flatworldsedge wrote:So - TD's story contest has forced me to think about this harder than my knee-jerk "ignore it all" answer. Here's my new thinking, ignorant of some of the fluff, so please do throw it at me if it conflicts.
The whole leaving Naggaroth thing seems to have annoyed/upset a few people, judging by other threads. I'm one of them. Naggaroth is a test. It makes us stronger every day. So do we quit it now? Wilt before its challenge, only half as strong as it could make us next year, and the year after?
Malekith's exodus to invade Ulthuan is so selfishly ego-centric. Who cares who wears the crown in Ulthuan. Claiming it serves his wounded pride, but it dooms our people. It snuffs out our chance to purge our weakness in blizzard and constant battle. If he had claimed it unchallenged, then what? We all go soft back in the homeland drinking peach juice and painting watercolour portraits of our nephews? No. Naggaroth made us better. He should have been proud to rule in Naggaroth. We should have made it greater than Ulthuan, not quit it in some pathetic squabble over who wears some second rate crown over there.
Naggaroth and Khaine are alike in their showing us a process where by enduring the impossible, we are lifted ever higher - yes, on a tide of blood, yes on the bodies of the weak, but their failure to meet the challenge demands their destruction. Let us never cease to be tested. Let those that fail, or balk at the challenge, never cease to be destroyed.
Malekith's actions having betrayed his true character; still a selfish child, grasping over the meaningless titles of the past. His obsession with the insignificant, and abandonment of the greater challenge, betrays his weakness. He has failed the test. He must be destroyed.
Spoilers:
I could only read so much, basically the chaos horde swarms into Naggoroth unopposed due to Morathi's complicity, Malekith figures Naggorroth is lost, plus with Teclis's backing he feels he can retake Ulthuan.
After that, I skimmed through most of the rest of it, with I guess Tyrion getting thrown under the bus for the dramatic effect but I'm sure he'll be back. Malekith is basically just a warm body along for the ride, he has no character other than I'm bad, fear me! So not much too betray, and the high elf characters basically drive everything, Teclis, Imrik, Tyrion, mostly, with Alith Anar peforming the coup de grâce (1.75 times, he's that good). Dark elf characters just end up getting splattered, no real loss though. The only one that appears to have any type of competence is Morathi but she ends up getting super-splattered too but it takes one of the ultimate high elf fan-service characters to sacrifice himself with her, so a fair trade I feel.
I think ultimately Dark Elves lost the most, our lands, and our spiritual incarnation basically. Not sure what impact Khaine being gone has on things like witch elves and executioners, there is even talk about how the elves feel different with him gone, who knows... But Malekith is now drying humping the everqueen, so I guess he made out.
I think Malekith should pension them (i.e. put em to the axe!) 
