Azeroth, a world that has witnessed countless millennia of war and strife. Where threats of old and new bring its denizens to the brink of annihilation. Old grudges linger and hatred for one another flourishes between moments of illusionary peace. In times of great struggle though, Azeroth will band together if only for a very short time to face what ever threatens their existence. Many grow weary of the seemingly endless war between the factions of the Horde and Alliance, and hope that some day all differences can be put aside, ushering a new age upon Azeroth. This simply remains a long off hazy dream though, for Azeroths challenges are far from over.
The late evening had fallen upon the Eastern Kingdoms of Azeroth and soon all the lands would be basked in twilight under a single blue moon that would shine down upon the war torn world. Azeroth would enter a serene state of peace, and the nightlight would begin to emerge once more. With the gentle night upon the land and the momentary peace, all seemed right in Azeroth. If one looked closer though, a sense of unease would come over them, something malicious stirred in the night. Upon the Broken Island, stood the long dead and abandoned Tomb of Sargeras, sealed behind powerful spells and prayers, a desperate attempt at holding the evil within. Once with the knowledge of how to bypass such spells could easily slip through with enough concentration and enter this long forgotten place. Now, somewhere within this ominous tomb, dark powers swirled and manifested themselves into whispers, invading the dreams of those upon the Broken shore and quickly inducing nightmares.
Those who were still awake would hear whispering just outside of their range of hearing, unable to make out what was being said. Deep inside of the Tomb of Sargeras, at its heart where these nefarious powers seemed to accumulate, Gul'Dan himself began the ritual that had been whispered to him in his dreams, a ritual that would lead the Legion, an innumerable army of demons, infernals, and corrupted races that seek to destroy all order in the universe, back to this world once more. Violent winds suddenly whipped around him, carrying a frigid breeze that chilled even him down to his bones and seemed to gnaw at his soul. The winds would suddenly take on a dark violet color, with bolts of fel lightning shooting through them, striking everything around Gul'Dan, leaving dark burns upon the unholy stones it touched.
After a loud crack of what could have been thunder in a small space, a tearing sound echoed through the Tomb of Sargeras, and a portal opened above him. Blinding light of an indescribable color flooded the chamber before his voice could be heard, the voice of the Dark Titan himself, Sargeras. It told Gul'Dan many things, things to prepare, things to be wary of, things that would be rewarded to him. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and no where at once, from within Gul'Dans blackened soul, from somewhere beyond reality. Suddenly, the infinite demon armies of the Legion would start to appear around him and flood through the Tomb, then out into the unsuspecting world of Azeroth.
Now, Cordana Felsong entered the chamber of night, where Gul'Dan had summoned the Legion back into Azeroth. This fallen Female Nightelf Warden stood with pride and purpose, watching with amusement and wonder at what the old Ork had accomplished. The armor this Nightelf wore was a set of Warden armor, though this set had now been corrupted by the fel and the Legion. Most of it was dark as the night sky, while certain parts of it glowed a bright emerald green, even in the brightest days upon Azeroth. Glancing around, she nodded her head in approvement at what had been done once more, the first step to their plan had gone flawlessly, now the actual fun would begin.
Those who were still awake would hear whispering just outside of their range of hearing, unable to make out what was being said. Deep inside of the Tomb of Sargeras, at its heart where these nefarious powers seemed to accumulate, Gul'Dan himself began the ritual that had been whispered to him in his dreams, a ritual that would lead the Legion, an innumerable army of demons, infernals, and corrupted races that seek to destroy all order in the universe, back to this world once more. Violent winds suddenly whipped around him, carrying a frigid breeze that chilled even him down to his bones and seemed to gnaw at his soul. The winds would suddenly take on a dark violet color, with bolts of fel lightning shooting through them, striking everything around Gul'Dan, leaving dark burns upon the unholy stones it touched.
After a loud crack of what could have been thunder in a small space, a tearing sound echoed through the Tomb of Sargeras, and a portal opened above him. Blinding light of an indescribable color flooded the chamber before his voice could be heard, the voice of the Dark Titan himself, Sargeras. It told Gul'Dan many things, things to prepare, things to be wary of, things that would be rewarded to him. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and no where at once, from within Gul'Dans blackened soul, from somewhere beyond reality. Suddenly, the infinite demon armies of the Legion would start to appear around him and flood through the Tomb, then out into the unsuspecting world of Azeroth.
Now, Cordana Felsong entered the chamber of night, where Gul'Dan had summoned the Legion back into Azeroth. This fallen Female Nightelf Warden stood with pride and purpose, watching with amusement and wonder at what the old Ork had accomplished. The armor this Nightelf wore was a set of Warden armor, though this set had now been corrupted by the fel and the Legion. Most of it was dark as the night sky, while certain parts of it glowed a bright emerald green, even in the brightest days upon Azeroth. Glancing around, she nodded her head in approvement at what had been done once more, the first step to their plan had gone flawlessly, now the actual fun would begin.
Hello everyone and welcome to World of Warcraft: The Coming Storm. Using the eldritch powers at his command, Gul'Dan, Darkness Incarnate, The Destroyer of Dreams, has managed the merely impossible. He has completed an intricate ritual of great evil to tear open a portal to another world, allowing the Legion, a vast, innumerable army of demons and corrupted races who seek to destroy all life, to flow into Azeroth. The world remains ignorant to the happenings that unfold from within the Tomb of Sargeras where the Legion is quickly establishing their first foothold, and soon all of Azeroth will feel their unrelenting and merciless wrath. Both the Horde and Alliance are letting old hatreds and grudges from years ago blind them of the coming storm that builds in strength as the hours pass. The first to feel the Legions wrath will be the Broken Islands, near the western shores of the Eastern Kingdoms, but by the time a message is sent to the rest of the world, the Legion will be well entrenched and prepared for a counter assault.
When the assault open the Broken Islands begins, both the combined armies of the Horde and Alliance will be pushed back from the might of the Legion, loosing many soldiers and heroes, delivering a massive blow to not only their ranks but also to their morale. Forced back from the Broken Islands, both factions are called to Dalaran, which has now moved from Northrend to a location very near the Broken Islands. The floating city of the Kirin Tor now acts as a mobile city and deploy point for the forces of Azeroth who struggle to push back against the Legions dominant forces.
Archmage Khadgar, who leads the Kirin Tor brings together a council of six mages, which includes himself. These six individuals are the leaders of both the city and all territories under the control of Dalaran. The council meets to discuss important issues and vote on matters, no single member holds sway, and the majority vote decides every issue. Now, they also find themselves helping guide the forces of Azeroth against the Legion, gathering troops, holding meetings, discussing important events, and helping do all they can to defeat the Legion.
After a few bloody weeks of fighting the Legion and learning about the enemy, a meeting was held at the highest chamber of Dalaran, known as the violet citadel. Here, the council of the six unanimously voted to bring together a squad of elite soldiers from all corners of Azeroth. This elite squad would not only carry out missions of great importance, but also of immense danger. They would travel places where other heroes could not, carry out assignments that many others considered suicidal or damn near impossible, to take part in negotiations, eliminate high value threats and targets, gather priceless intelligence, and whatever else the council asked of them.
After going through what seemed to be an endless stack of papers and reports from the front lines about soldiers who went above and beyond the line of duty, a list was compiled and the letters were sent out to those lucky or unlucky enough to be hand chosen by the council of the six to be part of this elite squad. The letter sent would only have the Kirin Tor symbol on the outside of it, the only hint to those who delivered it as to where it came from. The writing on the inside of the letter would be simple and short, meet at the Violet citadel at Dalaran at this hour, at this date, do not speak of the contents of this letter to anyway, the Legion has spies everywhere.
You are one of these lucky elite soldiers, hand picked by the council of the six, to carry out missions where all others would fail, to do the councils bidding and help eliminate the Legion and any other threat that stands in Azeroth's way. Our assignments will test our characters to the very max, we will have to work together to overcome great challenges, putting our allegiances to the side for all of those who call Azeroth home. Threats may come from anywhere at any time, from outside of Dalaran to even those who walk among us. It is up to all of us to ensure these special operations are carried out and each goal achieved, for more than the council of the six are depending on us, all of Azeroth is. Not all of our time will be spent fighting the Legion, the threats of Azeroth, and carrying out the orders of the council of the six. There will be plenty of down time for each of our characters to get to know one another, to wonder Azeroth and see what it has to offer, to appreciate what we are all fighting for.
When the assault open the Broken Islands begins, both the combined armies of the Horde and Alliance will be pushed back from the might of the Legion, loosing many soldiers and heroes, delivering a massive blow to not only their ranks but also to their morale. Forced back from the Broken Islands, both factions are called to Dalaran, which has now moved from Northrend to a location very near the Broken Islands. The floating city of the Kirin Tor now acts as a mobile city and deploy point for the forces of Azeroth who struggle to push back against the Legions dominant forces.
Archmage Khadgar, who leads the Kirin Tor brings together a council of six mages, which includes himself. These six individuals are the leaders of both the city and all territories under the control of Dalaran. The council meets to discuss important issues and vote on matters, no single member holds sway, and the majority vote decides every issue. Now, they also find themselves helping guide the forces of Azeroth against the Legion, gathering troops, holding meetings, discussing important events, and helping do all they can to defeat the Legion.
After a few bloody weeks of fighting the Legion and learning about the enemy, a meeting was held at the highest chamber of Dalaran, known as the violet citadel. Here, the council of the six unanimously voted to bring together a squad of elite soldiers from all corners of Azeroth. This elite squad would not only carry out missions of great importance, but also of immense danger. They would travel places where other heroes could not, carry out assignments that many others considered suicidal or damn near impossible, to take part in negotiations, eliminate high value threats and targets, gather priceless intelligence, and whatever else the council asked of them.
After going through what seemed to be an endless stack of papers and reports from the front lines about soldiers who went above and beyond the line of duty, a list was compiled and the letters were sent out to those lucky or unlucky enough to be hand chosen by the council of the six to be part of this elite squad. The letter sent would only have the Kirin Tor symbol on the outside of it, the only hint to those who delivered it as to where it came from. The writing on the inside of the letter would be simple and short, meet at the Violet citadel at Dalaran at this hour, at this date, do not speak of the contents of this letter to anyway, the Legion has spies everywhere.
You are one of these lucky elite soldiers, hand picked by the council of the six, to carry out missions where all others would fail, to do the councils bidding and help eliminate the Legion and any other threat that stands in Azeroth's way. Our assignments will test our characters to the very max, we will have to work together to overcome great challenges, putting our allegiances to the side for all of those who call Azeroth home. Threats may come from anywhere at any time, from outside of Dalaran to even those who walk among us. It is up to all of us to ensure these special operations are carried out and each goal achieved, for more than the council of the six are depending on us, all of Azeroth is. Not all of our time will be spent fighting the Legion, the threats of Azeroth, and carrying out the orders of the council of the six. There will be plenty of down time for each of our characters to get to know one another, to wonder Azeroth and see what it has to offer, to appreciate what we are all fighting for.
Map of Azeroth
Map of the Broken Islands
Factions and their Races
The Alliance - Faction Leader: Anduin Wrynn
- Defenders of the Kingdom
Recent discoveries have shown that humans are descended from the barbaric vrykul, half-giant warriors who live in Northrend. Early humans were primarily a scattered and tribal people for several millennia, until the rising strength of the troll empire forced their strategic unification. Thus the nation of Arathor was formed, along with its capital, the city-state of Strom.
Human History
After centuries of peace, the increasingly independent city-states of Arathor split into kingdoms: Gilneas to the west, Alterac, Dalaran, and Lordaeron to the northwest, Kul Tiras to the southwest, and Stormwind to the far south. Strom itself was renamed Stromgarde and remained a powerful kingdom.
But disaster struck when the orcish Horde appeared on Azeroth and reduced Stormwind to ruins. The city’s survivors, including the young prince, Varian Wrynn, fled to Lordaeron, where the leaders of the seven kingdoms resolved to unify once again in the Alliance of Lordaeron. Together, they succeeded in defeating the Horde. But peace for the Alliance would only prove to be temporary.
As upkeep costs rose, Gilneas and Stromgarde withdrew their kingdoms from the Alliance. Then came a plague that killed thousands of humans and converted them into undead servants of the Lich King. Lordaeron’s prince, Arthas Menethil, was manipulated by the Lich King, leading Arthas to kill his own father and journey to Northrend, where he merged with his master and became the next Lich King. For the next five years, Arthas remained in Northrend, plotting and building up his armies.
But before Arthas could unleash his gathered power, humans and other other races banded together, securing a costly victory. Members of the Horde and the Alliance launched separate campaigns in Northrend, and their efforts resulted in the Lich King’s defeat.
The kingdom of Stormwind has become the strongest bastion of humanity and the most powerful force in the now multi-racial Alliance. Now, the people of Stormwind hold fast to the principles of honor and justice as they defend their settlements and their allies.
Home City: Stormwind City
No city better demonstrates human determination than Stormwind. Destroyed during the Horde’s initial invasion of Azeroth, Stormwind was painstakingly reconstructed by the Stonemasons’ Guild after the Second War. Parts of the city were razed again when Deathwing, the corrupted black Dragon Aspect, brutally attacked Stormwind, but the other undamaged districts are more beautiful than ever thanks to their hardworking inhabitants. From the magnificent Cathedral of Light, which serves as a major spiritual hub, to the awe-inspiring Valley of Heroes, which commemorates the sacrifices of Stormwind’s loyal champions, the city truly represents the courageous heart of humanity.
Leader: Varian Wrynn / Anduin wrynn
Varian’s life has been defined by tragedy and conflict. The murder of his father by the assassin Garona Halforcen weighs heavily on him, along with the accidental death of his wife, Tiffin, during a riot. The king has recently returned to the throne following his abduction by the Defias Brotherhood and the black dragon Onyxia, who disguised herself as Lady Katrana Prestor. Robbed of his memories and enslaved by a Horde gladiatorial trainer in Kalimdor, Varian fought his way to freedom, earning the nickname “Lo’Gosh,” or “ghost wolf,” while in battle. With the help of his comrades, he was able to recover his true identity and finally defeat Prestor. Known for his tenacity and fierce will, King Varian Wrynn is committed to protecting the Alliance’s interests and raising his son, Anduin, to follow in his place. - Spiritual Exiles
Long before the fallen titan Sargeras unleashed the Legion on Azeroth, he conquered the world of Argus and its inhabitants, the eredar. Believing that this gifted race would be crucial in his quest to undo all of creation, Sargeras contacted the eredar’s leaders – Kil’jaeden, Archimonde, and Velen, offering them knowledge and power in exchange for their loyalty.
Draenei History
Only Velen abstained, for he had seen a vision. In it, his people were transformed into demons; members of Sargeras’ Burning Legion, a growing army of unspeakable evil. With the aid of the benevolent naaru, Velen gathered like-minded eredar and escaped Argus. These renegades would call themselves the draenei, or “exiled ones.”
Kil’jaeden, infuriated by the draenei’s flight from Argus and their refusal of Sargeras’ offer, led the Legion’s armies in pursuit of his former people throughout the cosmos. But the draenei eluded their hunters, discovering sanctuary on a remote world that they would name Draenor. There, the draenei developed an extraordinary society and coexisted peacefully with the shamanistic orcs native to the planet Draenor.
Kil’jaeden eventually found Draenor and corrupted the noble orcs into a single, bloodthirsty force: the Horde. Blinded by rage, the Horde slaughtered most of the draenei race and forced any survivors into hiding. After being exposed to fel energies wielded by orc warlocks, many draenei were mutated into physically deteriorated forms known as the Krokul, or “Broken,”. Years later, the shaman Ner’zhul opened magical portals throughout Draenor, and the resulting energies shattered the dying world.
What remained of Draenor—henceforth known as Outland—devolved into a battleground among the Burning Legion and other factions vying for control of the ruined landscape. To escape the chaos, Velen and a number of his followers commandeered a dimensional fortressnamed the Exodar. In search of new allies, the draenei left Outland.
However, the blood elves had sabotaged the Exodar’s engines, and the draenei ultimately crash-landed on the world of Azeroth, where they pledged their loyalty to the Alliance. Together with their new allies, Velen and his refugees returned to Outland and defeated their demonic rivals. But Velen had another vision: a coming war between the forces of light and darkness. The draenei now prepare to defend their new home, Azeroth, against a shadow they believe is fast approaching.
Home City: The Exodar
Once a satellite structure of the mighty Tempest Keep, the dimensional craft known as the Exodar was used by a group of draenei to escape their perilous home on Outland. After departing the shattered draenei world, the Exodar appeared above northern Kalimdor when a spectacular explosion ripped open the skies. The great vessel impacted on the shores of Azuremyst Isle, which has since become home to Outland’s refugee draenei. Following their dramatic landing, the draenei have utilized the remains of the Exodar to great effect, transforming it into a base of operations for their dealings on Azeroth.
Leader: Prophet Velen
Alongside Kil’jaeden and Archimonde, the wise prophet Velen ruled over the eredar race on the world of Argus. Unlike his brethren, however, Velen was gifted with the ability to foresee events to come. Thus, soon after the dark titan, Sargeras, approached the three leaders with offerings of knowledge and power, Velen received a vision that his people would ultimately become members of the demonic Burning Legion. While Kil’jaeden and Archimonde readily allied with Sargeras, Velen gathered other wary eredar and found sanctuary on the world of Draenor with the help of the enigmatic naaru race.
Not long ago, a number of draenei resettled on Azeroth, hoping to put a halt to the Legion’s murderous activities in Outland. Sensing great courage in the Alliance, Velen and his followers pledged themselves to this noble faction. The strengthened Alliance then helped the draenei reclaim their former holdings from the Legion. Most recently, Velen used the heart of a fallen naaru to sanctify the blood elves’ tainted Sunwell, transforming the sacred fount into a source of holy and arcane energies. Although the Legion’s forces in Outland have been greatly diminished and the demonic invasion of Azeroth has been driven back, Velen remains fearful of an upcoming war between light and shadow. - Resilient Explorers
The bold and courageous dwarves are an ancient race descended from the earthen—beings of living stone created by the titans when the world was young. Due to a strange malady known as the Curse of Flesh, the dwarves’ earthen progenitors underwent a transformation that turned their rocky hides into soft skin. Ultimately, these creatures of flesh and blood dubbed themselves dwarves and carved out the mighty city of Ironforge in the snowy peaks of Khaz Modan.
Dwarven History
For many years, three dwarven clans—the Bronzebeards, the Wildhammers, and the Dark Irons—lived united in Ironforge under the wise rule of High King Modimus Anvilmar. When Modimus passed away, tensions boiled over among the clans, and war erupted for control of the city. Thus began the War of the Three Hammers, a savage conflict that raged for many years, during which time the Bronzebeard clan won sole ownership of Ironforge, severing relations among the other clans and expelling its rivals.
Recently, however, a twist of fate has drawn the rival clans back to Ironforge after they’ve spent centuries apart...
When freak natural disasters rocked Azeroth just prior to the Cataclysm, dwarven lands were not spared from calamity. A series of quakes tore through areas surrounding Ironforge, reducing settlements to rubble and taking the lives of many innocent dwarves. To glean answers as to the troubling state of the world, King Magni underwent a mystic ritual to commune with the earth. The ceremony, however, had an unexpected effect: Magni was transformed into diamond and became fused to the depths of Ironforge itself.
In the power vacuum that followed, his estranged daughter, Moira, who had married into the despised Dark Iron clan, briefly claimed Ironforge’s throne and effectively locked down the city. If not for the intervention of King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind and his son, Prince Anduin, her actions might have sparked another civil war. With Varian’s guidance, control of Ironforge has since been divided equally among the Bronzebeard, Wildhammer, and Dark Iron clans through the Council of Three Hammers. As the clans put aside their old quarrels and began working together, the council’s ability to govern as one shows promise.
Home City: Ironforge
Carved into the stone heart of Khaz Modan, the mighty city of Ironforge is a testament to the dwarves’ strength and resilience. During the Second War between orcs and humans, many dwarven strongholds fell to the onslaught of the Horde, yet Ironforge was never breached. Now ruled over by the Council of Three Hammers, the city has entered into a tense and potentially violent era. Yet should the council rule with equality and justice, this new period in Ironforge’s history might very well be its greatest.
Leader: Council of Three Hammers
Formed in the wake of King Magni’s petrification, the Council of Three Hammers is composed of one representative from each of the three dwarven clans. Muradin Bronzebeard, Magni’s younger brother and a veteran of the war against the Lich King, represents the Bronzebeards. Falstad Wildhammer, renowned gryphon rider and high thane of his clan, represents the Wildhammers. Moira Thaurissan, legal heir to the throne of Ironforge due to her lineage, represents the Dark Irons, the clan ruled by her late husband, Dagran. Despite their varying backgrounds and ideological differences, the three representatives have pledged to rule united for the good of Ironforge. - Curious Tinkerers
The clever, spunky, and oftentimes eccentric gnomes present a unique paradox among the civilized races of Azeroth. Brilliant inventors with an irrepressibly cheerful disposition, this race has suffered treachery, displacement, and near-genocide. It is their remarkable optimism in the face of such calamity that symbolizes the truly unshakable spirit of the gnomes.
Gnomish History
The diminutive gnomes—renowned mechanics, engineers, technicians and tool-makers—have made their mark on Azeroth through the application of a collective intelligence and ambition overshadowing that of their larger peers.
Although little is known concerning gnomish history previous to the Second War, much of gnomish philosophy and recorded knowledge is focused on forward-thinking, inventive concepts. However, recent developments have uncovered evidence that they originated from titan creations; mechanical helpers that were afflicted with the Curse of Flesh, becoming the gnomes of today.
It wasn’t until their discovery by the dwarves centuries later that gnomes were recognized as a viable and important race. The dwarves were impressed with the ingenuity and quickness of their smaller “kin” (for they had also been titan-forged and similarly cursed), and they assisted the gnomes in constructing a capital city, Gnomeregan, in the foothills of Dun Morogh near the dwarves’ own capital of Ironforge. From their wondrous techno-city, gnomes provided invaluable support in weaponry, vehicles, and energetic troops to the Alliance of dwarves, humans, and high elves.
But when the Burning Legion invaded during the Third War, the gnomes strangely refused to send aid to their allies. It wasn’t until the war had ended that the Alliance learned the reason for the gnomes’ withdrawal; an ancient menace had risen from the bowels of Azeroth to strike at Gnomeregan. Knowing that their allies’ priority was defeating the Burning Legion, the gnomes decided to make their stand alone. Though they fought valiantly to save their beloved city, Gnomeregan was lost.
Most of the gnome race was wiped out during the fall of Gnomeregan; some say that as much as 80 percent of Azeroth’s gnomes died during those horrible days. The few survivors fled and established New Tinkertown, where they quietly went about rebuilding their forces, healing their wounds, and preparing to retake Gnomeregan.
Home City: Gnomeregan
A technical marvel, the subterranean city of Gnomeregan is wrought-iron evidence of gnomish brilliance, ambition, and ingenuity. It was carved into the stony foothills of Dun Morogh, and winds deep into the heart of the land. Currently a battleground between the founding gnomes and the traitor Sicco Thermaplugg, the once-gleaming metal hallways of this labyrinthine city are slowly being retaken.
Leader: Gelbin Mekkatorque
High Tinker Mekkatorque has been at the helm of the gnome race during some of its most difficult and trying times. Since his title is an elected one, the fact that he has held his position throughout such hardship is a testament to the love his people have for him.
A brilliant inventor, Gelbin Mekkatorque rose quickly to prominence among the meritocratic gnomes with his innovative designs and creative problem-solving skills. He built the very first functioning mechanostrider, assisted in the development of the dwarven siege engine, and was instrumental in the creation of the Deeprun Tram running from Ironforge to Stormwind City.
Although one wouldn’t know it from looking at him, the loss of Gnomeregan weighs heavily on the high tinker. He was unprepared for the invasion that swept through his beloved city, and he was betrayed by a trusted advisor who convinced him to react hastily, resulting in unnecessary deaths. Now Mekkatorque’s brilliant mind has taken on a surgical focus with one single outcome: the retaking of Gnomeregan. - Venerable Guardians
The ancient and reclusive night elves have played a pivotal role in shaping Azeroth’s fate. The night elves of today still remember the War of the Ancients over ten thousand years ago, when they halted the Burning Legion’s first invasion of Azeroth. When the Legion’s remnants rallied together with the vile satyrs centuries later, the night elves again opposed the threat, ultimately vanquishing the forces that set out to wreak havoc on their world.
Night Elf History
The Legion’s emergence had forever changed night elven society. Under the leadership of Tyrande Whisperwind and Malfurion Stormrage, they cultivated a peaceful civilization, and shunned the use of arcane magic, which had attracted the Legion to Azeroth.
But the night elves’ tranquility was shattered anew when the Legion and its terrifying undead Scourge launched a new invasion of Azeroth in the modern times--a conflict known as the Third War. The Night Elves fought alongside the Horde and Alliance to defeat the Legion, but their victory was only made possible through an explosion that damaged the blessed World Tree, which had long granted the night elves immortality and protection from aging and disease.
Against Malfurion’s warnings, renegade druids created a new World Tree in hopes of restoring the night elves’ immortality. But this new World Tree eventually became tainted by a dark malady called the Emerald Nightmare, which the night elves were able to combat with Malfurion’s aid.
Although the night elves still struggle to cope with the loss of immortality, the fate of Azeroth rests on their resilience and willingness to aid other races; qualities which the Burning Legion will surely test again.
Home City: Darnassus
Atop the massive boughs of the second World Tree, Teldrassil, lies the wondrous city of Darnassus. The elegant bridges, beautiful groves, and leaf-covered pathways that dot the city’s landscape are testaments to the night elves’ reverence for nature. One of Darnassus’s most notable structures is the stunning Temple of the Moon, the center of worship for High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind and her Sisters of Elune.
Darnassus is home to night elves of all vocations, and the city has recently opened its doors to human refugees from Gilneas as well. Many of these embattled humans have contracted a strange curse that transforms them into feral wolf-beasts known as worgen. Although they’re usually reclusive, the night elves have allowed these outsiders into Darnassus because they know the perils of the Gilneans’ cursed state all too well: it was, in fact, a group of night elf druids that created Azeroth’s first worgen millennia ago. Despite the arrival of these new residents, Darnassus remains a symbol of the night elves’ rich culture and glorious history.
Leader: Tyrande Whisperwind and Malfurion Stormrage
Since the War of the Ancients, High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind and her mate, Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, have led the once-immortal night elves. Time and again, Tyrande’s and Malfurion’s wise guidance has helped the night elves prevail against the demonic Burning Legion and other perilous enemies. For many of the past ten thousand years, however, Tyrande has borne the mantle of leadership alone while Malfurion has spent long stretches of time preoccupied with his duties in the Emerald Dream.
Shortly after the Third War, Malfurion became trapped within the Emerald Nightmare, a shadowy affliction that had spread throughout the Dream. Due to Tyrande’s brave actions, Malfurion was later freed, leading to a grand reunion and wedding between the two leaders. Now, amid political turmoil, natural disasters, and violent Horde incursions into night elven lands, Malfurion and Tyrande are focused on leading their people into Azeroth’s uncertain future, just as they have done in ages past. - Harmonious Nomads
Couched in myth and legend, rarely seen and even more rarely understood, the enigmatic pandaren have long been a mystery to the other races of Azeroth. The noble history of the pandaren people stretches back thousands of years, well before the empires of man and before even the sundering of the world.
Pandaren History
Denizens of a wondrous and fertile land, the pandaren once labored under the oppressive thumb of a monstrous race of ancient warlords known as the mogu. Through tenacity, diplomacy, and a unique form of unarmed combat, the pandaren staged a successful revolution that deposed the mogu and established a pandaren empire that would prosper for thousands of years.
Honorable and filled with a love of good company, good food--and every now and then, a good friendly brawl--the pandaren have been content to live in seclusion, allowing their culture to flourish and thrive away from the influence of the outside world. However, every now and then, a pandaren is born with a thirst for adventure that rivals his or her thirst for a strong drink, and he or she strikes out to explore beyond Pandaria’s shores.
One of the most famous such wanderers was the brewmaster Chen Stormstout, who set out looking for exotic ingredients for his special ale and wound up an integral part of the founding of the Horde.
During the bleak days that preceded the sundering of the world, when demons flooded onto Azeroth and threw the entirety of the mortal realm into jeopardy, the last Emperor of the pandaren discovered a way to protect his land from the devastation. His deal with fate shrouded his land within an impenetrable mist for ten thousand years, but the nature of his transaction has left Pandaria haunted ever since. Now, while some pandaren align themselves with the Horde and others with the Alliance, they all venture out to heal the world beyond their homeland.
Home Continent: Pandaria
Shrouded in fog since the world was sundered more than ten thousand years ago, the ancient realm of Pandaria has remained unspoiled by war. Its lush forests and cloud-ringed mountains are home to a complex ecosystem of indigenous races and exotic creatures. It is the homeland of the enigmatic pandaren, a race that celebrates life to the fullest even while under siege by an ancient menace.
The new continent reveals itself to a broken world just as the Alliance and Horde are spiraling ever closer to a war that will consume all of Azeroth. Will the mists of Pandaria part to reveal the world's salvation? Or will the battle to control this rich and breathtaking new land push the two mighty factions over the brink of war and into total annihilation?
Alliance Rep: Aysa Cloudsinger
Aysa Cloudsinger is a follower of the path of Tushui who believes in living a venerable life through meditation, rigorous training, and moral conviction. Graceful and poised, Aysa has attained impeccable form and a refined intellect through diligent practice. To Aysa, to follow the way of Tushui is to defend what is right above all else. She believes that success in any endeavor never justifies dishonorable deeds. While the Alliance contains a diverse mix of cultures, Aysa is attracted to the high ideals and values that cement the Alliance together. - Cursed Recluses
Behind the formidable Greymane Wall, a terrible curse transformed some of the stalwart citizens of the isolated kingdom of Gilneas into nightmarish lupine beasts known as worgen. Human scholars intensely debated the origins of the curse, until it was revealed that the original worgen were not—as previously believed—nightmares from another dimension, but cursed night elf druids.
Worgen History
Long ago, amid a brutal war between the night elves and the demonic satyrs in Kalimdor, a group of druids practiced the ability to transform into a powerful yet unwieldy form that embodied the fury of the wolf Ancient, Goldrinn. Taught by Ralaar Fangfire, these Druids of the Pack sought to use the Scythe of Elune, a mystical artifact, to temper the uncontrollable rage inherent in their chosen form.
Rather than abate the druids’ fury, however, the Scythe transformed Ralaar and his followers into worgen: bestial humanoids enslaved by their own primal instincts.
Ralaar’s druids tore through friend and foe alike. Night elves wounded by the beasts contracted a virulent curse that turned them into worgen as well. Desperate to staunch the affliction’s spread, Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage banished the worgen to a part of the Emerald Dream—Azeroth’s spirit world—where they would be in peaceful slumber for all eternity.
The worgen threat was contained for millennia, until Archmage Arugal pulled the wolf-beasts from the Dream. Summoned by order of King Genn Greymane, the worgen battled Scourge forces encroaching on the kingdom of Gilneas. Yet the feral creatures soon spread their curse throughout the human population, infecting Gilnean soldiers stationed beyond the Greymane Wall.
The night elves, feeling responsible for the creation of the curse and the destruction it caused, agreed to help the Gilneans. With the Scythe of Elune, the night elves could not permanently cure the affliction, but managed to teach the Gilneans how to control their curse; shapeshifting at will from human to worgen, and back again. Now, these self-disciplined worgen have rejoined the Alliance as powerful allies, prepared to fight to keep their humanity and their place in society.
Home City: Gilneas City
Recently these savage worgen have launched a surprise assault against the kingdom’s fortified capital, Gilneas City. The uninfected citizenry have taken up arms in defense of their home and are now battling the worgen throughout the city’s winding cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways. Yet with no signs of relenting, the worgen threat has raised fears that perhaps the days of Gilneas surviving on its own have come to an end
Leader: Genn Greymane
Time and again, King Genn Greymane has been forced to make difficult decisions to sustain Gilneas’s well-being and autonomy. Following the Second War, he ordered the construction of the seemingly impenetrable Greymane Wall to protect his people from outside threats, effectively closing off the nation from the world and its petty conflicts. For years the wall did as intended, but when the worgen curse spread into Gilneas, the enormous barrier began to resemble the gateway to a prison rather than a sanctuary. Now, with Forsaken in nearby Silverpine Forest and the worgen curse poised to destroy everything that Genn and his forebears had labored to build, Gilneas’s proud king must do everything in his power to save his kingdom. Due to his anger over the dire situation, however, Genn’s most arduous trial ahead might be subduing his own fury before it consumes him entirely.
The Horde - Faction Leader: Sylvanas Windrunner
- Fierce Conquerors
Unlike the other races of the Horde, orcs are not native to Azeroth. Initially, they lived as shamanic clans on the lush world of Draenor. They abandoned their peaceful culture when Kil’jaeden, a demon lord of the Burning Legion, corrupted the orcs and used them in his vengeful plot against the draenei, who were exiles from Kil’jaeden’s homeworld.
Orc History
Kil’jaeden’s plan worked. The orcs drank the blood of Mannoroth—a prominent Burning Legion general—infusing them with power and enslaving them to the Legion. Exposure to fel energies turned their naturally brown skin into a sickly green. Under the demon’s influence, the orcs killed off most of the draenei population, but Kil’jaeden would not stop there.
With the orcs at their disposal, the Burning Legion planned to invade Azeroth once again. To this end, the corrupted human archmage Medivh conspired with the orc warlock Gul’dan to build the Dark Portal, a massive structure that would allow the orcs passage to Azeroth.
Arriving in Azeroth, the seemingly unstoppable orc armies, known as the Horde, crushed the human kingdom of Stormwind. Eventually, however, the humans made a last stand and were able to defeat the Horde and enslave most of the survivors. But a young slave named Thrall, together with Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer, fought to free the captive orcs. Orgrim died in battle, and the title of warchief, as well as Orgrim’s weapon, the Doomhammer, was passed onto Thrall. Thrall led his people to Kalimdor, where his friend and mentor, Grommash Hellscream, gave his life to defeat Mannoroth and forever free the orcs from the Legion’s control.
Years later, Thrall returned to Draenor, now known as Outland, to once again stop the Legion. There, he convinced Garrosh, son of Grommash Hellscream, to join the Horde. Thrall believed that Garrosh would be a clear choice for his successor, but the impulsive young Hellscream’s uncontrolled aggression led him to commit heinous acts against the Horde itself. Thrall saw no choice but to overthrow Garrosh and name Vol’jin—troll chieftain of the Darkspear tribe—the new warchief of the Horde. With the memory of Garrosh’s betrayal clear in the minds of the other Horde races, Thrall and the orcs must once again prove they have overcome their old destructive tendencies.
Home City: Orgrimmar
Named for the former Horde warchief Orgrim Doomhammer, this capital was rapidly constructed when the orcs first settled in Durotar. Garrosh Hellscream has recently rebuilt most of the city’s architecture, and now Orgrimmar’s fortresses rank among the most imposing on Azeroth. Spiked metal towers line the city’s streets, and the red-and-black banners of the Horde wave from every post. Most of the various races have separated into their own districts, from the tauren in the Valley of Wisdom to the trolls in the Valley of Spirits. Grommash Hold towers over all else, allowing Garrosh Hellscream to keep a close watch on his people.
Paragon: Thrall
Thrall's shamanism guided his actions as he re-formed the Horde, becoming its warchief and leading his people to settle in an arid land that he called Durotar, in honor of his father, Durotan. Thrall led the Horde through a seemingly unceasing series of trials: the lifting of the demonic blood-curse that had tainted the orcs, a Burning Legion attack on Mount Hyjal, and the fall of the dreaded Lich King. When Deathwing returned and shattered the world, Thrall stepped down from his role as the Horde's warchief, instead joining the Earthen Ring, a powerful shamanic group, in an attempt to put the elements to rest and stop the Destroyer. - Vengeful Outsiders
For nearly 7,000 years, high elven society centered on the sacred Sunwell, a magical fount that was created using a vial of pure arcane energy from the first Well of Eternity. Nourished and strengthened by the Sunwell’s potent energies, the high elves’ enchanted kingdom of Quel’Thalas prospered within the verdant forests north of Lordaeron.
Blood Elf History
During the Third War, however, the high elves were nearly scoured from Azeroth. Led by the death knight Arthas, a Scourge army stormed into Quel’Thalas, slaughtering almost ninety percent of the kingdom’s population. Arthas then used the mystical Sunwell to resurrect the fallen necromancer Kel’Thuzad, irrevocably tainting the fount in the process.
Fearing that the befouled well would obliterate his dwindling race, Prince Kael’thas Sunstrider gathered a group of Quel’Thalas’s defenders and destroyed the fount to avert catastrophe. Although the high elves were spared from continued exposure to the Sunwell’s dark energies, in the fount’s absence they suffered terribly from withdrawal. As a result, Kael’thas desperately searched for a means to help his people—whom he had renamed the blood elves—and thus he set out for the shattered world of Outland. There he allied with the renegade demon Illidan Stormrage in the hopes of finding a cure for the blood elves’ crippling withdrawal.
Kael’thas had assured his people that one day he would return to Quel’Thalas and lead them to paradise, yet time revealed that his promises were nothing more than lies. On Outland, the prince became twisted due to his reliance on fel energy, the dark and corrupting essence wielded by the demonic Burning Legion itself. Unbeknownst to Illidan, Kael’thas also came under the sway of the Legion’s commander, Kil’jaeden.
At the bidding of his new master, the wayward prince eventually returned to Azeroth and seized the site of the Sunwell, hoping to use the fount as a means to usher Kil’jaeden into the world. Ultimately, Kael’thas was slain before his recklessness could bring ruin to Azeroth. In the wake of Kil’jaeden’s defeat, the draenei prophet Velen purified the Sunwell with the Light-infused heart of a fallen naaru, transforming the fount into a source of both holy and arcane energies.
Inspired by the Sunwell’s rebirth, the blood elves have since entered into a shining new era in their ancient race’s history. Although some elves remain hesitant to abandon their dependence on arcane magic, others have embraced change for the betterment of Quel’Thalas. Yet only time will tell if the blood elves can avoid repeating the tragic mistakes of their past.
Home City: Silvermoon City
Less than a decade ago, the wondrous high elven capital of Silvermoon was nearly destroyed during a brutal Scourge invasion. Under the command of Prince Arthas, the undead ravaged the city and went on to corrupt the sacred waters of the Sunwell. Despite this horrific event, the high elves—now known as the blood elves—have labored to rebuild their ruined capital. Most recently, the rebirth of the Sunwell has lifted spirits among the elves, and they have continued to heal Silvermoon’s scars in the hopes of returning the crown jewel of Quel’Thalas to its former glory.
Leader: Lor’themar Theron
Regent Lord Lor’themar Theron is well-aware of the suffering that the blood elves have faced in recent years. After surviving the brutal Scourge invasion of Quel’Thalas, he was entrusted with watching over the elven kingdom while Prince Kael’thas journeyed to Outland. Not long afterward, Lor’themar’s will was tested when the prince, twisted by demonic energies, returned to Azeroth and attempted to use the Sunwell for nefarious purposes. Kael’thas was later killed for his treachery, leaving Lor’themar to guide the fate of the blood elves. With the Sunwell reborn, a bright future now lies ahead for Quel’Thalas. Fittingly, it will be Lor’themar, who weathered many of the kingdom’s darkest days, leading his people toward their new destiny. - Cadaverous Endurers
Death offered no escape for the scores of humans killed during the Lich King’s campaign to scour the living from Lordaeron. Instead, the kingdom’s fallen were risen into undeath as Scourge minions and forced to wage an unholy war against everything… and everyone… that they once held dear.
Forsaken History
When the Lich King’s grasp on his vast armies faltered after the Third War, a contingent of undead broke free of their master’s iron will. This freedom seemed like a blessing, but the former humans were soon tormented by memories of the horrors they had committed as mindless Scourge. Those who did not descend into madness faced a chilling realization: the entirety of Azeroth sought their destruction.
In their darkest hour, the renegade undead were rallied by Sylvanas Windrunner, former Ranger-General of Quel’thalas, who had also regained her freedom from the Lich King. Under their new queen’s guidance, the independent undead—known as Forsaken—established the Undercity beneath the ruins of Lordaeron.
To further her own goals and protect her budding nation, Sylvanas set out to forge alliances. Chief among these were the tauren of Thunder Bluff, who saw the potential for redemption in the Forsaken. Thus, the tauren convinced then-Warchief Thrall to forge an alliance of convenience between the Forsaken and the Horde. The Forsaken assisted the Horde with a massive offensive against the Lich King and exacted vengeance upon their hated enemy.
The victory came at great cost; Grand Apothecary Putress betrayed the Forsaken, unleashing a new plague that decimated friend and foe alike, while the dreadlord Varimathras seized the Undercity in a coup that nearly killed Sylvanas. The usurpers were eventually slain and the Forsaken capital was restored, but the debacle created suspicion among the Horde regarding Sylvanas’ ability to lead and ensure the loyalty of the Forsaken.
Yet the Forsaken’s allegiance was proven anew when Sylvanas aided the Horde in freeing Orgrimmar from the control of Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, who sought to enslave the other races under orcish supremacy. Now, these free-willed undead fortify their holdings around the Undercity as they ready themselves for the deadly future they believe is inevitable.
Home City: The Undercity
During the Third War, the once-glorious capital of Lordaeron, Capital City, was decimated by a Scourge army under the command of Prince Arthas Menethil. When the undead continued their campaign against the living throughout the continent, only a small contingent of Arthas’ forces were left behind to carve out a new “Undercity” beneath the ruined capital. Yet these plans were abandoned when Arthas departed for Northrend in order to aid his master, the Lich King.
Years later, Queen Sylvanas and her renegade undead, known as the Forsaken, claimed the Undercity as their own and completed the winding network of catacombs and crypts that the Scourge had begun constructing. Apart from being momentarily seized by the traitorous Forsaken Grand Apothecary Putress and the dreadlord Varimathras, the Undercity has remained in firm control of Sylvanas ever since. Today, rivers of poisonous sludge flow through all avenues of the vast Undercity. The toxic fumes and fetid odors permeating every corner of the stronghold have made it a place almost unbearable for the living members of the Horde. Yet for Sylvanas and her cursed followers, the Undercity has become a much-needed refuge in a world where her kind is still feared and hunted.
Leader: Sylvanas Windrunner
In life, Sylvanas Windrunner was the valiant ranger-general of Quel’Thalas, a high elf whose leadership acumen and martial prowess were without equal. During the Third War, she bravely defended her kingdom from a Scourge invasion led by the death knight Arthas. Ultimately, however, Sylvanas fell in battle. Rather than honor the ranger-general with a quick death, Arthas ripped out her soul and transformed it into the Banshee Queen: a cunning and vengeful agent of the Lich King empowered by hate. - Covetous Schemers
Originally the slaves of jungle trolls on the Isle of Kezan, goblins were forced to mine kaja’mite ore out of the volcanic bowels of Mount Kajaro. The trolls used this potent mineral for their voodoo rituals, but it had an unexpected effect on the slaves who were in constant contact with it: kaja’mite generated new cunning and intelligence in the goblin race.
Goblin History
Crafting powerful artifacts of engineering and alchemy in secret, the goblins soon overthrew their oppressors and claimed Kezan for their homeland. The mines that had once been the goblins’ prison, and slave camp became the city of Undermine. It was there that they built the foundations of an empire, and honed their inherent craftiness (some would call it duplicity) to a razor edge. The goblins’ inventions would help them rule the world—or at least own a profitable percentage of it.
To the goblins’ dismay, the effects of the kaja’mite began to wear off, and their intelligence waned. Even worse, the ore itself became more scarce. Supplies dwindled. Desperation ensued…
The goblins’ once-brilliant inventions started to look haphazard and makeshift, and Kezan’s native swindlers realized that they would need to find other ways to supplement their avarice. The goblins’ remaining craftiness and greed soon lifted the race to preeminence as masters of mercantilism. Great fortunes were amassed, and the Isle of Kezan became a hub for goblin trading ships. One ambitious trade prince agreed to lend his cartel’s services to the Horde in the Second War. Following the Horde’s defeat, the goblins realized that their profits could double if they weren’t stuck in a restrictive relationship. By the end of the Third War, goblins were providing services to both the Horde and the Alliance.
Recently, the Bilgewater Cartel—the goblin faction based in Orgrimmar and Azshara—has found a new enemy in the Alliance. Unprofitable encounters with the secretive SI:7 branch of King Varian’s forces have driven Trade Prince Gallywix from comfortable neutrality. Reforging old pacts with their colleagues’ one-time allies, the goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel have been welcomed into the Horde.
Home City: Bilgewater Harbor
Following the destruction of Kezan’s port homes, many of the Bilgewater Cartel’s surviving goblins have fled for their lives, joining their new Horde comrades and settling in Azshara’s Bilgewater Harbor. The town’s origins are often speculated on by non-goblins; Bilgewater Harbor sprang up in record time after the Kezan refugees’ arrival, and its’ quintessentially goblin construction has fostered an atmosphere of debauchery and disorder. Orgrimmar’s military has only recently set boots down in Bilgewater, but the harbor’s value as a strategic front conflicts with some pushy goblins’ desire to turn it into a new version of their ancestral home (abounding with gambling dens, pleasure houses and other commercial luxuries). This cultural rift is likely to breed tension in the ranks of the Horde sooner rather than later.
Leader: Gallywix
After the Cataclysm reawakened a volcano on his home island, Trade Prince Gallywix realized that there was good money to be made in offering panicked refugees a ticket to safety on his ship, taking their life savings—and then selling them into slavery. A clever plan, until it (and the ship) fell apart in the naval crossfire between an Alliance fleet and a lone Horde ship. The goblin survivors washed ashore on the Lost Isles off the coast of Kalimdor, where they discovered that the islands’ dense jungles harbored many mysteries and more than a few unpleasant surprises. - Harmonious Nomads
Couched in myth and legend, rarely seen and even more rarely understood, the enigmatic pandaren have long been a mystery to the other races of Azeroth. The noble history of the pandaren people stretches back thousands of years, well before the empires of man and before even the sundering of the world.
Pandaren History
Denizens of a wondrous and fertile land, the pandaren once labored under the oppressive thumb of a monstrous race of ancient warlords known as the mogu. Through tenacity, diplomacy, and a unique form of unarmed combat, the pandaren staged a successful revolution that deposed the mogu and established a pandaren empire that would prosper for thousands of years.
Honorable and filled with a love of good company, good food--and every now and then, a good friendly brawl--the pandaren have been content to live in seclusion, allowing their culture to flourish and thrive away from the influence of the outside world. However, every now and then, a pandaren is born with a thirst for adventure that rivals his or her thirst for a strong drink, and he or she strikes out to explore beyond Pandaria’s shores.
One of the most famous such wanderers was the brewmaster Chen Stormstout, who set out looking for exotic ingredients for his special ale and wound up an integral part of the founding of the Horde.
During the bleak days that preceded the sundering of the world, when demons flooded onto Azeroth and threw the entirety of the mortal realm into jeopardy, the last Emperor of the pandaren discovered a way to protect his land from the devastation. His deal with fate shrouded his land within an impenetrable mist for ten thousand years, but the nature of his transaction has left Pandaria haunted ever since. Now, while some pandaren align themselves with the Horde and others with the Alliance, they all venture out to heal the world beyond their homeland.
Home Continent: Pandaria
Shrouded in fog since the world was sundered more than ten thousand years ago, the ancient realm of Pandaria has remained unspoiled by war. Its lush forests and cloud-ringed mountains are home to a complex ecosystem of indigenous races and exotic creatures. It is the homeland of the enigmatic pandaren, a race that celebrates life to the fullest even while under siege by an ancient menace.
The new continent reveals itself to a broken world just as the Alliance and Horde are spiraling ever closer to a war that will consume all of Azeroth. Will the mists of Pandaria part to reveal the world's salvation? Or will the battle to control this rich and breathtaking new land push the two mighty factions over the brink of war and into total annihilation?
Faction Representative - Horde: Ji Firepaw
Ji Firepaw, a follower of the more direct Houjin philosophy, is adamant that inaction is the greatest injustice. Ji holds that it is honorable to defend home and family no matter the price. Outgoing, passionate, and not one for deep thought, he is always the first into the fray. Ji finds himself attracted to the scrappy practicality that defines the Horde, and although it costs him dearly, Ji has decided to carry the banner of the Horde upon leaving the Wandering Isle. - Honorable Conservationists
The peaceful tauren—known in their own tongue as the shu’halo—have long dwelled in Kalimdor, striving to preserve the balance of nature at the behest of their goddess, the Earth Mother. Until recently, the tauren lived as nomads scattered throughout the Barrens, hunting the great kodo beasts native to the arid region.
Tauren History
During the Third War, the mighty tauren chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof had a chance encounter with the orcish Horde that explored Kalimdor. After befriending Warchief Thrall, Cairne and his tribe were able to fend off their enemies while they made a new home in Mulgore; the city of Thunder Bluff. Owing a debt to the orcs for their assistance, the tauren joined Thrall on Mount Hyjal to defend Kalimdor from the demons of the Burning Legion.
For years the tauren flourished throughout Mulgore, but tragedy befell them following the campaign against the Lich King in Northrend. Believing that the reckless new warchief, Garrosh Hellscream, would lead the Horde to ruin, Cairne challenged the young orc to a duel. The tauren chieftain clearly had the upper hand...
However, unbeknownst to either of the duel’s combatants, Magatha Grimtotem, a tauren matriarch who harbored great contempt for Cairne, had poisoned Garrosh’s blade. The poison paralyzed Cairne, and Garrosh was able to slay him.
Magatha’s followers then stormed Thunder Bluff in an attempt to seize it. However, Baine, Cairne’s son, managed to launch a counterattack and retake the tauren capital, banishing Magatha and her followers from tauren lands. Despite the deadly encounter between Cairne and Garrosh, the tauren have not abandoned the Horde. Baine bravely took up the mantle of tauren leadership, and the Highmountain tauren have established a foothold on the growing Legion corruption near the Broken Isles.
Home City: Thunder Bluff
Established by the wise chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof and his stalwart tribe, Thunder Bluff overlooks the verdant land of Mulgore from atop a series of windswept mesas. Prior to the construction of the capital, the tauren had lived as nomads for countless generations, often under attack by marauding bands of centaur. With Thunder Bluff’s founding, however, the proud and good-spirited race was finally granted a permanent home.
Following Cairne’s death in a duel with Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, Thunder Bluff was briefly seized in a coup by Magatha Grimtotem and elements of her tribe. In retaliation, Cairne’s son, Baine, launched a brilliant counterattack using a fleet of zeppelins. After he strategically divided Magatha’s forces, Baine recaptured Thunder Bluff and assumed his role as the high chieftain of the tauren. Having recovered from the recent unrest, the capital is once again a bastion of peace and security for Kalimdor’s tauren.
Leader: Baine Bloodhoof
High Chieftain Baine Bloodhoof is the son of the late tauren leader, Cairne Bloodhoof. In addition to embodying his father’s kindness and valor, Baine has developed into a warrior without equal. Following Cairne’s death in a duel with Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, Baine fled his home in Bloodhoof Village when the tauren matriarch Magatha Grimtotem’s agents attacked the village and seized Thunder Bluff. Although still pained by the loss of his father, Baine staged a counterattack on Magatha and her forces, ultimately retaking the tauren capital.
In the end, Cairne’s honorable son spared Magatha’s life, banishing the matriarch and her traitorous allies to the harsh Stonetalon Mountains. Since then Baine has assumed the role of high chieftain of Mulgore’s courageous tauren. While bitterness might still linger over Cairne’s demise, Baine has pledged his loyalty to the Horde and its warchief for the good of the tauren race. - Mystical Conspirators
The savage trolls of Azeroth are infamous for their cruelty, dark mysticism, and seething hatred for all other races. Yet one exception among the trolls is the Darkspear tribe and its cunning leader, Vol’jin. Plagued by a history of subservience and exile, this proud tribe was on the brink of extinction when Warchief Thrall and his mighty Horde forces were driven to the trolls’ remote island home in the South Seas during a violent storm.
Troll History
Led at that time by Vol’jin’s wise father, Sen’jin, the Darkspears abandoned their prejudices and bravely fought side by side with the Horde to defeat a group of humans encroaching on their jungle isle. However, the Darkspears were soon driven from the island by a frenzied band of murlocs intent on appeasing a mysterious sea witch. In the frenzy, Sen’jin was slain.
In Sen’jin’s honor, Thrall welcomed the Darkspears into the Horde and gave them a new home along the coastline of Durotar; the Echo Isles. But misfortune struck again; the witch doctor Zalazane betrayed his fellow tribespeople, enslaving them as mindless servants and forcing the Darkspears to fight for their new home. Following the Horde’s victory against the Lich King in Northrend, Vol’jin allied with the ancestral loa—powerful spirits worshipped by the trolls—and secured victory over the Echo Isles.
When the brash orc Garrosh was named warchief and openly showed his disdain for the Darkspear, many disillusioned trolls abandoned the Horde capital, Orgrimmar. Garrosh’s betrayals and crimes against the other Horde races led to his deposition at the hands of Thrall, who named Vol’jin as the new warchief. Since then, the trolls’ deserved place within the Horde has only strengthened, and they stand ready to face anything that might threaten it.
Home City: Darkspear Isle
Ever since defeating the traitorous witch doctor Zalazane, Vol’jin and his tribe have worked tirelessly to fortify their home on Darkspear Isle. Covered in a network of huts and bridges, this jungle island has become a symbol of the tribe’s glory, albeit at a time when the trolls’ destiny remains uncertain due to political tension between Vol’jin and Warchief Garrosh Hellscream. Regardless, the Darkspear tribe has vowed to stand firm and face whatever challenges lie ahead.
Leader: Vol'jin
Vol’jin has sworn to do everything in his power to lead the Darkspear tribe just as his late father, Sen’jin, would have. For years Vol’jin resided in Orgrimmar, offering strategic advice to Thrall and assisting with critical operations such as retaking the Undercity after the Forsaken bastion had been usurped by Grand Apothecary Putress and the dreadlord Varimathras. Recently, however, Vol’jin has come into conflict with the Horde’s new warchief, Garrosh Hellscream. Alienated by the orc’s extremism and lust for war, the troll leader helped overthrow him, and has since died, passing the title of Warchief to Sylvanas Windrunner.
Classes
- Heralds of Doom
When the Lich King’s control of his death knights was broken, his former champions sought revenge for the horrors committed under his command. After their vengeance was won, the death knights found themselves without a cause and without a home. One by one they trickled into the land of the living in search of a new purpose.
Class Information
Death Knights engage their foes up-close, supplementing swings of their weapons with dark magic that renders enemies vulnerable or damages them with unholy power. They drag foes into one-on-one conflicts, compelling them to focus their attacks away from weaker companions. To prevent their enemies from fleeing their grasp, death knights must remain mindful of the power they call forth from runes, and pace their attacks appropriately. - Unforgiving Predators
Demon hunters, disciples of Illidan Stormrage, uphold a dark legacy, one that frightens their allies and enemies alike. The Illidari embrace fel and chaotic magics—energies that have long threatened the world of Azeroth—believing them necessary to challenge the Burning Legion. Wielding the powers of demons they’ve slain, they develop demonic features that incite revulsion and dread in fellow elves.
Class Information
Forgoing heavy armor, Demon Hunters capitalize on speed, closing the distance quickly to strike enemies with one-handed weapons. However, Illidari must also use their agility defensively to ensure that battles end favorably. - Savage Shapeshifters
Druids harness the vast powers of nature to preserve balance and protect life. With experience, druids can unleash nature’s raw energy against their enemies, raining celestial fury on them from a great distance, binding them with enchanted vines, or ensnaring them in unrelenting cyclones.
Class Information
Druids are versatile combatants, in that they can fulfill nearly every role – healing, tanking, and damage dealing. It’s critical that druids tailor the form they choose to the situation, as each form bears a specific purpose. - Inescapable Stalkers
From an early age, the call of the wild draws some adventurers from the comfort of their homes into the unforgiving primal world outside. Those who endure become hunters. Masters of their environment, they are able to slip like ghosts through the trees and lay traps in the paths of their enemies.
Class Information
Hunters battle their foes at a distance, commanding their pets to attack while they nock their arrows and fire their guns. Though their missile weapons are effective at short and long ranges, hunters are also highly mobile. They can evade or restrain their foes to control the arena of battle. - Masters of Time and Space
Students gifted with a keen intellect and unwavering discipline may walk the path of the mage. The arcane magic available to magi is both great and dangerous, and thus is revealed only to the most devoted practitioners. To avoid interference with their spellcasting, magi wear only cloth armor, but arcane shields and enchantments give them additional protection. To keep enemies at bay, magi can summon bursts of fire to incinerate distant targets and cause entire areas to erupt, setting groups of foes ablaze.
Class Information
Mages demolish their foes with arcane incantations. Although they wield powerful offensive spells, mages are fragile and lightly armored, making them particularly vulnerable to close-range attacks. Wise mages make careful use of their spells to keep their foes at a distance or hold them in place. - Musing Brawlers
When the pandaren were subjugated by the mogu centuries ago, it was the monks that brought hope to a seemingly dim future. Restricted from using weapons by their slave masters, these pandaren instead focused on harnessing their chi and learning weaponless combat. When the opportunity for revolution struck, they were well-trained to throw off the yoke of oppression.
Class Information
Whatever their combat role, monks rely mainly on their hands and feet to do the talking, and on strong connection with their inner chi to power their abilities. Abilities such as Expel Harm and Chi Wave both heal their allies while at the same time damaging their enemies. - Paragons of Justice
This is the call of the paladin: to protect the weak, to bring justice to the unjust, and to vanquish evil from the darkest corners of the world. These holy warriors are equipped with plate armor so they can confront the toughest of foes, and the blessing of the Light allows them to heal wounds and, in some cases, even restore life to the dead.
Class Information
Paladins stand directly in front of their enemies, relying on heavy armor and healing in order to survive incoming attacks. Whether with massive shields or crushing two-handed weapons, Paladins are able to keep claws and swords from their weaker fellows – or they use healing magic to ensure that they remain on their feet. - Channelers of Forbidden Powers
In the face of demonic power, most heroes see death. Warlocks see only opportunity. Dominance is their aim, and they have found a path to it in the dark arts. These voracious spellcasters summon demonic minions to fight beside them. At first, they command only the service of imps, but as a warlock’s knowledge grows, seductive succubi, loyal voidwalkers, and horrific felhunters join the dark sorcerer’s ranks to wreak havoc on anyone who stands in their master’s way.
Class Information
Warlocks burn and destroy weakened foes with a combination of crippling illnesses and dark magic. While their demon pets protect and enhance them, warlocks strike at their enemies from a distance. As physically weak spellcasters bereft of heavy armor, cunning warlocks allow their minions to take the brunt of enemy attacks in order to save their own skin. - Invokers of Light and Darkness
Priests are devoted to the spiritual, and express their unwavering faith by serving the people. For millennia they have left behind the confines of their temples and the comfort of their shrines so they can support their allies in war-torn lands. In the midst of terrible conflict, no hero questions the value of the priestly orders.
Class Information
Priests use powerful healing magic to fortify themselves and their allies. They also wield powerful offensive spells from a distance, but can be overwhelmed by enemies due to their physical frailty and minimal armor. Experienced priests carefully balance the use of their offensive powers when tasked with keeping their party alive. - Prowling Cutpurses
For rogues, the only code is the contract, and their honor is purchased in gold. Free from the constraints of a conscience, these mercenaries rely on brutal and efficient tactics. Lethal assassins and masters of stealth, they will approach their marks from behind, piercing a vital organ and vanishing into the shadows before the victim hits the ground.
Class Information
Rogues often initiate combat with a surprise attack from the shadows, leading with vicious melee strikes. When in protracted battles, they utilize a successive combination of carefully chosen attacks to soften the enemy up for a killing blow. Rogues must take special care when selecting targets so that their combo attacks are not wasted, and they must be conscious of when to hide or flee if a battle turns against them. - Adepts of the Elements
Shaman are spiritual guides and practitioners, not of the divine, but of the very elements. Unlike some other mystics, shaman commune with forces that are not strictly benevolent. The elements are chaotic, and left to their own devices, they rage against one another in unending primal fury. It is the call of the shaman to bring balance to this chaos. Acting as moderators among earth, fire, water, and air, shaman summon totems that focus the elements to support the shaman’s allies or punish those who threaten them.
Class Information
During combat, shaman place damaging and controlling totems on the ground to maximize their effectiveness while hindering their enemies. Shaman are versatile enough to battle foes up close or at range, but wise shaman choose their avenue of attack based on their enemies’ strengths and weaknesses. - Lords of War
For as long as war has raged, heroes from every race have aimed to master the art of battle. Warriors combine strength, leadership, and a vast knowledge of arms and armor to wreak havoc in glorious combat. Some protect from the front lines with shields, locking down enemies while allies support the warrior from behind with spell and bow. Others forgo the shield and unleash their rage at the closest threat with a variety of deadly weapons.
Class Information
Warriors equip themselves carefully for combat and engage their enemies head-on, letting attacks glance off their heavy armor. They use diverse combat tactics and a wide variety of weapon types to protect their more vulnerable allies. Warriors must carefully master their rage – the power behind their strongest attacks – in order to maximize their effectiveness in combat. - Night elf wardens are elite members of the Watchers, the jailors and marshals of night elf society. They are the most feared arm of the night elves' wrath. These mystical assassins meet out justice, capture fugitives and carry out covert executions. Trained in martial arts, wardens command a fearsome and formidable range of abilities. Using a combination of cunning, stealth and tactical planning, a warden can shake even a large fighting force to its core.
The mysterious wardens serve as the night elves' special police force in Kalimdor. Set apart from the militant Sentinels, wardens are usually employed as jailors, assassins, and bounty hunters. When loosed upon escaped criminals, wardens employ a number of supernatural powers that enable them to recapture their prey and mete out the night elves' justice. Wardens have a line of sight teleport ability called "blink," which they can use to outmaneuver even the quickest of foes.
They are stealthy and mystical individuals, using their shadowy abilities in ways much different than the Sentinels. They are adept at entering and exiting combat quickly and have a number of attacks that can quickly disable their opponents. Many wardens are women, though not all of them. Wardens dress in dark colors and favor cloaks, which move about them like shadows to further hide their presence. Wardens are deadly melee combatants, able to bring their opponents to their knees with a few quick attacks, then teleport to safety.
Wardens are members of night elf culture and society. Many wardens are night elves and are members of the Alliance. They have been valuable additions to the night elves' military for millennia. Theirs is an ancient tradition, focused on justice. In addition to some of their other roles, wardens ensure that law is kept in night elf lands. In modern times, they focus their skills on furthering night elf interests in the larger world, and keeping peace in northern Kalimdor. Historically, wardens are the most feared jailers and bounty hunters in night elf society. They keep watch on the most dangerous prisoners. If a prisoner escapes, wardens set out to retrieve him/her/it.
1: No god-modding.
2: No Meta-gaming.
3: No drama.
4: If someone or something is bothering you in the RP, please come talk to me via a PM.
5: Please be kind and respectful to your fellow RP'ers.
6: Please post your CS in the OOC section. Once approved you can post it in the characters tab.
7: You can be any race and class from the list above.
8: If you will be gone for a week or more, please let us know in OOC.
9: If you have any suggestions or constructive criticism, please let me know via a PM.
10: If you need assistance with anything, please let me know, I am happy to help.
11: A minimum of two paragraphs per-post.
2: No Meta-gaming.
3: No drama.
4: If someone or something is bothering you in the RP, please come talk to me via a PM.
5: Please be kind and respectful to your fellow RP'ers.
6: Please post your CS in the OOC section. Once approved you can post it in the characters tab.
7: You can be any race and class from the list above.
8: If you will be gone for a week or more, please let us know in OOC.
9: If you have any suggestions or constructive criticism, please let me know via a PM.
10: If you need assistance with anything, please let me know, I am happy to help.
11: A minimum of two paragraphs per-post.
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1: @Andromedai - Aviza Azurelight - [Female NE Warden]
2: @FireMoon -Saeth MoonGlaive - [Female NE Rogue]
3: @Poi - Aquanthe Wolverton - [Female HUM Hunter]
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2: @FireMoon -Saeth MoonGlaive - [Female NE Rogue]
3: @Poi - Aquanthe Wolverton - [Female HUM Hunter]
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Much of the information used comes directly from Wowhead, Wowwiki, and the official World of Warcraft website.
Much of the information used comes directly from Wowhead, Wowwiki, and the official World of Warcraft website.
