World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1
Page 1
BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT
Written by CHRIS METZEN, MATT BURNS, and ROBERT BROOKS
Additional Story ALEX AFRASIABI, CHRISTIE GOLDEN, RICHARD A. KNAAK,
DAVE KOSAK, MICKY NEILSON, BILL ROPER, JAMES WAUGH
Creative Direction and Design DOUG ALEXANDER, LOGAN LUBERA
Editors CATE GARY, ROBERT SIMPSON • Lore SEAN COPELAND,
EVELYN FREDERICKSEN, JUSTIN PARKER • Production MICHAEL BYBEE,
RACHEL DE JONG, PHILLIP HILLENBRAND, IAN SATERDALEN
Licensing MATT BEECHER, JASON BISCHOFF, BYRON PARNELL
Special thanks to: the World of Warcraft game team, Xiaohu Alcocer, Dana Bishop, Tina Fu, Brissia
Jimenez, Emily Mei, Frank Mummert, Tommy Newcomer, Max Ximenez
Maps, cosmology chart, borders, and spot art by JOSEPH LACROIX
Paintings by PETER C. LEE
DARK HORSE BOOKS
Publisher MIKE RICHARDSON • Editor DAVE MARSHALL • Assistant Editor EVERETT
PATTERSON • Designer DAVID NESTELLE • Digital Art Technician CHRIS HORN
World of Warcraft® Chronicle: Volume 1
© 2016 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. World of Warcraft is a registered trademark of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Dark Horse Books® and the Dark Horse logo are registered trademarks of Dark Horse Comics, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the express written permission of Dark Horse Comics, Inc.
Published by
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Digital ISBN 978-1-63008-565-0
BLIZZARD.COM
v3.1
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Preface
Introduction: Cosmology
Chapter I: Mythos
Chapter II: Primordial Azeroth
Chapter III: Ancient Kalimdor
Chapter IV: A New World
Index
It’s been amazing to watch the Warcraft universe grow and take shape over the past twenty years or so. What started out as a relatively simple game setting has become a lasting, vibrant world in its own right, one that is visited daily by millions of players from all around the globe.
The world of Azeroth has been shaped by hundreds of craftsmen, designers, artists, and writers since its earliest inception. It is the product of many talented hands and many passionate voices, all bent toward creating a world so rich in detail, theme, and characterization that … well … you’d want to pull on your +6 Boots of Butt-Kicking and give your all to defend it.
At the core of it all lies a real sense of … history. The overarching story of Warcraft is a vast, intertwining patchwork of myths, legends, and world-shaking events that ultimately contextualize the players’ heroic efforts in the ever-expanding world they share.
Twenty years of storytelling. Tens of thousands of moments, characters, races, and monsters, all forming dense strata of concepts and ideas over time. This book—this chronicle—is meant to bring it all together and reinforce the overarching narrative that lies at Warcraft’s heart. Writing this was an opportunity to unite the frayed story ends and smooth out the rough edges of this fictional history.
Ultimately, this grand (and super nerdy) editorial undertaking gives us an amazing perspective on Warcraft’s recurring themes and conflicts:
How societies often clash before seeing a common humanity in each other …
How earnest, well-intentioned heroes can often succumb to temptations of power …
How failing to take responsibility for mistakes of the past can lead to calamity in the present …
These are just a few of the motifs that form the common thread of Azeroth’s great history, expressed across disparate cultures, factions, and individuals over mythic spans of time. Cycles within cycles …
It’s from this top-down view that we can more clearly see the dangerous yet glorious horizons ahead. And even in the face of all this … history … I’m fairly certain that the adventure is only just beginning!
Chris Metzen
SVP, Story and Franchise Development
Blizzard Entertainment
August 2015
I first encountered the world of Azeroth in the year 2000. Blizzard Entertainment was looking for an author to turn the story line of its Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans into a novel. I had six weeks to write a book set in a world with which I was completely unfamiliar. Thanks to the unfailing support and enthusiasm of Chris Metzen (who was always reachable to answer such burning questions as “What color is orc blood?”), those six weeks laid the groundwork for a business relationship that remains one of constant joy, adventure, sheer fun, and magic.
So in love with Azeroth was I after writing Lord of the Clans that I learned to play my first video game—World of Warcraft—mainly so I could spend more time there. And soon, we’re all going to get to visit Azeroth in another medium entirely—the realm of movies.
In the meantime, I, like every other reader of this book, intend to sit down and curl up with this exhaustive and beautiful history of a vividly imagined world that still manages to draw me in, even though I’ve played WoW almost since its launch and written eight novels set within Azeroth’s borders. (Okay, mostly … I went to Draenor for one of them.) There’s always something to learn, a new character to meet, and a new story to tell. It’s like catching up with an old friend.
May you feel the same.
“For Azeroth!”
—Christie Golden
When I was first asked to pen tales for Warcraft, the game was already something of a phenomenon, but I don’t think even those at the top of the Blizzard hierarchy expected the worldwide sensation they would create just a couple of years later.
I’d been fortunate enough to be there early on in the rise of Dragonlance—The Legend of Huma was the first novel not written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman—and I’d marveled at the legions of loyal fans at Gen Con and signings. I also had my own series, The Dragonrealm, with its share of dedicated followers. Yet nothing compared to what I experienced when my novel Warcraft: Day of the Dragon came out in 2001. The reaction was as immediate as it was huge. The appreciation of the readers came from every corner of the globe, a sign of just how dedicated the fan base for Warcraft had already become.
Over the past decade plus, I’ve only seen that dedication continue to swell. Azeroth is a world so rich and real that it’s no surprise that millions not only have enjoyed it but also have kept coming back. It’s been a pleasure to be part of this phenomenon and see my stories—and characters—added to Azeroth’s already very full history, a history that continues to grow.
A history that’s gonna need a volume 2 before long …
—Richard Knaak
THE COSMIC FORCES, REALMS, AND DENIZENS OF THE UNIVERSE
Azeroth is but one small world in a vast universe, a realm filled with potent magics and mighty beings. Since the dawn of time, these forces have influenced Azeroth and the surrounding cosmos, setting the stars in motion and shaping the destiny of countless worlds and mortal civilizations …
LIGHT AND SHADOW
Light and Shadow are the most fundamental forces in existence. Although contradictory by their very nature, they are bound together on a cosmic scale. One cannot exist without the other.
Pure Light and Shadow dwe
ll in a realm outside the borders of reality, but shades of their presence are found in the physical universe. Light manifests as holy magic, while Shadow (also referred to as “the Void”) appears as shadow magic.
LIFE AND DEATH
The forces of Life and Death hold sway over every living thing in the physical universe. The energies of Life, known commonly as nature magic, promote growth and renewal in all things. Death, in the form of necromantic magic, acts as a counterbalance to Life. It is an unavoidable force that breeds despair in mortal hearts and pushes everything toward a state of entropic decay and eventual oblivion.
ORDER AND DISORDER
The forces of Order and Disorder govern the cosmic systems of the physical universe. Order is most commonly perceived in reality as arcane magic. This type of energy is innately volatile, and wielding it requires intense precision and concentration. Conversely, Disorder is manifested as highly destructive fel magic. This brutal and extremely addictive energy is fueled by drawing life from living beings.
THE ELEMENTS
The elements of fire, air, earth, and water serve as the basic building blocks of all matter in the physical universe. Shamanic cultures have long sought to live in harmony with, or assert dominion over, the elements. To do so, they call upon the primordial forces of Spirit and Decay. Those who seek to bring balance to the elements rely on Spirit (sometimes referred to as the “fifth element” by shaman, or “chi” by monks). This life-giving force interconnects and binds all things in existence as one. Decay is the tool of shaman seeking to subjugate and weaponize the elements themselves.
ELEMENTAL DUALITY
Many shamanic cultures have discovered that the elements can influence a variety of emotional states. For this reason, mortals often associate the elements with different feelings, both positive and negative.
FIRE
Positive Trait: Passion
Negative Trait: Fury
AIR
Positive Trait: Cunning
Negative Trait: Madness
EARTH
Positive Trait: Stability
Negative Trait: Stubbornness
WATER
Positive Trait: Tranquility
Negative Trait: Indecisiveness
SPIRIT
Positive Trait: Bravery
Negative Trait: Naiveté
DECAY
Positive Trait: Efficiency
Negative Trait: Ruthlessness
THE GREAT DARK BEYOND
The Great Dark Beyond represents the physical universe. It is an infinite living realm composed of innumerable stars, worlds, and mortal civilizations.
Azeroth—the world of Warcraft—is merely one of the countless worlds drifting through the vast reaches of the Great Dark Beyond.
THE TWISTING NETHER
The Twisting Nether is an astral dimension that lies in parallel with the Great Dark Beyond. The forces of Light and Void bleed together at the boundaries of the Twisting Nether, engulfing this realm in perpetual strife. At times, the volatile magics that pervade the Twisting Nether intrude upon the physical universe, warping reality beyond measure.
THE EMERALD DREAM
The Emerald Dream is an ethereal realm of spirits and untamed nature that exists alongside the world of Azeroth. Incredible beings known as the keepers forged the Emerald Dream to act as a map for the evolutionary path of Azeroth’s flora and fauna. The two realms are bound as one: as life ebbs and flows across the physical world, the spiritual energies that saturate the Emerald Dream keep pace with it.
Although tied to the physical world, the Emerald Dream is a place that most mortal minds would find alien and surreal. But some of those minds, by channeling druidic magic, can enter a state of dreaming and consciously navigate the Emerald Dream. Their thoughts can also shape and influence portions of this verdant spirit realm, but the imprint that these dreamers leave behind is never permanent.
In the dreamways, time and distance are mutable. Spirits flow like living winds through lush tracts of constantly shifting primordial woodlands. What appears tangible one moment becomes intangible the next; seemingly impermeable landmarks transform in the blink of an eye.
THE SHADOWLANDS
Like the Emerald Dream, the Shadowlands are tangentially linked to the world of Azeroth. Yet whereas the Emerald Dream represents life, the Shadowlands represent death. They are nightmarish realms of decay, labyrinthine spiritual planes teeming with the souls of the dead who have passed from the world of the living.
The origins of the Shadowlands remain uncertain, but they have existed ever since mortal life first arose in the physical universe. Many believe that mortal souls are drawn into this dark place at the point of death, where they remain forever after. Still others hope that their souls will go on to a brighter place, rather than languish for eternity within the cold confines of the Shadowlands.
VOID LORDS
The void lords are monstrous entities composed of pure shadow energy. These beings are cruel and merciless beyond mortal comprehension. Driven by an insatiable hunger, the void lords seek to devour all matter and energy in the physical universe.
In their natural state, the void lords exist outside reality. Only the most powerful of these entities can manifest in the physical universe, and only for limited amounts of time. To maintain their presence in reality, the void lords must consume untold amounts of matter and energy.
NAARU
The naaru are benevolent creatures of living holy energy. They are perhaps the purest expression of the Light that exists in the Great Dark Beyond. The naaru have vowed to bring peace and hope to all mortal civilizations and waylay the dark forces of the Void that seek to engulf creation.
TITANS
The titans are colossal godlike beings composed of the primordial matter from which the universe was born. They roam the cosmos like walking worlds, imbued with the raw power of creation itself. The titans use this incredible force to find and awaken others of their kind—others who still slumber within the far corners of the Great Dark.
THE BURNING LEGION
The Burning Legion is the single most destructive force within the Great Dark Beyond. The fallen titan Sargeras created this vast demonic army to scour all creation. The Burning Legion moves from world to world, decimating everything in its path with devastating fel magic. No one knows exactly how many worlds and mortal civilizations the demons have annihilated in their unholy Burning Crusade.
The demons that fill the ranks of the Burning Legion are highly resilient. Their spirits are tethered to the Twisting Nether, making them extraordinarily difficult to destroy permanently. Even if a demon dies in the physical universe, its spirit will return to the Twisting Nether and manifest in corporeal form once again. To truly destroy a demon’s spirit, the creature must be killed in the Twisting Nether itself, in places where that volatile maelstrom bleeds into mortal worlds, or in areas inundated with the Burning Legion’s energies.
OLD GODS
The Old Gods are physical manifestations of the Void. They are nightmares incarnate: mountains of blighted flesh and writhing tentacles that grow like cancers within the worlds of the Great Dark. These malignant entities serve the void lords, and they live only to transform the worlds they infest into places of despair and death.
WILD GODS
The Wild Gods are primal manifestations of life and nature. They are creatures of two realms. The Wild Gods inhabit the physical world of Azeroth, but their spirits are bound to the ethereal Emerald Dream. Many Wild Gods appear in the form of gargantuan animals, such as wolves, bears, tigers, or birds.
ELEMENTAL SPIRITS
The elemental spirits are primitive and chaotic beings of fire, earth, air, or water. They were some of the first sentient creatures to inhabit the nascent worlds of the waking universe. The elemental spirits appear in an almost infinite variety of shapes and sizes. Each of these creatures has a distinct personality and temperament, traits that are heavily influenced by a spirit’s elemental natu
re.
The presence of the fifth element—Spirit—also affects the disposition of these elemental beings. A world with an overabundance of Spirit may give rise to native elementals who are passive and lack physicality. Conversely, a world with too little Spirit may birth elementals who are highly aggressive and incredibly destructive.
UNDEAD
The undead are former mortals who have died and become trapped between life and death. These tragic beings derive power from the necromantic energies that pervade the universe. Most undead are driven by vengeance and hatred to destroy the one thing that they can never have again: life.
THE PANTHEON
Before life began, before even the cosmos took shape, there was Light … and there was Void. Unfettered by the confines of time and space, the Light swelled across all existence in the form of a boundless prismatic sea. Great torrents of living energy flitted through its mirrored depths, their movements conjuring a symphony of joy and hope.
The ocean of Light was dynamic and ever shifting. Yet as it expanded, some of its energies faded and dimmed, leaving behind pockets of cold nothingness. From the absence of Light in these spaces, a new power coalesced and came to be.
This power was the Void, a dark and vampiric force driven to devour all energy, to twist creation inward to feed upon itself. The Void quickly grew and spread its influence, moving against the flowing waves of Light. The mounting tension between these two opposing yet inseparable energies eventually ignited a series of catastrophic explosions, rupturing the fabric of creation and birthing a new realm into existence.
In that moment, the physical universe was born.
The energies released by the clash of Light and Void raged across the nascent cosmos, raw matter merging and spinning into primordial worlds without number. For long epochs, this ever-expanding universe—the Great Dark Beyond—broiled in a maelstrom of fire and magic.