Mercy for the Raging

REPORTER: Xulk

Kill ten raging elementals. Such orders are common, the overriding approach to both elemental and wildlife management The expression of rage is seen to be incurable, overwhelming all sense in the individual and potentially cascading to destroy entire environments. Rage it seems, can only be cured by a swift death; a deadly plague best contained by violence before it spreads

This policy of murder has applied to elementals, as administered by Alliance, Horde and neutral factions alike If the water elementals get too rowdy, you kill the water elementals. But elementals are people. They have thoughts, they have ambitions, they have clear agency and expression They have emotions and rage is common

Rage is anger breaking the surface,ashing out at the nearby environment All of us have felt rage in a place of deep pain that leads us to seek wanton destruction. There is no end of reasons to feel such pain, and no end of atrocities that our worlds have survived

The elementals have suffered atrocity as well, and specific tortures inflicted upon them alone. It is no surprise that they would know pain and anger, which would lead to such rage.

I think we would all prefer violence and revenge to be properly directed, for the elementals and every other victim to only replay pain upon those who caused it, but that sort of perfect poetry of revenge rarely exists outside of stories The truth remains that elementals are often victims, and in their rage often create greater harm. Elementals are powerful and able to cause great devastation in their raging

Does that make their destruction ideal? As a general policy no Rage is often temporary, sometimes lasting only weeks, days or hours For most elementals, we may only need to be patient for them to calm again. Learned shamans may even suggest ways to soothe and calm them now that do not involve violence, and such paths should be pursued whenever available

Elementals raging directly in population centers may still need to be subdued or even killed, but that is a rare occurrence. Many elementals are found raging in distant beaches or in caves deep underground They can be safely avoided, but to do so we must examine a more difficult concept

Not everyone who wants to kill you is your enemy Many simply aren’t threats, either due to weakness or distance, many are potential allies, only turning arms against you through the confusion of war. Many only want to kill you for offenses that you have wrongly made If you invade a kobold’s home, and they try to shiv you, their death is your fault

From what I see, the earth elementals and the water elementals are largely uninvolved in this Primalist war. The elementals of both courts have only taken part in battles when directly controlled by Primalist shamans, or directly provoked by the courts of fire and air They are effectively terrified noncombatants and should be let be

If I am wrong in this conclusion, prove it to me. But until then, to destroy the elementals as a whole on the Dragon Isles is to murder the pained and the tormented What sort of heroes would do that?