Project Lore

The Twilight's Hammer is encountered by players all over World of Warcraft. From ousting the cultists defending Aku'mai in the Blackfathom Deeps to skipping Jedoga Shadowseeker when farming heroic Ahn'Kahet, the cult has made their mark nearly everywhere in the world of Azeroth and beyond.

The Twilight's Hammer started out as an orcish clan. Before even the first war, the orcish warlock Gul'dan formed the Shadow Council, an organization bent on serving the Burning Legion and spreading the practices of various dark magics to all of the orcish clans. Most of the major orcish clans had allied under the banner of the Horde and began exterminating the draenei for conquest. The Shadow Council became a secretive organization that controlled the Horde behind the scenes - they appointed the Warchief and communicated directly with Kil'jaeden and other Burning Legion demons.

Gul'dan, practicing his dark magic, ran several experiments on the ogres native to Draenor. He created the two-headed ogres, and one of them, Cho'gall (left head Cho, right head Gall), became Gul'dan's apprentice. He was one of the first ogres to learn of arcane magic and became a powerful spellcaster. He was also insane, probably part of the side effects of having two heads and being able to command magic. Perhaps from brainwashing from Gul'dan, he believed Armageddon would soon arrive, and the Horde would bring it into fruition.

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Proverb is a rare yet delicious column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns!

The Council of Six, also known as The Six, is the ruling governance of Dalaran. They used to have a lot more to do when Dalaran was more of a city-state and had to make political decisions. Without land to manage or other kingdoms to disagree with, there isn't much for them to do, and they haven't really been featured much in Warcraft media.

The Six used to be a completely secret group. Its existence was known to the Kirin Tor (the collection of high-ranking magocrats that live and study in Dalaran), but the public was unaware of which magi were on the council. Their meetings occurred in the Chamber of Air, a room completely sealed off from the rest of the world and accessible only through spells known to The Six. It is thought to be located somewhere within the Violet Citadel, but it could very well exist in a parallel dimension. This is not unlike the Chamber of Aspects, which was believed to be inaccessible until it was unearthed beneath the Dragonblight after the Sundering. When The Six would meet with non-members, they would be in magical disguises and kept their identities a strict secret, as well as their precise location. A few talented mages have been able to infiltrate the council, such as Khadgar, but it is rare and requires exceptional skill to do so.

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The Abyssal Maw

Proverb is a rare yet delicious column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns! Worldofwarcraft.com updated their official Cataclysm page with more information about the Abyssal Maw a few weeks ago:

Azeroth's native elementals wreaked havoc across the world while they were under the influence of the Old Gods.

To keep Azeroth safe from these threats, the titans imprisoned the Old Gods underground and banished the savage elementals to the titan-constructed Elemental Plane, a secure dominion where the elementals could dwell without harming Azeroth. Four domains were created within this primordial realm to serve as ideal environments for each type of elemental. For ages since, the elementals of air, water, earth, and fire have engaged in endless strife with each other, waging titanic battles in the confines of their realm. One of the Elemental Plane's domains, a vast ocean known as the Abyssal Maw, is home to the water elementals. Legend says that Neptulon the Tidehunter, the powerful being who rules over the aquatic realm, possesses a potent weapon that allows its owner to control the very seas of Azeroth. Thus far, the artifact has remained secure inside the water elementals' domain... but that will soon change. Within Deepholm, the domain of the earth elementals, the malefic Dragon Aspect Deathwing is on the verge of executing a catastrophic act: to burst forth from the Elemental Plane into Azeroth. Doing so will ravage the surface of the world and breach the barrier that separates Azeroth from the elementals' realm. Whether Neptulon and his subjects have entered into an alliance with Deathwing remains unknown. Regardless, if Deathwing's actions create an opening into the Abyssal Maw, nefarious and honorable factions alike will seek out the fabled weapon carried by Neptulon. Whoever secures the artifact will have control over the world's seas, a power that perhaps no one, not even members of the Horde or the Alliance, should possess. Here is what we know so far about the Abyssal Maw and Neptulon. Neptulon is the elemental lord of water. He has dominion over all water in Azeroth. The Great Sea, Bloodvenom River, the wishing well in Dalaran, and Thrall's personal shower included. This can be bad, seeing as the elemental lords like to spend their free time chatting with Old Gods about how to return the titan-ordered world of Azeroth back into chaos. However, his banishment into the elemental plane severely limits his influence over the mortal world, though he is able to exert some influence. The elemental lords now enjoy attempting to exterminate each other, but for now the elements remain somewhat in balance. The Abyssal Maw, where Neptulon now resides after being banished from Azeroth by the Titans, is the oceanic region of the Elemental Plane. The Elemental Plane is a small, spherical "planet" located somewhere in the Twisting Nether. In that sense, it is not so different than Draenor. However, the elements battle for supremacy, making the realm very chaotic, much as Azeroth was before the Titans arrived. Neptulon takes great pleasure in tearing at the rocky beaches of Deepholm, the earthen realm of the Elemental Plane where Therazane rules and Deathwing currently resides.

The appropriately named Firelands

Deepholm is the only land region in the Elemental Plane, a singular continent surrounded by the Abyssal Maw. Below the Abyssal Maw and Deepholm lies the Firelands, where Ragnaros reigns. Ragnaros and the fire elementals constantly try to break through into Deepholm, but their volcanoes are constantly sealed by the earth elementals. Neptulon enjoys invading the realm of Ragnaros as well. The last region of the elemental plane is somewhat separated from the others, as it is high above the other three realms. It is the realm Skywall, where Al'Akir watches over the rest of the Elemental Planes. He is said to be the weakest of the four elemental lords, and he takes great pleasure in tormenting Ragnaros and the fire elementals as well as Therazane's realm, which borders the Abyssal Maw with some rocky beaches. In part 2, we'll look at what Ragnaros and Neptulon have been up to in WoW and what their plans are for Cataclysm, as well as this fabled weapon that Neptulon might have.. Stay tuned!

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Proverb is an occasional column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all past, present, and future Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns!

Blood Elves are pretty

Be sure to read part 1 first! It is possible that Quel'Delar could be the "Prismatic Quel'Serrar" that Lydos mentioned. Remember, a High Blade must be forged in the breath and blood of a dragon, imbuing it with some of its powers. The area "Quel'Delar's Rest" has five arches and five lanterns. It could represent each of the dragonflights that theoretically contributed to forging the sword, or the lanterns could even have been lit by the flames of each of the dragonflights. Much of the data for the questline surrounding Quel'Delar has been datamined, and World of Raids has a great database for it. The long questline for Quel'Delar does not yet seem to reference a dragon to use to forge it, so it is possible that these flames at Quel'Delar's rest could be the location where the flames forge it. Regardless, there is a hilt stuck in the ground there that could start the questline. It is unknown from where the hilt of Quel'Delar will come from, but it is known that it will start the questline. The current knowledge of the questline is broken and is missing dialogue, but here is what has been surmised: After getting the hilt from an unknown source, players take the hilt to Rhonin, who forwards players to Krasus to identify the sword. Some missing quest or dialogue occurs here, and some shady Blood Elf in Dalaran named "Magister Hathorel" has been meddling around the black market and he has an important tome that can identify Quel'Delar. The tome is titled "Ancient Dragonforged Blades" and likely is used to identify the sword.  It is not clear if this Blood Elf will be a High Elf for Horde players completing the quests. This elf borrowed it from Wyrmrest Temple and never returned it. Alliance players have to infiltrate Sunreaver's Sanctuary to get the tome, which they do by borrowing a Sunreaver's Tabard from some dirty laundry. The tome is then taken to Caladis Brightspear, presumably of the Argent Crusade, at the Argent Tournament grounds. He then instructs players to enter the Pit of Saron to get some Infused Saronite and the forgemaster's hammer to reforge Quel'Delar. Players then enter the Forge of Souls to temper the blade. Some missing dialogue occurs, and players must take it to the Halls of Reflection. It seems that the spirit of Uther comments that one cannot wield the blade while it is under the Lich King's control, and so players must cleanse it in the Sunwell. Players ask Halduron Brightwing, current ranger-general of Silvermoon, for entrance to the Sunwell, as it is heavily guarded (likely by Silvermoon and the Shattered Sun Offensive), and he intends to do so upon the presentation of Quel'Delar. First, he wants players to visit the grave of Thalorien Dawnseeker, who was the last person to wield the blade. He was a High Elf who fell in defense of Silvermoon to the Scourge, and he lies in the Dead Scar. The data-mined data ends there. It is unclear if players will be able to wield, or what its ultimate fate will be. This could be the questline that forwards the Ashbringer story, or at least the Icecrown story that is supposedly intertwined to the Frozen Halls. I really hope the sword is tempered by dragon's fire. Perhaps Sindragosa's breath will bless it with the power of magic and the sword will end up being for casters. It is still not clear if this will be a tanking blade, a caster's blade, or even obtainable by players. Time will tell, and we will keep you updated! Part 3 of this post will be posted as soon as more news is available!

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Proverb is a twice-weekly column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns!

Fan rendering of Ysera, night elf and dragon forms

Of all the dragonflights, the green and red dragonflights are considered to be the most peaceful. Alexstrasza, the aspect of the red dragons, the Life-Binder, rules over Wyrmrest Temple and has long been a protagonist of many perilous adventures. Ysera has not gotten nearly as much attention as Alexstrasza, but with Neltharion as the main antagonist of Cataclysm, Malygos killed in the Nexus War, and Nozdormu likely involved in the Infinite Dragonflight (see previous Proverb columns), Ysera and the green dragonflight may be one of our last remaining draconic allies. Ysera, like all dragons, was created by the Titans from the great proto-dragon Galakrond. The titan Eonar gifted her with the powers of nature. Eonar also imparted some of her power to Alexstrasza, but the form it took was more specifically in life energy. Ysera was tasked with safeguarding the natural world and the Emerald Dream, an alternate realm that exists parallel to the mortal realm where all mortals dreams take place, among other things. The Emerald Dream exists much as the world was at its shaping, a lush, green paradise. It is what the world would be like if sentient beings were not to exist. Even those who can walk the Dream, including its master, Ysera, cannot alter the Dream; it will always quickly revert to its unaltered state. Many powerful beings, especially those skilled in the ways of natural magic, can exist in both realms at once, or move their spirit through the Emerald Dream while their physical forms remain in the mortal realm. Novice spellcasters can easily become overwhelmed by the serenity of the Dream and never return to their bodies. Their physical forms slowly die of starvation, destroying their spirit as well.  Ysera, known as The Dreamer, nearly always has her eyes shut, wandering the Emerald Dream in spirit while she freely roams the mortal realm. Ysera often takes the form of a female night elf with green robes, hair, and eyes, especially in the Emerald Dream.

Ysera's current (temporary?) model in her night elf form in WoW

Cenarius, the patron of the Druids, was "adopted" by Ysera. Cenarius' actual parents are Elune and Malorne (known to the Tauren as Mu'sha and Apa'ro), but as Cenarius was much more mortal than Elune, she entrusted him to Malorne for his upbringing. Malorne was very close friends with Ysera, and Ysera seemed a more proper mother figure for Cenarius' life. Cenarius learned much about natural magic from Ysera's teaching and became a master of the wistful Emerald Dream. Perhaps 55,000 years after these events, Cenarius imparted this information to the night elves, training Malfurion Stormrage as the first druid. Many druids maintain a very close relationship with the green dragonflight, as they both spend much of their time tending to the natural world and the Emerald Dream. Many druids even become dragonsworn. Soon after Cenarius began training Malfurion, the Burning Legion invaded Azeroth. The night elves fought a difficult war and many of the Ancients, including Cenarius, ultimately helped decide the outcome. Neltharion, later known as Deathwing, tricked the other four dragon Aspects, including Ysera, into sacrificing much of their power into an artifact known as the Dragon Soul, later called the Demon Soul. He did not impart any of his power to the artifact, and as such remained much more powerful than the other dragons. Malfurion and Krasus attempted to travel to the lair of the Aspects so that Krasus could commune, but Neltharion had erected a strong barrier, making it impossible for them to enter. Malfurion entered the Emerald Dream to seek out Ysera to grant them an audience with Ysera. After repeatedly mentioning that he was a student of Cenarius, Ysera allowed his spirit passage to the meeting of the Aspects. While the Aspects discussed the demon soul, Malfurion investigated it silently with his mind. Neltharion noticed his meddling, and attacked him with silent spells. Malfurion attempted to escape to the Emerald Dream, and Neltharion surprisingly was able to follow, and follow undetected to Ysera. Neltharion took on an even more fearsome form in the Dream, but appearances in the dream world mean little. The implications of this event are many; the fact that powerful spellcasters such as Neltharion can enter the realm without communing with nature is interesting, as is the possibility of such beings entering the Dream without Ysera taking note.

Creature of the Dream

Neltharion's madness drove him to use it against anyone not of his flight. This caused a desperate struggle that resulted in the vast majority of dragons perishing, including practically all of the blue dragonflight. After a long battle, the demon soul was taken from Neltharion and sealed far beneath the earth, with an enchantment that prevented it from ever being wielded by dragonkind again. The War of the Ancients, as it later became known, ended with great losses, such as the death of most night elves and the exile of the highborne. Illidan Stormrage recreated the Well of Eternity using the Vials of Eternity, which caused his imprisonment at the hands of the remaining night elves. Ysera rewarded the night elves by planting a great tree in the Well of Eternity using an acorn from the Mother Tree G'Hanir, which perished with the death of its master Aviana during the War of the Ancients. This new tree became known as Nordrassil, the first World Tree, which greatly aided druids with natural powers, including the entry into the Emerald Dream. This direct endorsement from Ysera of the druids may have been one of the reasons druidism grew. This tree was blessed by the remaining Aspects. Nozdormu's blessing made the tree timeless, and the night elves inherited from it the power of immortality, causing them to never age (until the tree's eventual destruction). Look for part 2 tomorrow!

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Proverb is a twice-weekly column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns!

Statue of Alleria Windrunner in Stormwind

If you have not done so already, be sure to read part 1! "May my sisters realize their full potential, the name Windrunner known as result of their deeds." - Alleria Windrunner After many losing battles, the Horde grew more and more desperate. While the Alliance Expedition was successful in recovering the Book of Medivh, the orcish warlocks continued to open portals to new worlds, and this reckless act began to tear Draenor apart. Much of the Alliance Expedition quickly shut the Dark Portal with the Book of Medivh while they remained in Draenor. The few heroes that remained in Draenor, including Alleria, Turalyon, and Khadgar, leapt into the Twisting Nether as Draenor was engulfed in its final fiery cataclysm. They eventually returned to the planet's remains, now known as Draenor. Alleria nor Turalyon have been seen since and while presumed alive, it is not certain. Their son, Arator, ventured into the Outlands when the Dark Portal was recently reopened by Lord Kazzak and the Alliance and Horde pursued Illidan. He talks of seeking his father, but makes no mention of wanting to find Alleria. It could be that Alleria shunned him after his birth, as half-elves are looked down upon. This would also explain why he is never discussed in the lore, even when Alleria and Turalyon's relationship is explored in detail. Khadgar lamented their absence with his wish in the Dalaran fountain.

Sylvanas locked in thought (fanart)

During the third war and the destruction of Quel'thalas (see the previous Proverb post), Sylvanas was killed defending Silvermoon from the Scourge. Arthas raised her as a banshee, and she eventually returned to her body. She retained her ranger skills and added to them her new skills in necromancy. This style of combat led to the future rise of Dark Rangers. After the Burning Legion's defeat at the Battle for Mount Hyjal, Sylvanas was free from the control of Arthas and Ner'zhul, and struck up deals with the Dreadlord Varimathas to retake as much control of the local undead in Lordaeron as possible. Her new faction of undead became known as the Forsaken, and she became their queen, known as the Dark Lady. She vows vengeance on Arthas and will stop at nothing until he is dead. She was instrumental in bringing the blood elves into the Horde; she reached out to the blood elves and even stationed troops in the Ghostlands to assist them before they official joined the Horde. With Alleria missing and Sylvanas killed and reanimated, Vereesa is the only remaining known "living" Windrunner sister. When Kael'thas defected to the blood elves, Vereesa was with Rhonin and stayed a high elf. However, one of her cousins, Zendarin Windrunner (who turned to blood elf), allied with the Black Dragonflight, specifically Sintharia, with the intention of helping them create the Twilight Dragonflight, which may have been a great source of magic for him to feed upon. As a non-dragon, he could wield the Demon Soul. He kidnapped Vereesa's children, Galadin and Giramar, as he believed half-elves to have the potential to wield great power. Vereesa recovered her children, killed Zendarin, and destroyed the Demon Soul. Vereesa continues to despise the blood elves, and leads the Silver Covenant, which opposes the admission of blood elves into the Kirin Tor (see previous Proverb post). Blood elf players can recover the necklace that Alleria gave to Sylvanas in a low level quest. Upon returning it to her, she states that, "You thought this would amuse me? Do you think I long for a time before I was the queen of the Forsaken? Like you, it means nothing to me, and Alleria Windrunner is a long dead memory!" and sings the old folk song Lament of the Highborne, revised to lament the fall of Quel'thalas to the Scourge and the state of the blood elves:

Thalassian	Common	Sylvanas sings the Lament of the Highborne
Anar'alah, Anar'alah belore Sin'dorei Shindu fallah na Sin'dorei Anar'alah Shindu Sin'dorei Shindu fallah na Sin'dorei Anar'alah belore Shindu Sin'dorei Shindu fallah na Sin'dorei Anar'alah belore Belore	By the light, by the light of the sun Children of the blood Our enemies are breaking through Children of the blood By the light Failing children of the blood They are breaking through O' children of the blood By the light of the sun Failing children of the blood They are breaking through O' children of the blood By the light of the sun The sun

Sylvanas' wish in the Dalaran fountain from long ago reads: "I hope my sisters and I can grow up and get married together." This coin appears to be very old. With the destruction of Arthas imminent in patch 3.3, I wonder what role Sylvanas will play. No one wants Arthas dead more than her, and with all the work put into her model and voice as of late, I can't imagine she will stay in the Undercity during his defeat. After Arthas' death and the Cataclysm, I wonder what goals she will hold. Vereesa will likely stay in Dalaran, and we have heard that Northrend will not be heavily affected by the Cataclysm, so I doubt her role will largely change. Alleria is still missing, and it is possible she will reveal herself at some point. However, it may be that she traveled to some other world via the portals in Outland and will show up in a future expansion that explores some demon world. What do you think? Which is your favorite of the sisters, and what will their future hold?

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Proverb is a twice-weekly column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns!

Sylvanas Windrunner, Dark Ranger

The Windrunner sisters are the three most prominent members of the high elf Windrunner family. The eldest sister, Alleria, has been missing since she ventured into Draenor (now known as Outland) during the Second War. The youngest sister, Vereesa, is currently the leader of the Silver Covenant and wife to Rhonin (leader of the Kirin Tor), and the middle sister, Sylvanas, was raised as a banshee by Arthas and currently leads the Forsaken (the undead faction allied with the Horde). The sisters were very close and have a tragic history. The Windrunner family resided in Windrunner Spire in Eversong Forest, currently known as the Ghostlands. During the Second War, King Anasterian Sunstrider sent Alleria Windrunner and a small group of high elven rangers to aid the Alliance. Alleria was one of the greatest elven rangers and her skills were invaluable to the Alliance. Alleria had quickly gained a strong distaste for the orcs and was one of the few high elves who believed that they would be a threat to the high elves and not just the humans. She devoted her rangers to the Alliance during her excursion to join the Alliance at Southshore.

Vereesa Windrunner

Meanwhile, Vereesa Windrunner was tasked with escorting the human mage Rhonin to the port of Hasic. They had some strange encounters along the way that led them to the Battle of Grim Batol. The details of their journey can be read in the novel Day of the Dragon. The Second War was brutal. The Horde managed to push as far north as the borders of Quel'thalas. Sylvanas discovered jungle trolls burning the forests and attacking her rangers, which she quickly terminated. Sylvanas got word from Alleria that there was a massive army of orcs headed their way, and this was quickly relayed to Anasterian. It was at this point that Anasterian admitted that the trolls were involved with the orcs and he fully dedicated the high elves to the cause of the Alliance and defeat of the Horde. Alleria and the Alliance quickly returned to defend Silvermoon. Alleria fought along sight her sister Sylvanas and their good friend Lor'themar Theron. Sylvanas was perhaps the most skilled ranger of the high elves, hence her position of Ranger-General of Quel'thalas. The high elves repelled the invasion of the Horde, but it was at a great loss, especially to the Windrunners. Eighteen of their kind died, including Lirath Windrunner, younger brother to the sisters. On that day, Alleria's hatred of the orcs intensified, and she would forever view them as savage beasts that must be exterminated at all costs. Her despair led her into the arms of the Paladin Turalyon, with whom she likely had an affair. Shortly after, the iconic battle of Grim Batol occured. Vereesa Windrunner was instrumental in freeing the dragon queen Alexstrasza and draining of the power of the Demon Soul, which was enchanted by the Dragon Aspects so that it could never be used by dragonkind again. This was the turning point of the Second War, and the orcs began to be rounded up and placed into the internment camps.

Statue of Alleria Windrunner in Stormwind

Following the Second War, Anasterian and the high elves would have little to do with the Alliance. Vereesa and Rhonin were tasked with touring the various nation of the Alliance and reminding the nations to stay together, as there would be threats besides the orcs in the future. The pair fell in love, and eventually had twins,  Galadin and Giramar. Half elven child births often fail, as do twins, and as such their healthy arrival into the world was viewed as very fortunate. The Alliance sent military forces through the Dark Portal to Draenor to retrieve the Book of Medivh to seal the Dark Portal once and for all, as well as stop the orcs from opening portals into new worlds to continue their bloodthirsty campaign. Alleria and her rangers continued their own mission to exterminate the orcs. It is unclear as to precisely when Alleria gave birth to her and Turalyon's son, Arator. It seems to be retconned, and the current story is that Arator was already a child when the Alliance ventured through the Dark Portal. Before departing, Alleria split the necklace she inherited from her parents into three pieces, and sent a piece of it to each of her sisters. She kept the emerald for herself and sent the ruby to Vereesa, while she sent Sylvannas the sapphire. Continue on to part 2!

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Proverb is a psuedo-weekly column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns! If you haven't already, be sure to read part 1! We pick up with the recent history of the blood elves and high elves. The blood elves under Kael'thas largely fled to Outland from the humans, who viewed them as traitors. Some blood elves stayed behind to rebuild Silvermoon and attempt to reclaim their homeland from the undead. Lor'themar Theron stayed in Quel'thalas as Regent Lord of the Blood Elves, while Kael'thas took the ambiguous title of Lord of the Blood Elves. Kael'thas' alliance with Illidan to use alternative energies, largely demonic ones, led him down a dark path. He and his forces captured the naaru M'uru and sent it back to Silvermoon with Grand Magister Rommath, with the message that the blood elves could use the naaru for power and to prepare to join him in Outland. Kael'thas continued to gather power in Outland. He sent a large regiment of his most powerful forces to attack Shattrath City, one of the largest settlements opposing the rein of Illidan. During their attack, these blood elves laid down their weapons, and a blood elf by the name of Voren’thal stepped up as their leader. He professed to A'dal, leader of Shattrath, that he had seen him in a vision and the only hope for the blood elves was with this naaru. These blood elves vowed to serve A'dal and took on the name the Scryers, leaving Kael'thas. This was the largest loss Kael'thas took to his power until his death. The Scryers remain neutral to the conflicts of the Horde and Alliance and will ally with any adventurer willing to help their cause.

Blood Elves

The blood elves remaining in Quel'thalas rebuilt much of Silvermoon, and never heard again from Kael'thas. Lor'themar and the blood elves decided to ally with the Horde. They were very bitter with the humans, and still held grudges against the night elves from years ago. Their alliance with the Horde was largely motivated by the membership of the Forsaken, led by their former Ranger-General Sylvannas Windrunner. They remain skeptic of the Horde, and the Horde remains untrusting of them. Together, the blood elves, with the help of the Horde, continue to reclaim Quel'thalas and fight the Scourge. Once the blood elves of the Horde ventured into Outland, they discovered that Kael'thas had gone mad. The blood elves of Silvermoon no longer call Kael'thas their lord, and subsequently assisted in his defeat. Kael'thas returned to Silvermoon after his near death, stole M'uru, and rekindled the Sunwell with his newfound powers, summoning the demon lord Kil'jaedan into the world. Kael'thas was killed and Kil'jaeden banished by the combined forces of the Aldor and the Scryers under the banner of the Shattered Sun Offensive.

High Elves

A'dal chose to donate his powers to the blood elves of Silvermoon as they were forgiven for their past sins as they repented by defeating Kael'thas and Illidan. The blood elves now follow Lor'themar and other prominent Blood Elves of Silvermoon, as well as the Horde, their thirst for magic largely satisfied by the generosity of A'dal and the restoration of the Sunwell. The blood elves of Silvermoon remain as members of the Horde, and the Scyers remain in Shattrath and at the Sunwell. When Dalaran was moved to Northrend to battle Malygos and the blue dragons, the Kirin Tor took all the help they could get. A group of blood elves from Silvermoon appealed to Rhonin to allow them entrance to the Kirin Tor's membership. A group of high elves who had gathered in Dalaran over the years banded together under the name of the Silver Covenant to oppose this request, associating the Blood Elves still with Kael'thas' betrayal. The Kirin Tor has not made an official decision to admit the Blood Elves to the Kirin Tor, but many high elves are still among their ranks. Vereesa Windrunner, who leads the Silver Covenant, is wife to Rhonin and strongly opposes the blood elves' initiation to the Kirin Tor.

High Elven Eyes

Due to the blood elves willingness to use alternative forms of magic, there are some subtle physical differences. Blood elves relied on demonic energies for a time, and their glowing green eyes are a remnant of that. High elves usually have blue eyes, with some having violet or red. Blood elves have much paler features than high elves for the same reason. It is not clear if these differences are genetic (as orc skin is, even though the color mutations were magic based). If so, blood elves may be very distinct from high elves.Blood elves chose red and black as the theme their common garb to remember their losses to Arthas, and high elves traditionally avoid these colors as to not get mistaken for blood elves. While blood elves actively seek magic to feed upon to sate their hunger, high elves try to suppress it. Some high elves wear Sunwell Rings, which almost completely satisfy them, but many others stay near magical founts like moonwells, as well as meditate for at least an hour per day. Blood elves that fail to satiate themselves often degenerate into Wretched, their addiction warping their physical forms. Let me know what you want to see in future Proverbs!

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Proverb is a psuedo-weekly column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns! This week on Proverb, as per request of Angusthehaggis on Twitter, we'll be looking at the differences and origins of the modern Quel'dorei and Sin'dorei, commonly known as "High Elves" and "Blood Elves". This article ended up very long, so the second part will be out later this weekend. The High Elves have a long and rich history. High Elves were originally Night Elves, or Kal'dorei, but through their practice of magic underwent some physical changes that turned them into a distinct race, especially under the physical separation of the two factions due to the exile of the Highborne from Kalimdor. If you aren't familiar with this story, take a quick read of Proverb: The Vials of Eternity. The Quel'dorei named their settlement Quel'thalas, or "High Kingdom". The northernmost portion was named Silvermoon, with the sprawling capital city bearing the same name. Lush forests composed the southern regions of Quel'thalas, including the Eversong Woods and Eversong Forest. The High Elves fought many wars with the local forest trolls, namely the Amani trolls. Wars with the trolls raged on for years, and the high elves eventually turned to the human kingdom of Arathor for help. The humans were reluctant, but helped for their own safety from the trolls. The elves taught the humans magic, and together they defeated the Amani empire. In exchange for the help, Anasterian Sunstrider, king of the high elves, pledged loyalty to the bloodline of Thoradin, king of Arathor. The High Elves largely remained reclusive and distant from the human nations that came and went over the years. Elves are very proud and arrogant, and the elves of Quel'thalas would need good reason to ally with the humans. Some 1,200 years after the troll wars, the Alliance of Lordaeron was founded, consisting of the seven human nations of the time, in reaction the orc's invasion of Azeroth and the fall of Stormwind. King Terenas sent an emissary to Silvermoon to ask for the elves help. Anasterian decided to help only because Lord Lothar was among the humans requesting help, as Lothar was a descendant of Thoradin. Anasterian sent a small force led by Alleria Windrunner, who soon reported the immanent threat of the trolls and their new orcish allies. The high elves joined in full force to protect their homeland. The newly formed Horde did much damage to Quel'thalas, especially the red dragons enslaved by the Dragonmaw clan of orcs. Anasterian blamed Terenas' poor leadership for the burning of the forests of Quel'thalas. Lothar perished during the war, and the high elves considered their debt to Thoradin's bloodline paid and the humans careless. The nation of Silvermoon largely shut itself off from the world. A few high elves remained outside of Azeroth, but very few wanted to mingle with the humans or other races. A few high elves studied in Dalaran (including Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider), which was the premier location for studying magic, perhaps even exceeding Silvermoon. The High Elves remained isolated as the Scourge ravaged the human kingdom of Lordaeron. With Arthas leading them as the Lich King's token Death Knight, the Scourge ravaged Quel'thalas, destroyed Silvermoon and the Sunwell, and killed around 90% of all of the High Elves who died defending their homeland, including King Anasterian Sunstrider. The elves would never forget the loss of their great kingdom to Arthas, prince of Lordaeron, adding another mark against the humans' reputation. Kael'thas returned to Quel'thalas, infuriated at the destruction of his homeland during his absence. He rallied as many High Elves as he could gather, and renamed his people Sin'dorei, or blood elves, to reflect their thirst for vengeance and a new source of magic to quench their thirst after the loss of the Sunwell. Roughly 90% of the remaining High Elves followed Kael'thas and took on the new name. He allied with the humans temporarily, then left them to take an offer from Illidan Stormrage to find new, exotic forms of magic to feed his people. The other 10% of the high elves remained elsewhere. Many of them were elsewhere during the destruction of Silvermoon or fled. These remaining High Elves were of a loose association to each other and called their organization the Silvermoon Remnant, and still consider themselves to be members of the Alliance.  While the high elves traditionally used the Sunwell to satisfy their thirst for magic, the ones that traveled around Azeroth used alternative sources. For example, current day Stormwind contains a Moonwell with a few high elves around it. Many high elves traveled with Jaina Proudmoore to found Theramore, where they currently hold two seats in her advising council. The high elf population continues to dwindle, as the high elves are disparate and many defect back to Silvermoon to join the blood elves. Continue to part 2.

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Proverb is a psuedo-weekly column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns! The last post on the Vials of Eternity stirred a lot of discussion about Nozdormu, so I thought this week I'd take the opportunity to outline a biography of Nozdormu and the history of the bronze dragonflight. When the Titans were shaping Azeroth, they created the five dragonflights from the great proto-dragon, Galakrond. The leaders of the dragonflights, called the Aspects, were each gifted with different powers by the Titans. Nozdormu and the bronze dragonflight were imbued by the leader of the Titans, Aman'thul, with the power to travel through time at a whim. To humble Nozdormu, and remind him he was not invincible, Nozdormu was also revealed the exact moment and method by which he would perish. The bronze dragonflight were tasked with making sure that everything in the world transpired according to fate. Dragons and mortals existed peacefully together until the War of the Ancients, which the dragons participated in after some coaxing. Neltharion betrayed the dragons and tricked them into pouring much of their power into an artifact called the Demon Soul, which was used against them. Neltharion, now known as Deathwing, banished the bronze, red, and green dragonflights from the battle and decimated the blue dragonflight. Ultimately, all of the dragonflights lost great numbers and the Demon Soul was captured from Deathwing. Nozdormu, Alexstrasza, and Ysera placed an enchantment on it so that it could never be used by dragonkind again and hid it far below the earth. They were still severally weaker from contributing so much of their power to the Demon Soul, and would be until it would be destroyed ten thousand years later. Following the reinstatement of the Well of Eternity, Ysera gifted the night elves with the World Tree Nordrassil. Nozdormu, The Timeless One, blessed the tree so that night elves would never age past their prime, giving the night elves effective immortality. The bronze dragonflight was largely reclusive for the next nine thousand years, keeping to themselves in the Caverns of Time below Tanaris desert. Nine thousand years after the Sundering, the bronze dragons were approached by the night elves, who were concerned by the Qiraji's expansion. The bronze dragonflight didn't much care, until the Qiraji began approaching the Caverns of Time. The bronze dragonflight and many other dragons assisted in what became known as The War of the Shifting Sands. The Qiraji were sealed behind The Scarab Wall, and the world was again at peace. It was only another thousand years before the bronze dragonflight was again roused to interfere in the world's events. An orcish warlock by the name of Nekros was able to recover the Demon Soul and used it to enslave Alexstrasza, the red dragon Aspect. Korialstrasz was able to find the highly reclusive Nozdormu and begged him to help. Nozdormu was less than happy, and refused on the basis that this was the way events were fated to unfold. It wasn't until the green dragon Aspect, Ysera, called upon him did Nozdormu and the bronze dragonflight decide to intervene. Malygos, who also refused at first, also joined. At the great Battle of Grim Batol, the Demon Soul was destroyed, restoring the power to the Aspects, and Deathwing was chased into hiding. With their power returned, the bronze dragonflight began to venture into the world once more. After the third war and the destruction of Nordrassil, the night elves attempted to form a new world tree, Teldrassil. Unlike the first world tree, none of the Aspects would bless the selfish request of the night elves to regain their immortality. Without Nozdormu's blessing, the night elves would begin to age again. As for the events starting with World of Warcraft, Nozdormu has been missing for some time now. In his stead, Anachronos leads the bronze dragonflight and a subfaction of the bronze dragons known as the Brood of Nozdormu. When the Qiraji began to arise again, Anachronos sought out a champion to assemble the Scepter of the Shifting Sands to reopen the gates of Ahn'Qiraj. The bronze dragonflight again helped the mortals fight the insects, and the Qiraji were defeated. Additionally, Chronormu, also known as Chromie, was assisted by players at Andorhal investigating how the Scourge was meddling with the flow of time there, as well as helping them rewrite the events of The Battle of Darrowshire to prevent the corruption of Redpath. Once the Burning Crusade started, Soridormi, Nozdormu's consort, called upon mortals to stop a mysterious band of dragons known as the Infinite Dragonflight from intervening in past events. A faction of bronze dragons, known as the Keepers of Time, have helped ensure the outcome of the opening of the dark portal, Thrall's escape from Durnholde, and the culling of Stratholme. A third faction of bronze dragons, the Scale of the Sands, help ensure the outcome of the Battle of Mount Hyjal. As of Wrath of the Lich King, Nozdormu is still on some secretive mission. Players who visit the Bronze Dragonshrine where the bronze dragons are battling the Infinite Dragonflight throughout time use an item to reveal the leader of the Infinite Dragonflight, but surprisingly, Nozdormu appears. There are several implications of this. It could be that Nozdormu is the leader of the Infinite Dragonflight. His motive could be to change events so that his demise, of which he knows the when and how, is prevented. Upon zoning into The Battle for Mount Hyjal, the bronze dragon Indormi comments: "Do you think the rumors about the Infinite Dragonflight are true? I've sensed it...the familiarity." This may be evidence that some bronze dragons may become infinite dragons in the future Additionally, during Children's Week, a blood elf orphan by the name of Salandria visits the Caverns of Time and nearly gets attacked by the dragons there. Zaladormu stops the dragons, saying that the orphan should not be held responsible for "things she might do or fail to do in the future". Salandria gets a toy dragon and says "someday I plan to own a real one" as players see the quest text "you can see the wheels in the small girl's head turning". She is taken under the "wing" of Lady Liadrin, leader of the blood knights, to train as a paladin. She may have some role in Nozdormu and the Infinite Dragonflight's scheme. The Infinite Dragonflight could also be an experiment of Deathwing, who engineered both the Chromatic Dragonflight and the Twilight Dragonflight. Deathwing is still in hiding, after all. Perhaps we will have to face off with Nozdormu as the leader of the Infinite Dragonflight, and maybe Soridormi will use her Vials of Eternity in some way. Only time will tell.

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