[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by Wordplay

I don't think it was that bad, since if we take into a roleplaying perspective, wouldn't you strongly approve of saving the central piece of your culture at any cost? IIRC, the pool or whatever was very important to the elves, so by saving it Illidan basically became their hero.

Well most likely... not ^^'.
The Kaldorei were split into 2 : the "common" caste and the highborne.
the later group became the Sin'dorei, later becoming the High elves, then the blood elves as we know today.

Most kaldorei didn't approve the reckless use and consomption of the arcane energies, and were following the druidic concepts from Cenarius.

After the Sundering, it is quite clear that except the Sin'dorei, absolutely no night elves would claime Illidan as their hero, for the new well of eternity.
That said, ironically, the well of eternity is the energy source for Nordrassil, which granted Immortality to the night elves, thanks to Alextrasza and Nozdormu.

Illidan is definitely not a "hero" for the Kaldorei, since the war of the ancients, the Sundering.

And because of this *good* deed, his brother, who should had already been shot to face once for imprisoning someone for such a long time, thinks he got the right to punish him once more? I mean: that's some thankless git there. If I would get to choose, I would much rather join with Illidan in attempt to rebuild the lost High Elven culture instead of levelling its remains with the (mandatory) quest-line.

It is indeed true, but the High Elven culture was most likely the Highborne's, not exactly the Kaldorei's.
I don't pretend that Malfurion did the good thing, but OTOH, Malfurion was kinda "kind" (or desperate?) enough to accept Illidan help, despite he blatantly betray him already several times (his allegiance with the Crazed Azshara, and even before, when Illidan captured his brother and Broxxigar, when they were trying to seal the Dragon Soul, freshly stolen from Deathwing)

You can tell the well of eternity was the "enough is enough".
*guh* i guess i should re-read the novel.

You could say that everyone who got the best gear in the game got it at the expense of genocide.

Hahaha, true enough ^^
But that's why Illidan was considered as an outcast for the whole Night elves, since his ideology wasn't accepted by the Night elves culture (this is also the lore factor for the "demon hunters" in the game, though, canonically, there shouldn't be any demon hunter, lore wise)

This is mainly the Night Elves weakness : their pride and their conservatism are the main problem for their "evolution". Their stubborness and "fear" (well most likely traumatized with what happened during the Sundering) seal completely what they believe.
Strag'helm is a living example of this, raising Teldrassil, getting completely insane during the war of the sands etc.