Monday, September 28, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves

For the next installment of our examination of the history behind World of Warcraft's playable races we will be looking at the Horde's most recent additions: the Blood Elves.

The Blood Elves and the Night Elves are in fact the same race, the Kaldorei. The distant history of the Night Elves then adds a great deal to the Blood Elves origin story. Where the Night Elves rejected their racial lust for magic and turned to Druidism, the Blood Elves reveled in it.

After the Well of Eternity was destroyed by Sargeras, the Kaldorei nobility failed to learn from the lessons of their past and elected to seek out a new source of magical power. Known as High Elves because of their former prestige amongst the Kaldorei, the Elves battled back the Troll Amani Empire founded the kingdom of Quel'Thalas in Lordaron. At its heart, the High Elves created a new beacon of magical energy using water from the Well of Eternity. They called their new boon the Sunwell and it provided all the magical energy their addiction required. Aside from assaults from the Amani Trolls, which the High Elves battled back with the help of the Humans, the High Elves lived rather peacefully for many years.

Unfortunately, once again the Elves magical beacon attracted the wrong kind of attention. Requiring the Sunwell's power, the Lich King's avatar Arthas Menethil launched a massive Scourge assault on Quel'Thalas. Many High Elves were killed and the Sunwell was tainted. After the loss of the Sunwell, it became clear just how magic addicted the High Elves had become. As a result, the Humans began to forsake their former allies forcing the Elves to seek other comrades in their battle against the Scourage. Ultimately, they turned to the Naga, severing any ties which might have bound them with the Humans. In fact, the Humans began capturing the High Elves, including their leader Kael'thas, with the intention of putting them to death.

The leader of the Naga, Lady Vashj, came to the imprisoned Elves rescue, helping them escape to Outland. There, Kael'thas pledged allegiance to the only being who appeared capable of feeding his peoples hunger for magic, the "Lord" of Outland, Illidan Stormrage. Kael'thas sent a representative to those High Elves who remained on Azeroth promising his eventual return and an ultimate solution to the race's magic addiction. The Elves remaining on Azeroth, calling themselves Blood Elves because of the hardships they had endured, began preparations for their leader's return, motivated by their belief in his lofty promises.

In need of allies to fight the Amani and the Scourge, the Blood Elves turned to the Horde because all bridges with the Humans had been completely burned. After retaking much of their capital, Silvermoon, the Blood Elves came to discover the true nature of Kael'thas' solution to the Blood Elves addiction, feeding it by drawing on powerful demonic forces. Feeling betrayed and heart broken, the Blood Elves have attempted to carry on the reclamation and reconstruction of Quel'Thalas, but progress has been slow.

The Blood Elves are a broken people in a soon to be broken world. Addicted to magic and barely holding on to the remains of their kingdom, it is uncertain how the Blood Elves will fare when Azeroth is torn asunder. Perhaps the coming defeat of Arthas will give the former nobles the inspiration they need to defeat both their metaphorical and physical demons. Only time will tell.

Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes
Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls
Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren
Warcraft Race Origins: Humans
Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs
Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves
Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken
Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei

In today's edition of Warcraft Race Origins, we will be looking at the story behind the Alliance's newest members, the Draenei.

The Draenei originally hail from the world of Argus. Then known as Eredar, the Draenei were an ancient, powerful race especially gifted in the use of magic. Unfortunately for the Eredar, the races strength and magic use drew Sargeras, a fallen Titan of unimaginable power, to Argus. The evil being gathered the three Eredar leaders and, without revealing his diabolical intentions, offered them unimaginable power. Two accepted: Kil'jaeden and Archimonde. Only the Velen refused, having had a vision of the demonic monsters the Eredar would become as a result of the deal.

Seeing doom for his race on the horizon, Velen cried out to the heavens for assistance. Salvation came in the form of a Naruu, a powerful light being from a distant world. The Naruu helped Velen and other Eredar who had refused Sargeras' offer escape the Titan's wrath by transporting them to another world. That world came to be known as Draenor and Velen's ban became the Draenei or "Exiled Ones."

On Draenor, the Draenei came in contact with the shamanistic Orcs and the two races lived in peace for many years. It was only a matter of time, however, before the now demonic agent of Sargeras, Kil'jaeden, was able to track down Velen and his band of exiles on Draenor. In an effort to destroy the Draenei, Kil'jaeden began corrupting the Orcs with demonic blood. Driven into an uncontrollable rage, the Orcs began slaughtering the Draenei in huge numbers. The Orc attacks were so ferocious and effective that only a small portion of the Draenei survived, including Velen.

Once again sensing impending doom for his people, Velen hatched a plot to flee Draenor. Velen and the remaining Draenei traveled to the inter-dimensional ship known as Tempest Keep and hijacked one of its satellite structures. Using the vessel, the Draenei fled, ultimately crashing on the world of Azeroth. Seeking allies to aid in their struggle against the Burning Legion and recently having been slaughtered in large numbers by the Orcs, the Draenei were brought into the Alliance fold.

Since the release of Wrath of the Lich King, very little has been done to expand upon the Draenei's back story. They are, for all intents and purposes, strangers exiled on a distant land. It is uncertain how, if at all, the events of the coming Cataclysm will affect the Draenei. Perhaps, as they have before, Velen and his band will begin making plans to flee the sundered world. Alternatively, the Draenei could elect to make their stand on Azeroth with their new allies, come what may. Hopefully, unlike Outland, the story of the Draenei is not left behind as World of Warcraft's lore develops.


Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes
Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls
Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren
Warcraft Race Origins: Humans
Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs
Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves
Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken
Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins

Friday, September 18, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken

For today's look at the lore origins of World of Warcraft's playable races, we will be discussing Azeroth's most chaotic and least trustworthy race, the Forsaken.

The existence of the Forsaken can ultimately be traced back to the poor decisions of a single Orc, Ner'zhul. Corrupted by a host of evil artifacts and physically obliterated by Kil'jaeden, the surviving portion of Ner'zhul's spirit became the evil entity known as the Lich King. More a force than a person, the Lich King was charged by Kil'jaeden with destabilizing Azeroth in preparation for the Burning Legion's invasion. Toward that end, the Lich King began to create a massive army of all manner of reanimated corpses known as the Scourge.

To speed the growth of his undead army, the Lich King conjured a terrible disease called the Plague of Undeath and used his magical prowess and the aid of other malefic forces to spread it across Azeroth. The biological attack was outstandingly effective, wiping out many populations. Especially hard hit were the Humans, who saw there numbers drop by as much as 50%. Every loss amongst Azeroth's mortal races grew the Lich King's power and it was feared that the entire world was doomed.

On the heals of the spreading Plague, Arthas Menethil, the Human prince of Lordaeron, set about tracking down the Lich King in Northrend. Ultimately he was successful, but not before losing his mind and soul along the way. Rather than destroying the Lich King, Arthas freed the entity from the influence of Kil'jaeden's Burning Legion and assumed it into himself. Thus the Lich King and Scourge of modern Azeroth was born.

Kil'jaeden was not keen on letting such a powerful slave slip through his fingers. To eliminate Arthas and bring the Lich King back under the Burning Legion's control, Kil'Jaeden backed the twisted Night Elf Illidan Stormrage as he launched an attack on the Lich King's Frozen Throne. To repel Illidan's advance, Arthas was forced to abandon his new base of operations in the catacombs of Lordaeron and head for Northrend.

Though Arthas defeated Illidan, the Lich King was sufficiently weakened and distracted that a group of Scourge were able to shake off his enslaving magical influence. Led by the powerful former Elf general Sylvanas Windrunner, now reborn as a banshee, the newly liberated undead quickly grew in numbers. Named the Forsaken by Sylvanas, the former Humans and Elves claimed the sewers beneath Lordaeron as their home dubbing it the Undercity. Hating Arthas and the Scourge above all else, the Forsaken forged a tenuous pact of convenience with the Horde to better combat their sworn enemies.

The Forsaken are currently living some of the most important moments of their history. The battle against Arthas is presumably nearing a conclusion and it will be interesting to see where destiny next carries the Forsaken. The Forsaken are also facing extreme internal and external pressure following the recent insurrection and the skeletons it uncovered. It will be interesting to see if the Forsaken's tenuous alliance with the Horde survives the coming Cataclysm and perhaps, as things move forward, the factions true intentions will ultimately be revealed.

Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes
Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls
Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren
Warcraft Race Origins: Humans
Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs
Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves
Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei
Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves

For the next edition of our series on the lore behind World of Warcraft's playable races we will be taking a look at one of Azeroth's hardiest races: the Dwarves.

After the Titans finished shaping early Azeroth, they decided to create guardians which they would leave behind to tend to the world they had ripped from the primordial chaos sown by the Old Gods. Fashioned out of living stone, the humanoids they created came to be known as the Earthen. The Titans' methods for creating the Earthen were imperfect and the first batch succumbed to underground pressures and the curse of flesh, ultimately becoming modern Azeroth's Troggs.

The second batch, Earthen Series Two, was more successful for the Titans, but still ultimately a failure. These new Earthen were not disfigured and agitated by the pressures which surrounded them, but they still ultimately fell victim to the Old Gods' Curse of Flesh. Thus, the Dwarves were born.

As the Series Two Earthen awoke in various Titan vaults across Azeroth, reborn as Dwarves, they separated into various clans and factions. Those from the vault at Uldaman, the Bronzebeard Clan, the Wildhammer Clan, and the Dark Iron Clan, made their way to Dun Morogh and created Ironforge. Following a brief civil war between the clans, the Wildhammer Clan settled in the Hinterlands and pursued a deeper relationship with nature, the Dark Iron Clan found themselves enslaved by the Fire Lord Ragnaros, and the Bronzebeard Clan was left to Ironforge. It is from the Bronzebeard Clan that player controlled Dwarves are drawn.

Though the Dwarves are largely content to stay underground and seal themselves away from Azeroth's troubles, when the Orcish invasion was launched the Dwarves of Ironforge were quick to come to the aid of the Humans and their newly formed Alliance. Ultimately, they brought the Gnomes into the fold as well.

The Dwarves have always been exceptionally curious about their history and, as a result, Blizzard has had many opportunities to explore the story of their creation. Odds are those explorations will continue in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm when another Titan Vault, Uldum, is opened. Additionally, Ragnaros, master of the Dark Iron Clan, will be reappearing following Deathwing's sundering of Azeroth. Lastly, Shamanism will be coming to the Dwarven race, likely through the members of the nature attuned Wildhammer Clan which may give players the opportunity to play as Dwarves outside Ironforge's Bronzebeard Clan. Of all the races of Azeroth, perhaps none is more hardy than the Dwarves and their resilience is sure to be put to the test as Azeroth's destiny unfolds.


Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes
Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls
Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren
Warcraft Race Origins: Humans
Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs
Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken
Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei
Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs

The next stop on our travels through the story behind World of Warcraft's playable races is Draenor, the ancient home world of the Orcs.

The Orcs of the Horde trace their lineage to the plains of Nagrand in the world of Draenor, now known as Outland. Throughout their early existence, the Orcs were a shamanistic, tribal race. Though they were fierce warriors, they were generally peaceful unless roused to battle.

Sadly, the fate of the Orcs took a turn for the worse when the demonic Burning Legion arrived in Draenor. Led astray by Orcish shaman Ner'zhul, the Orcs fell under the influence of the Legion's Fel Magic in the form of the Blood Curse. The Blood Curse, brought on by drinking the blood of a powerful, demonic Pit Lord caused the Orcs to become aggressive and warlike. Furious with blood lust, the Orcs began to rampage across Draenor, cutting down many races including the benevolent Draenei.

Once there were no more enemies on Draenor to be cut down, the Orcs turned to infighting and nearly destroyed themselves. In an effort to create peace between the different Orc war bands, Orcish spiritual leader Gul'dan, with the assistance of the Shadow Council, began searching for worlds beyond Draenor which the Orcs could band together to conquer. Eventually, Gul'dan's search was rewarded when, through the help of the human sorcerer Medivh, the Orcs managed to find a rift (the Dark Portal) through which they could enter the world of Azeroth.

Their blood lust renewed by the discovery of a new world to pillage, the Orcs flooded through the Dark Portal and began laying siege to human settlements across Azeroth. Many battles were fought with victories laid at the feet of both sides. Slowly, but surely, however, the Orcs began to push back the humans even despite the assistance of their new Dwarven, Gnomish, and Night Elf allies. The Orcs were on the verge of crushing the Alliance when Gul'dan diverted a large band of Orcish forces to pursue the demonic power he believed to be locked away in the Tomb of Sargeras. Between the loss of Gul'dan's Orcs and the forces diverted by other leaders to pursue them, the Orcs opened themselves to an Alliance counterattack and were routed.

Following their defeat, the Orcs were captured by the humans and placed into internment camps. An Orc named Thrall managed to escape internment and rallied with hidden bands of Orcs who had evaded capture. Thrall learned of the Orcs noble, shamanistic past and, as he led raids on various internment camps, expressed his interest in completely cleansing the Orcs of all demonic influence.

Thrall's "New Horde" quickly grew in power, eventually bringing the Darkspear Trolls and the Tauren into the fold. After the construction of Ogrimmar, named after the Orc who showed Thrall the ways of shamanism Ogrim Doomhammer, the Orcs could finally claim to be a civilized force in Azeroth.

As the Orcs of the Horde move forward, they face countless challenges. Principal amongst these hurdles is the task of overcoming the prejudices which linger on the heals of the Orcs demonically influenced past. Additionally, internal enemies such as the Shadow Council have resurfaced to threaten the Orcs' newly found stability. No one knows what fate awaits the Orcs as the events of the Cataclysm unfold. It will be interesting to see if Thrall's "New Horde" is fit to face the challenges that certainly lie ahead.

Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes
Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls
Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren
Warcraft Race Origins: Humans
Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves
Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken
Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei
Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Humans

For the next installment of our journey through the lore origins of World of Warcraft's playable races, it is time to look at Azeroth's human population.

The human race is believed to have evolved (or devolved) from the Vrykul. These large humanoids were directly created by the Titans and once existed all across Azeroth. For an unknown reason, however, the Vrykul population plummeted and now they are found exclusively on the continent of Northrend. It has been speculated that the Vrykul's disappearance and the first appearance of humans sprung from the same event as Vrykul history tells of a time when Vrykul women, presumably corrupted by the Old Gods' Curse of Flesh, began birthing "weak" children. It is assumed that these weak Vrykul offspring were the first humans.

As the outcast children of the Vrykul, early humans had a rough time. A young and disorganized race by comparison, ancient humans were ruthlessly hunted by Trolls and even enslaved by early Night Elves. Nomadic and divided, humans barely survived during most of their time in Azeroth's history. It was not until they learned magic from the High Elves, who would later become the Blood Elves, and bent it towards turning the tide against the Trolls that humanity finally started to get its act together.

The various human tribes began to organize, ultimately forming a central kingdom of Arathor which was later divided into seven seperate kingdoms. Unfortunately, the agents of the Burning Crusade and the Scourge set about dismantling those kingdoms and in modern Azeroth, only a select few survive. The kingdom of Stormwind has grown to be the most prominent, largely because of its role in forming and maintaining the Alliance. Other surviving human kingdom's include the now floating Mage kingdom of Dalaran, the island nation of Kul Tiras, Jaina Proudmore's Theramore, and the soon to be revealed Gilneas.

As the leaders of the Alliance, the human race is nearly always on the front lines ready to face any threat to Azeroth. That is unlikely to change. As the events of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm unfold, it is practically certain that humanity's destiny will continue to develop. Also, a missing bit of human history will finally be revealed as the Greymane Wall is opened and the human kingdom of Gilneas is revealed for the first time in more than a decade. Interesting changes are on the horizon for the humans of Azeroth, but if their history of resilience is any indication, they should be well equipped to weather the challenges ahead.


Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes

Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls
Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren
Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs
Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves
Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken
Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei
Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren

In part four of our journey through the story behind Warcraft's playable races, we will be taking a look at the nomadic Tauren of the Horde.

The Tauren are believed to be an exceptionally old race, but much of their history is uncertain as it must be unearthed Tauren's own myths and stories. Being nomadic and tribal, no written account of their early existance was ever recorded. Despite this ambiguity, general wisdom places the creation of the Tauren somewhere between that of the Trolls and Night Elves.

The Tauren believe they were created by the Earth Mother, an omniscient goddess who they hold out as the creator and protector of all life. Many other races speculate that the concept of the "Earth Mother" is simply the Tauren's understanding of powerful known beings in Azeroth's lore such as the elemental Therazane or the Titans. Whether or not there is an "Earth Mother" and what her identity might be still remain a mystery.

Throughout much of their early history, the Tauren were nomadic and divided into countless wandering tribes. Unfortunately, their dispersed populations and lack of a homeland made them easy targets for the aggressive Centaur which shared their lands. Thankfully, salvation came for the Tauren in form of Thrall and the Orcs. Both being shamanistic and honor driven, the Orcs and the Tauren became fast friends and allies. Through the Horde's help, the Tauren were finally able to drive back the centaur and claim a homeland amongst the fields of Mulgore. With their new home came new leadership over nearly all the disparate tribes in the form of Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof.

Today, the Tauren continue to work with the Horde both because of their kinship to the Orcs and out of respect for the group's efforts in securing Mulgore for their race. The Tauren are as peaceful and introspective as they have always been, but as the world is assaulted by chaotic forces, they continually find it impossible to stay above the fray. With the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, some Tauren will be turning to the Holy Light rather than their traditional nature based worship allowing for the creation of Tauren Paladins and Priests. It will also be interesting to see how the shamanistic Tauren respond to the sundering of their ancestral homeland by Deathwing. It is almost certain that the Tauren will play a significant role in shaping the future of the Horde, if not the future of Azeroth itself.


Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes

Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls
Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Humans
Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs
Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves
Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken
Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei
Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins

Friday, September 4, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves

In part three of our exploration of the lore behind the origins of World of Warcraft's playable races we will be looking at one of Azeroth's more reclusive and mysterious races: the Night Elves.

The Night Elves, or Kaldorei as they call themselves, are one of Azeroth's older native sentient races, perhaps younger only than the Trolls. It is theorized that the Night Elves came to be when a group of Trolls were magically infused and evolved by the Well of Eternity, a beacon of magical energy created by the Titans. Obviously the Night Elves themselves would readily deny this tale of their lineage, but the theory is reasonable.

In their early years, the Night Elves drank deeply from the Well of Eternity. Through the reservoir they gained great wisdom, magical aptitude, and ultimately immortality. Unfortunately for the Kaldorei, the Well also attracted the attention of Sargeras, Destroyer of Worlds who is an evil Titan with an eye toward destroying all life. Sargeras tricked the magic addicted Kaldorei nobility into building a portal through which began to flood Sargeras' army, the dreaded Burning Legion.

Thankfully the Druidic sect of the Kaldorei was able to uncover the plot before things were to late. Sadly, however, Sargeras' plans were sufficiently far along that turning him back cost the Kaldorei their immortality, destroyed the Well of Eternity, and left Azeroth torn in two. After the Sundering, the Keldorei nobility left to pursue new sources of magic, ultimately becoming the Blood Elves, while as the Druidic sect of the race elected to remain behind, casting aside arcane magic and returning to their natural roots. Thus, the modern Night Elves were born.

Though the exact details of the Night Elves entry into the Alliance remain untold, it is believed to be motivated by three principal things. First, the Night Elves have a powerful hatred for the Orcs stemming from the slaying of the Night Elves' patron god Cenarius by the Orc Grom Hellscream. Even though the Grom and the Orcs were under demonic influence at the time, the hatred still remains. Second, the Horde has infuriated the Night Elves by beginning logging operations in Ashenvale forest. Lastly, the Night Elves are in need of assistance in combating the Burning Legion and the growing Scourge threat and the Alliance made better bed fellows than the Horde.

Odds are, there are interesting things on the horizon for World of Warcraft's Night Elves. In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the realm of the Naga, a corrupted offshoot of the Keldorei, will be opened at the heart of the Maelstrom. Additionally, Deathwing, a corrupted Dragon once worshiped by the Night Elves, returns to Azeroth. Lastly, the Night Elves will be returning to the arcane arts after thousands of years of that line of magic being taboo. Here is hoping that the Night Elves have the tools they need to weather the coming storm.

Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes
Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls
Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren
Warcraft Race Origins: Humans
Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs
Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves
Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken
Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei
Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls

Today we continuing our exploration of the lore behind World of Warcraft's playable races by taking a look at one of Azeroth's oldest native races: Trolls.

Trolls as a race have presumably been in existence nearly as long as Azeroth itself. Many speculate that the Trolls wandered the chaos of Azeroth's primordial state long before the Titan's arrived to impose order on the world being ravaged by the Old Gods. Regardless, it is widely accepted that Trolls are perhaps Azeroth's oldest sentient, mortal race and they are almost certainly the first race to discover magic.

All Trolls ultimately originate from a single progenitor tribe, the Zandalar. Eventually two separate powerful Troll empires were formed. Over time, due to conflicts with the Night Elves, the High Elves, and the meddling of Blood God Hakkar the Soulflayer, the Trolls were scattered around Azeroth, separated into numerous tribes and sub-races.

Player character Trolls are from the Darkspear Tribe. The Darkspear originally called Stranglethorn Veil their home, but due to conflicts with other tribes in that region they were forced to relocate to the Broken Isles south of Durotar. Unfortunately, trouble followed the Darkspears and they soon found themselves at war with a powerful Naga sorceress, The Sea Witch, and her band of Murloc followers.

By a strange twist of fate, Thrall and his recently freed band of Orcs also found themselves on the Broken Isles. Thrall and the Darkspear leader Sen'jin were ultimately captured by the Sea Witch along with several other Orcs and Trolls. Sen'jin perished at the hands of the Sea Witch, but not before prophesying that Thrall would lead the Darkspear tribe off of the Broken Isles. Thrall freed himself, the other Orcs, and the remaining Trolls forever entwining the destiny of the Darkspear Tribe with that of the Horde.

As for the future of the Trolls, in Cataclysm, Druidic magic will apparently come to the Darkspear. Also, as Azeroth's attention begins to focus on coastal regions, it is almost certain that Trolls will have a significant role to play in developing the world's destiny. Here is hoping that Blizzard will use this opportunity to further develop the Troll's rich back story.

Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes

Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren
Warcraft Race Origins: Humans
Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs
Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves
Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken
Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei
Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Warcraft Race Origins: Gnomes

Today I am kicking off a multi-week series of lore related posts which will chronicle the origins of the various player races which populate Azeroth. For each race I will briefly work through the information available regarding where they came from and how they ultimately came to be what we know and love in modern Azeroth. What better way to kick things off than with one of World of Warcraft's more bizarre populations: the Gnomes.

There is still a great deal of mystery surrounding the Gnomes distant past, but as for their more recent history, it was the Dwarves who uncovered the first underground Gnomish village. Impressed by the Gnomes' ingenuity and technological progress, the Dwarves were quick to make friends with the tiny humanoids. The bond between the races grew quickly and was soon so strong that the Dwarves authorized the construction of Gnomeregan, a brilliant capital city for the Gnomes, within their mountains.

Unfortunately for the Gnomes, Gnomeregan fell following an invasion by the primitive humanoids known as Troggs which may have been an inside job perpetrated by one of the Gnomes own, Sicco Thermaplug. To make matters worse, a venting of radiation in Gnomeregan in an attempt to destroy the Troggs failed to do the deed and instead left the city an irradiated husk. In the wake of the catastrophe, the Gnomes have leaned heavily on the Dwarves and the rest of the members of the Alliance for their continued survival.

Prior to their meeting with the Dwarves, even the Gnomes themselves have little knowledge of their history. Recent events in Northrend have indicated that perhaps the Gnomes, like the Dwarves, were originally created by the Titans. The theory goes that the Titans created the Mechagnomes who, due to the curse of flesh, transformed into the fleshy Gnomes of modern Azeroth. The mechanical gnomes wandering the Storm Peaks would then be a living (sort of) example of the Gnomes at their creation. That, however, remains nothing more than theory, but Gearmaster Mechazod in the Borean Tundra, a Mechagnome who claims to be one of the first "Gnomes" created, seems to serve as evidence of its truth.

A great deal of the tale of the Gnomes origin remains to be told and hopefully Blizzard will continue to develop it as Azeroth evolves.

Warcraft Race Origins: Trolls

Warcraft Race Origins: Night Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Tauren
Warcraft Race Origins: Humans
Warcraft Race Origins: Orcs
Warcraft Race Origins: Dwarves
Warcraft Race Origins: Forsaken
Warcraft Race Origins: Draenei
Warcraft Race Origins: Blood Elves
Warcraft Race Origins: Worgen
Warcraft Race Origins: Goblins