Wretched

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The Wretched were once blood elves but failed to control their magical addiction. The Wretched are thin elves with a large bony forehead, claw like fingers and toes, blue eyes, and strange growths on their backs that glow with an eerie blue light. Recently with the events of the Sunwell and Kael'thas summoning the Burning Legion, a new type of Wretched has appeared.

The Wretched are currently scattered throughout Eversong Woods and lack any general leadership, but a few notable Wretched have stepped up and organized raids. The Wretched have infiltrated the Ruins of Silvermoon, Sunsail Anchorage, and even Falthrien Academy on Sunstrider Isle. This "kind" of blood elf is believed to be relatively new, considering the fact that they can only have existed since after the corruption of the Sunwell.

Gershala Nightwhisper feared this transformation might occur before the events of the Burning Crusade. He even sent adventurers in Blackfathom Deeps to get corrupted brain stems from naga and satyr. The Wretched can be compared to both naga and satyr because their magical dependence caused them to undergo physiological changes. Unlike those two races, this transformation can occur in an instant as soon as the blood elf succumbs to his or her thirst for magic) as Magistrix Elosai's transformation into the Wretched shows. Some people might think of them as Broken counterparts, both are shunned by their original species, both were changed by magic. However, Wretched had a choice, but Broken didn't. However, the fact that she only stayed a Wretched for a short period might imply that the mutation is reversible or even curable. On the other hand, this may have been a game play mechanic.

New Wretched

With the events of the Sunwell being used to summon the legion a new type of Wretched has been created. These Wretched have worse physical changes, while some have mild symptoms of this advanced mutation, they are still pretty bad. Symptoms they have are bulging green eyes, black rot-like mouths with what looks like black drool coming from them, less hair, green growths, feet and hands that are more claw like and are a almost demon-like brown color, and small holes where growths should be from their Wretched transformation. Others, however, are more monstrous, having all of the already mentioned symptoms including, deep sucked in chests, more holes that look like they appeared from popped growths, markings near their eyes, and more of a monster-like appearance, barely resembling their former selves. These more serious mutations have appeared from tapping into the energies granted by the Burning Legion, in fact some blood elves trying to become felbloods have become Wretched due to absorbing too much fel energy. These Wretched serve Kael'thas fiercely, and he rewards them by supplying them with mass amounts of fel energy for them to feed on. So far these Wretched have only appeared on Quel'danas and the throne of Kil'jaeden, likely because this mutation is fairly new still and can only exist after a blood elf or Wretched has absorbed mass amounts of fel energy — which is mainly located in those two areas. With the Legion's defeat at the Sunwell and Kael'thas' death, it seems that this new breed of Wretched won't be spreading anytime soon.

Trivia

All of the Wretched NPCs in the game have a mana bar, as fitting to their characteristics.
According to Monster Guide (2007), it is said that blood elves are evolving from their high elven cousins due to use of fel magic (the first sign of evolutionary change are "glowing green eyes"). It is said in time they may become as distant to high elves as satyrs are to night elves.Template:Cite The Wretched may be examples of the further evolution, though it is somewhat of a devolution.
They were called "the winnowed" in early Burning Crusade expansion development.
The data file for Wretched blood elves is simply called "crackelf", a bit of a joke on Blizzard's part; it is not a viable lore term, though entirely accurate.
Interestingly, their basic character skeleton is that of the undead/Forsaken, not the blood elves.
When Magistrix Elosai temporarily turns into a Wretched, she takes the form of a male one, as female models for Wretched don't exist.