#apothiptera

[apothiptera]

"There is blood everywhere and I am lost in it. I breathe blood, not air."

Kelly Cherry, from Rising Venus; "Lady Macbeth of the Psych Ward"

art by Eerie-Icebreaker

[apothiptera-sanlayn]

What we do know about the San'layn confirmed by lore

Vampiric in nature: feed on blood

Were once blood elves

Died against the Lich King on the failed assault against the Frozen Throne

Were adherents and loyalists to Prince Kael'thas

Are considered darkfallen

Have dark magic abilities including mental domination and shape-shifting

Are undead

Some possess bat-like physical features such as bat ears, clawed fingers, and wings

[apothiptera]

When night comes...

Art by @kittycatkissu

[apothiptera]

May flowers grow in the saddest parts of you.

Art by Sonya100years

[apothiptera]

Of all the ways to lose a person, death is the kindest.

Art by @nodensart

[apothiptera]

My end is my beginning

At by @oxiente

[apothiptera-sanlayn]

What are the San'layn?

San'layn are Warcraft's most identifiable version of "vampires". San'layn in specific are always undead Thalassian elves (called Darkfallen) that are vampiric in nature and once in service to the Scourge. Please note that anyone who claims to be a san'layn but was previously not a blood elf is incorrect. Perhaps they were changed into a vampyr (Warcraft's personal spelling) as there are other examples in lore, but they would not be san'layn. This name applies only to the elves that were raised by Arthas in Northrend when they tried to assault the Frozen Throne. Most in this group were close followers of Kael'thas Sunstrider, which means they are also sin'dorei, not quel'dorei.

Over the course of Warcraft's history, the san'layn have a particularly nasty reputation and for good reason. These were elves that were adherents to their prince, enthralled in the cutthroat politics of Quel'Thalas, and perhaps even digging into fel magic to sustain their hunger for arcane after the Sunwell was sundered. That is not to say that all of them were this way, but it is more likely to find some noble or magister amidst these ranks than a common born warrior unless you have a good reason for it.

When raised into their vampiric undeath, the san'layn were never basic troops within the Scourge. They were powerful, even the lowest ranking amongst them, and acted as leaders, agents, and ambassadors. Any common soldier that crossed a san'layn had little hope of surviving any sort of encounter.

Following the fall of the Lich King, most of the san'layn had been killed alongside their blood-queen. Given their positions and ranks, most were in Icecrown Citadel, which was their headquarters, until the very end. What fringe survived is up to you. Whether they gained mental independence before this doom's day or followed one of the surviving blood royalty is a subject that is as unique as you want to make it.

The only formal groups that existed after the larger downfall of their kind was Blood Prince Dreven who appears in Battle for Azeroth. An attempt was made to join the Horde, but was thwarted by the Alliance. This is considered one of the last cullings of the san'layn prior to Shadowlands. However, even Vorath who marshalled a contingent to attack Tranquillien, was not a Blood Prince.

Overall, what remains of san'layn are stragglers. Survivors. In general, most san'layn are cruel, arrogant, and enjoy inflicting torment on others. They feed on blood as sustenance and have great dark magic abilities including some shape-shifting and the ability to mentally dominate others.

[apothiptera-sanlayn]

Apothiptera's San'layn Guide & Fanon

Welcome to my guide on my own personal headcanons and methods of creating and RPing a San'layn within the World of Warcraft setting. There are a few other wonderful guides, though I've diverged a bit to my own personal preferences and what kind of plotline I wished to develop and follow. I am, by no means, the all knowing authority on this. I simply tried to create answers to open endings that fit mostly within the grander scheme of retail's setting. I have quite a few ideas I think others might enjoy utilizing in some capacity which is why I penned it down to share! This is subject to develop and evolve based on the most recent drop of Anguish magic in Midnight.