Shitty elven headcanons/fanon/idea time let’s go.
Thanks to Onnae for making a connection on the name Thalassian. Also shoutout to @pikestaff for that big ol’ naval headcanon stuff.
With the whole naval/maritime power of Quel’thalas and Kul Tiras, I feel as if they’d be rivals. They wouldn’t be going to war of course because this is a world with shitty things, but they’re not exactly friends. Both vie for control of the seas as mercantile nations, and both have different ways to handle things.
The elves believe the Kul Tirans primitive monkeys that can barely control a ship, seeing superiority in the usage of magic; why work when you can command cold winds to propel the ship instead of relying on the luck of wind for example. The famed elven navy makes frequent use of magic, almost certainly in callous displays.
Kul Tirans do everything the normal way; blood, sweat and elbow grease to master the seas. They scoff the elven magics, saying its a crutch for the elves and they aren’t true sailors. After all, what’s a good sailor if they don’t do the work themselves? What magic will provide more knowledge of the ocean than any veteran worth his salt.
This makes it all the better when Kael’thas is attracted to Jaina, the princess of Kul Tiras; its a possible bridge of competitive nations and not only gives a glimmer of political intrigue, it also adds a sense of forbidden love. Well one sided anyways because Jaina doesn’t stand for some pansy ass nerd elf.
In short I just love the idea of an elven navy powered by magical means let’s go Warhammer Dreadfleet araby ship.