World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1

by Blizzard Entertainment

  For many ages after Loken’s betrayal, the titan-forged who were exiled from Ulduar spread across northern Kalimdor. The lumbering giants gradually trickled into the mountains and seas around the region, disappearing from sight. The earthen tunneled into the deep places of the world, where they fought for dominance against a race of brutish and misshapen creatures known as troggs. Many of the vrykul remained aboveground, congregating into small clans. Some of these factions wandered the harsh northern landscape as nomads. Others established dwellings across the forested tundra of the region.

  A tenuous peace existed between these groups of titan-forged, but it could not last. In time, malign forces moved to assert dominion over the lands once protected by the keepers. Among these forces were two of Loken’s own creations, the brutish fire giants Volkhan and Ignis.

  Volkhan and Ignis saw the Storm Peaks surrounding Ulduar as a land ripe for conquest. Yet to seize the region, they required an army. To this end, the giants turned to the fierce Winterskorn clan of vrykul.

  Though many vrykul were warlike in nature, most avoided direct confrontation with each other. The Winterskorn proved to be an exception. These vrykul had developed a culture of violence and aggression, due in large part to their belief that they would one day ascend to the Halls of Valor. They thrived on conflict, whether it was between members of their own clan or with nearby groups of titan-forged.

  Volkhan and Ignis took control of the Winterskorn by force and stoked the fires of their battle lust. The giants fortified the metal hides of the vrykul with enchanted armor. Volkhan and Ignis also forged powerful weapons designed to shatter the iron and stone skin of the other titan-forged.

  TROGGS AND THE ORIGINS OF ULDAMAN

  Following the war with the Old Gods, the keepers used the Forge of Wills to create new titan-forged to help them reshape the world. Yet their first designs proved too complex and overambitious. Rather than making the perfect servants, they had created stone-skinned savages known as troggs. The keepers quickly refined and perfected their designs. The next generation of titan-forged to emerge from the Forge of Wills would be known as the earthen.

  The keepers were troubled by the troggs, but they could not bear to destroy them. Instead, Ironaya built a small subterranean vault, known as Uldaman, that would act as a stasis chamber for the troggs. Some of them escaped imprisonment and wandered the newly ordered world. Others even found their way into the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane, Deepholm.

  But just as this new army embarked on its great conquest, anomalies began to appear in the Winterskorn. The vrykul’s metallic skin became brittle and weak. They had begun showing the first symptoms of the curse of flesh.

  Despite this setback, Volkhan and Ignis had no intentions of abandoning their campaign. They also knew that they could no longer rely on the Winterskorn alone to achieve victory. To strengthen the army, Volkhan and Ignis molded powerful molten golems and iron constructs of their own design.

  This massive Winterskorn army marched first against the good-natured earthen, storming their underground lairs. The earthen were utterly unprepared to face such an overwhelming and organized force. Entire caverns were massacred to the last living creature. A small group of survivors escaped the onslaught and sought the help of Tyr, Archaedas, and Ironaya, who had thus far eluded Loken’s wrath.

  Incensed by what they learned, Tyr and his companions immediately journeyed to the earthen’s cavernous home to aid the beleaguered titan-forged. Tyr himself led the bravest of the earthen in skirmishes with the Winterskorn, while Archaedas and Ironaya constructed defenses to ward off future attacks. In time, the earthen and their allies drove back the Winterskorn.

  Although their attempt to conquer the Storm Peaks had failed, Volkhan and Ignis did not concede defeat. They returned to their blistering forges and created a new army—one even greater than before. Not satisfied with golems and constructs alone, Volkhan and Ignis crafted enchanted snares with which to enslave entire flights of proto-dragons. These creatures would serve not as mounts, but as beasts of war. The giants outfitted their winged servants with fiery weapons to strike terror into the hearts of the earthen.

  The Winterskorn’s next brutal assault shattered the earthen’s defenses and drove them from their refuge. The earthen scattered across the icy mountain passes, but they could not escape their foes. Vrykul and golems hunted the earthen on the ground, while proto-dragons assailed them from the skies. Even Tyr, Archaedas, and Ironaya were forced to flee from the Winterskorn’s fury.

  Knowing that he and his allies could not defeat the Winterskorn alone, Tyr called on the five Dragon Aspects for help. The noble Aspects grew enraged upon seeing so many dead titan-forged. Their fury only deepened when they learned that proto-dragons had been enslaved. Without hesitation, the Aspects took wing and unleashed their powers on the Winterskorn’s iron ranks.

  Much as they had done in their fight against Galakrond, the Aspects worked in unison to overwhelm the vrykul army. Alexstrasza held the Winterskorn at bay with towering walls of enchanted fire. Malygos drained the magical essence that fueled the constructs and golems, rendering them useless. He also shattered the enchanted snares that bound the proto-dragons and set the beasts free. Neltharion raised mountains from the earth to corral and contain the vrykul and their giant masters. Lastly, Ysera and Nozdormu combined their powers to create a spell that would bring a decisive end to the conflict.

  Ysera and Nozdormu enveloped the Winterskorn in a cloying mist that caused the titan-forged to fall asleep. These incapacitated creatures were then locked away in tomb cities across northern Kalimdor. They would not know the peaceful sleep of the Emerald Dream. Rather, they would languish in a timeless, unconscious slumber for thousands upon thousands of years.

  In the millennia to come, the curse of flesh would continue warping the sleeping Winterskorn vrykul. When they eventually awoke, almost every one of them would discover that they had degenerated into mortal creatures of flesh and blood.

  With the Winterskorn defeated, Keeper Tyr at long last turned his attention to Loken. So long as Ulduar remained sealed off and the titan-forged were divided, more conflicts would arise. Tyr grimly concluded that unless he took action against Loken, Azeroth would spiral into an abyss of war and chaos.

  But overthrowing Loken would require years of preparation. Tyr and his allies, Archaedas and Ironaya, concluded that they would first need to gather intelligence on Loken and his activities. To this end, they formulated a plan to steal the Discs of Norgannon from the heart of Ulduar. The relics had been recording everything that transpired on Azeroth, including Loken’s betrayal. If there was any hope of undoing the damage caused by his schemes, it would be through the careful study of his actions.

  Having devised a ruse to claim the discs, Tyr traveled to the gates of Ulduar itself. There, he called on Loken to relinquish control of Ulduar for the good of Azeroth, threatening dire consequences if he refused. Loken emerged from the fortress to convince Tyr that less drastic measures would suffice. A fierce argument erupted between the two keepers—exactly as Tyr had hoped. While Loken was distracted, Archaedas and Ironaya infiltrated Ulduar and stole the Discs of Norgannon.

  Once they had secured the artifacts, Tyr and his companions escaped back into the icy crags and ridges of the Storm Peaks. They knew that Loken would soon hunt them down. Thus they prepared to journey south, where they hoped to find a refuge from which to plan their next move.

  Before setting out, Tyr and his allies gathered great numbers of titan-forged who dwelled around Ulduar. A large group of peaceful vrykul afflicted by the curse of flesh, most of the surviving earthen, and many of the mechagnomes agreed to take part in the journey. Tyr, Archaedas, and Ironaya saw these titan-forged as innocent victims of Loken’s treachery, and they promised to secure them a sanctuary before liberating Ulduar. The refugees traveled for many weeks, believing they had eluded Loken.

  When Loken learned that the Discs of Norgannon were missing, panic seized
him. If Tyr and his allies presented the artifacts to Algalon or the Pantheon, Loken’s life would be forfeit. Out of desperation, he turned to the only creatures he knew were powerful enough to stop the mighty Tyr and recover the discs: ancient C’Thraxxi monstrosities known as Zakazj and Kith’ix.

  Zakazj and Kith’ix had served as the Black Empire’s most ruthless and cunning C’Thraxxi generals. Long ago, the keepers had sealed them and many of the other n’raqi away in underground chambers alongside the Old Gods. With considerable effort, Loken excavated these C’Thraxxi tombs and roused Zakazj and Kith’ix to life. He ordered the colossal abominations to kill Tyr and all who followed him. Sensing the lingering touch of Yogg-Saron in Loken’s mind, the two C’Thraxxi readily obeyed.

  Far to the south, in a tranquil and temperate glade, Zakazj and Kith’ix overtook the fleeing keepers and their followers. Fearing for his allies’ lives, Tyr ordered Archaedas and Ironaya to lead the rest of the titan-forged farther south. Meanwhile, he would hold off the C’Thraxxi for as long as possible.

  Only the barest shadow of Aggramar’s old power lingered within Tyr’s iron form, but the titan’s noble spirit had not flagged. Tyr would not retreat, not when the lives of innocents were at risk.

  As he grappled with the C’Thraxxi, torrents of both arcane and shadow energy ripped through the once-peaceful glade. The violent struggle between the lone keeper and the C’Thraxxi raged for six days and nights. Through it all, Tyr never gave ground—but neither did his foes. As fatigue set in, Tyr resolved to sacrifice himself to protect his friends. He unleashed all of his remaining power on the C’Thraxxi, expending his life force in a blinding explosion of arcane energy that shook the bones of the world.

  To the south, Archaedas and Ironaya watched as the eruption of magic flared across the horizon. After the volatile energies subsided, the two titan-forged ventured back to the site of the battle. There, within a giant crater crackling with arcane magic, they found the lifeless bodies of Tyr and Zakazj.

  Despite facing hopeless odds, the keeper of justice had nearly killed both C’Thraxxi. The survivor, Kith’ix, had only narrowly escaped Tyr’s vengeful onslaught. The severely wounded C’Thrax had blindly fled to the west. It would not be seen again for many thousands of years.

  In honor of her fallen comrade, Ironaya named the glade surrounding the crater “Tyr’s Fall,” which in the vrykul tongue translated to “Tirisfal.” She and her followers buried Tyr and his foe where they lay. They placed Tyr’s massive silver hand atop his final resting place as a memorial to his valiant sacrifice.

  Although all of the refugees would carry on the story of Tyr’s noble sacrifice, the vrykul in particular felt compelled to do something more. They were so moved by the keeper’s deeds that they decided to settle at the battle site and stand vigil over Tyr’s grave until the end of their days.

  Archaedas and Ironaya honored the vrykul’s wishes to settle the land of Tirisfal. The keeper and the giantess continued south with the earthen and mechagnomes in tow. They eventually stopped at the easternmost titan-forged vault on Kalimdor: Uldaman. Archaedas and Ironaya expanded the site, carving out new chambers to hold the Discs of Norgannon and vowing to protect the history of Azeroth with their lives if need be.

  As the years passed, some of the earthen exhibited signs of the curse of flesh. Many of these titan-forged feared that the effects would only worsen. They asked to be placed in hibernation until a cure could one day be found. Archaedas, promising to rouse them at some time in the future, agreed. He sealed his followers within Uldaman’s vast subterranean vaults.

  The mechagnomes, however, remained awake. Even though they knew the curse would one day overtake them as well, they heroically vowed to watch over Uldaman and maintain its wondrous machineries.

  TYR’S SACRIFICE

  The mortals who would one day inhabit the area of Tirisfal would feel two conflicting energies emanating from the earth: the remaining spiritual essence of Keeper Tyr, and that of his enemy Zakazj. Some would tap into Tyr’s energy; others would become attuned to the C’Thrax’s dark aura.

  TYR’S SILVER HAND AND ITS VRYKUL CARETAKERS

  In distant Ulduar, Loken became desperate upon learning that his C’Thraxxi had failed to kill his foes. He assumed that with the mighty Tyr dead, Archaedas and Ironaya would not attempt a direct assault upon Ulduar. But the Discs of Norgannon still posed a threat to him. Stealing or destroying the artifacts was no longer an option—Archaedas and Ironaya could easily seal off Uldaman from intruders.

  Instead, Loken attempted to replace the Discs of Norgannon with an archive of his own design, one that he dubbed the Tribunal of Ages. He adjusted the historical events contained in this new repository to his liking and expunged his sins from the record. Though he assumed he had been successful, his archive proved to be flawed. The histories stored within were warped even beyond Loken’s understanding.

  Loken then took one final drastic measure to prevent retribution from Archaedas and Ironaya. He believed that his enemies would eventually summon the constellar Algalon. To stop this, Loken altered the titan communication devices in Ulduar. This assured that no living creature would be able to contact Algalon. Only Loken’s own death would draw the constellar to Azeroth. The fallen keeper assumed that his demise would come at the hands of Archaedas and Ironaya. If so, he was confident that Algalon would take his revenge for him by wiping out every living creature on Azeroth’s surface.

  With the Winterskorn asleep in their deep vaults and many of the earthen sealed within Uldaman, the remaining vrykul clans dominated the lands of northern Kalimdor. Over the course of eons, their disparate cultures flourished in unique ways. They developed their own identities and customs as they spread across the unforgiving north.

  One of the mightiest clans to arise was the Dragonflayer. Much like the Winterskorn, these vrykul found that their iron hides were gradually turning to flesh over time. Initially, the clan leaders sought to balance out their diminishing strength by enslaving the ancient proto-dragons, just as the Winterskorn had done in previous centuries.

  But unlike the Winterskorn, the Dragonflayers did not see the proto-dragons as mere beasts of war. They used the fearsome drakes as hunting companions, and they also rode them as battle mounts. Over time, these proto-dragons became an inseparable part of the clan’s culture. They were also a necessary weapon against the vrykul’s mortal enemy: a fierce race of bear-men called the jalgar, the progenitors of modern-day furbolgs.

  Under King Ymiron, the Dragonflayer clan finally gained the upper hand against its foes. In a coordinated offensive, the vrykul attacked and drove the jalgar into Kalimdor’s lush central forests. Yet on the heels of this victory, tragedy struck. The curse of flesh took another turn.

  Dragonflayer women began giving birth to small, malformed children—a development that spread fear and superstition among the clan. Some of the vrykul even blamed Ymiron for the affliction, but the king had his own belief about who was responsible. In his mind, the mythical keepers were behind the curse of flesh.

  The keepers, whom many vrykul viewed as their godlike creators, had not been seen or heard from in generations. Ymiron convinced his people to renounce the silent and aloof keepers, who had clearly abandoned them to the curse of flesh. He promised to unite all vrykul under his banner. As his first decree, Ymiron ordered his followers to cleanse the clan by destroying all of the malformed infants.

  Many of the Dragonflayers obeyed Ymiron’s brutal orders. Some, however, could not bring themselves to murder innocent children. They sought to hide their stunted offspring in a place of legend, a land far to the south where a lost clan of vrykul was said to have journeyed with Tyr, Archaedas, and Ironaya.

  A number of Dragonflayers ventured south, taking their diminutive newborns in search of this fairy-tale refuge. Most were never heard from again. But others did find their way. With heavy hearts, they left their beloved sons and daughters in the care of the vrykul who inhabited Tirisfal.


  In the ages that followed, the afflicted children and their offspring would continue degenerating into mortal beings called humans. Many of the other titan-forged—mechagnomes, tol’vir, mogu, and giants—would suffer a similar fate. Very few of the keepers’ servants would fight off the affliction. Just as Yogg-Saron had hoped, the curse of flesh would weaken the titan-forged. But it would also give rise to mortal qualities of necessity that the Old God had never anticipated: courage, resolve, and heroism.

  Unaware that these potent traits would one day shape the fate of the world, Yogg-Saron and the other Old Gods focused on escaping their prisons. Freedom, however, would take thousands of years to attain.

  For now, more immediate dangers stirred in the lush heart of Kalimdor. A new power—a savage native race born in the early ages of the world—was on the rise. They called themselves trolls, and it would not be long before they learned of the malignant entities imprisoned beneath the earth.

  THE DRAGONFLAYERS AND THE LONG SLUMBER

  The Dragonflayers struggled to purge themselves of the curse of flesh in many ways. Despite all of their efforts, they would remain addled and weakened by the affliction. Eventually, these vrykul would place themselves in hibernation in the hopes of staving off the curse of flesh.

  THE NIGHT ELF CAPITAL OF ZIN-AZSHARI