delve into dangerous places to uncover important pieces of history, the curators, though scholars, are a combat-ready unit, with potentially dangerous excursions supported by the 812th and other divisions of the Highguard. Most current operations focus on the Suramar Campaign, though the Curators' hold great interest in the history of the Broken Isles and look to begin exploring elven heritage sites after the hopefully successful settlement effort and a general calming of matters.
The Curators' collection contains a number of priceless items from throughout the history of Quel'Thalas, including a portrait of Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider in remarkably good condition (pictured), a scepter believed to have belonged to High Priest Vandellor, ancient spellbreaker armor, interesting runed items and a growing collection of tomes among their collection, the Curators have ambitious goals, not content to but display High Thalassian culture in galleries, but to ultimately help bring an end to the wandering of the Quel'dorei, and wherever that wandering does end, use the knowledge and relics gathered from the past to inspire the future Quel'dorei home.
Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider, recovered by the Curators
Regularly conducting excavations and seeking out sources of historical knowledge, the Curators have a particular interest in aspects of Quel'dorei culture which are closest to extinction, with the traditional Quel'dorei priesthood and light-based practices an area of focus, as with architectural blueprints and designs from which to develop scale models of pre-invasion Quel'Thalas for display, and to better assure that when they're lands to work with, the structures built will capture the essence of the Quel'Thalas being destroyed by horde influence.
The Curators of Thalassian Culture welcome the aid or presence of all interested in passing on their own memories, as well as those interested in learning of the previously reclusive kingdom. The sect also focuses on helping Quel'dorei and half-elves connect or reconnect with their natural connection to nature, often spending time in the lush forests of Quel'Danas.
Half-elves expressing a yearning to better understand their often previously repressed Quel'dorei side make up the bulk of those with those such interest, and the Curators are happy to teach them of the legacy and connection to the natural and arcane world flowing through them.
The pathway to the order's long-term goal of a living, breathing, truly Quel'dorei home and memorial is long, but with growing numbers and impressive finds coming in, its members are confident of their eventual success believing that unlike similar orders as the Explorers' League and Reliquary, the Curators act with principle and meaning, valuing finds based on their cultural and historical worth, not their monetary value, and stand determined to usher in a Quel'Dorei renaissance.
Seeking broader support from the Quel'dorei diaspora and beyond, their Hall of Thalassian Ancestry sits near the pond in the Violet City, and offers a warm welcome to all neutral or alliance-affiliated parties interested in their work.
While focused most heavily on the time period between the founding of the Sunwell and its destruction, the Curators often explore pre-Azsharan sites, generally Highborne, compiling much genealogical information as well as the tools and weapons used by the ancestors of modern elves. With a large collection of tomes, spellbooks, and other scrolls from across elven history, linguistic analysis of the elven language and its development to all modern branches provides a deeper sense of understanding both the past and present.
Such work has proven useful in understanding the Shal'dorei language, as well as related lineages that may yet survive among the long isolated elven population.
Notable Recovered Items & Projects[]
- Painting of Sun King Anasterian (pictured above)
- Ancient Runed Spellbreaker Armor
- Sun Scepter of Vandellor (confirmed as likely authentic by Auroralina Ivenhart)
- Eye of Silvermoon
- Artifact Spellbow
- A number of replicas and variants were comissioned, most notably, Aman'talah, Death from Above
- Recovered Thalassian Prayerbook
- Vash'jir Highborne Stave (what appears to be half)
- Raw and jeweled eternite (a magical ore believed to have originated in the Well of Eternity
- Tapestry of the Sunwell's Founding
- Elunite Weaponry
- Elven Linguistic and Language Center
- Elven Genealogical Study*
- Azsharan era Priestess Regalia
- Narl'thalas Academy Tome
- Stelleris Dossier
- Queen Azshara Statue
*Broadened from "Thalassian Genealogical Study" as lineages present among the Quel'dorei are also found among Highborne and Shal'dorei populations
Replicas have been forged of both an ancient spellbow design and a set of heavy plate armor believed to have belonged to a guard involved in the defense of the Key of Three Moons. The Curators follow a policy of permitting recovered weaponry to be lightly tested to gauge their capacity, but barred from combat use. Replicas will have no such limitation.
Limited exceptions have been made since the Burning Legion has begun, notably a set of elaborate priestess regalia pre-dating the Sundering and believed locked in a vault since before the breaking. With a design involving Eternite, Azsharite, and Elunite finely woven into moonsilks bearing potent enchantments and runes, a Quel'dorei Elune priestess involved with the discovery has been putting the ensemble to the use it seems to have missed in the War of the Ancients.
Any wishing to see the pieces above or other items in the collection should visit the Hall of Thalassian Ancestry in Dalaran, and should settlement efforts in Suramar succeed, replicas and statues from the Curators' archive are intended for public display to establish a distinctly Thalassian feel and culture in the High Elven districts.
Security at the Dalaran Hall is tightened since the return of a horde presence. While many Sin'dorei take well to the collection, the belief the items belong in Silvermoon is common, and thus largely replica pieces are on public display, with the priceless originals secured in the vaults deep below.
Due to the strength of its wards, the Curators' vault holds a few undesirable items on security grounds, including a stave tainted by the Emerald Nightmare, which is in temporal stasis.
The Allerian Annex[]
With its high elven structures and lush forest surrounding, Allerian is among the most distinctly high elven places remaining, and in a relatively calm area, stood out as an ideal location for an annex in a living, breathing space. Construction is halted as focus shifted to establishing a settlement in Suramar, though completed displays feature ancient tapestries and statues among other artifacts lacking the space to properly display in Dalaran, along with additional vaults, securing artifacts and knowledge for a future Quel'dorei home.
Allerian itself stands as possibly the most uniquely high elven site remaining, and regardless of matters in Suramar, the Curators intend to focus efforts on Allerian's preservation and growth when more peaceful times arrive. The Lord Curator's residence, built to the same green Thalassian motif as the other elven structures, is home to Entilzha along with his sister Salandra and daughter Ysandre. The distinctly Quel'dorei Allerian is an important part of the Curators plans to assure Quel'dorei culture not only survives but thrives, supplementing their work in Suramar.
Future Plans[]
What the future holds in store for the Curators of Thalassian Culture rests very much upon the outcome of the Suramar Campaign. If successful, the Curators are likely to focus on making the settlement a true home both by connecting with the rituals, traditions, and ways of the Quel'dorei past, and by maintaining goodwill and friendship with their Shal'dorei kin.
While Suramar City has many trees and green spaces, all is manicured, and there are no truly wild, both natural and magical places. Should the region prove stable, long term plans may include reconstruction of an outlying village such as Amberville or Meredil, possibly working with druids and/or Everwardens to bring the forest to magical life.
This civic function of fostering the birth of a true home is likely to dominate the Curators' agenda should the Suramar Campaign proceed well, but when and if things in the region settle, they're also likely to resume archaeology expeditions among the vast number of elven sites in Azsuna and throughout the Broken Isles.
Allerian Stronghold will remain a place of great importance regardless of how the campaign in Suramar proceeds, though that importance will be magnified should in the event of a setback. The Curators, allies throughout the Highguard and High Elven communities however stand determined to see the settlement project succeed, investing much time and effort in developing favorable relations with the Shal'dorei and demonstrating that the High Elves don't only want to live in the city, but stand committed to preventing another elven genocide after the horrors of the fall of Quel'Thalas.