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History and Lore Behind the Races
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Post by
Queggy
Note -
If someone wants to help me flesh out the history for Humans I'd greatly appreciate it. I know some stuff about Humans, but not much.
Welcome! In this thread I hope to pull back the dark shroud surrounding the playable races and reveal to you their inner secrets. Where they came from, why they are here, and what it means to role play as one.
There are two factions in the world of Warcraft and each faction is comprised of five races.
The Noble Alliance -
Night Elves
Humans
Gnomes
Dwarves
Draenei
The Mighty Horde -
Orcs
Trolls
Tauren
Forsaken
Blood Elves
Before I get into discussing each separate race I wish to say this: I'll try to give you some tips on naming your character, but when naming you character on any sort of RP realm you
never
,
ever
, name it anything like "XxRoxorxX" "LegolasLover" "Mepwnyou" or "Bullshift". Please, for the sanity of everyone.
And now a look at the Races . . .
Night Elves -
Description -
Tall, graceful, and in tune with nature. Your dusky violet-shaded skin shimmers in a patch of starlight as you bow before Elune and pray. Not two steps away is a lithe deer prancing in the glade with no fear of you, for it knows that you and nature are one. Whether you choose the way of the warrior and wield a sword and shield, the way of the Rogue and strike from the shadows, or study under Cenarius himself and follow the way of the Druid; your might shall help the Alliance win all it's battles.
History -
The Night Elves originated from a group of creatures (thought to be Trolls) that settled near the Well of Eternity. The strange and fel magics produced by the Well changed and shifted those creatures into the beings now known as Night Elves. They were blessed with immortality and for thousands of years dwelt by the Well, prospering and worshiping Elune, the goddess of the moon. Then one day Queen Azshara, the most beautiful and wise Night Elf ever, changed the fate of her people forever. She and her closest followers (called the highborne) grew bold, haughty, and greedy and tried to summon forth the leader of the Burning legion, Sargeras himself, into the world of Azeroth. Luckily for the free peoples everywhere, three young Night Elves named Tyrande Whisperwind, Malfurion Stormrage, and Illidan Stormrage succeeded in foiling their plan and halting the press of the Burning Legion, for a time. But the Well of Eternity was destroyed, and in the process changed the shape of the world into what we know today, and the Well of Eternity became the Maelstrom. Queen Azshara and her Highborne were saved from drowning by being transformed into the vile Naga. They would wait and bide their time, until they could have their revenge.
The rest of the Night Elves escaped, but trouble was still following. A group of Night Elves reached the shores of Northern Kalimdor, here they thought they would be safe. But little did they know that Illidan, one of their saviors, had created a new Well of Eternity. To stop him, they planted Nordrasill, the World Tree on top of it. There, near the slopes of Mount Hyjal the Night Elves lived peacefully for many years, yet peace was short lived once again. Archimonde, the general of the Burning Legions armies had entered Azeroth once again. This time he planned on using the power from the World Tree to open a new portal, one large enough to allow Sargeras through. Luckily, he was stopped by the Night Elves, the Humans, and the Orcs. But the World Tree and the Night Elves' immortality was no more. The Night Elves escaped from Kalimdor and this time headed for a small island in the seas north of Kalimdor. Here, a few Night Elves planted a new World Tree named Teldressil, in hopes that they would regain their immortality. But this tree was not blessed by the Dragon Aspects like the Nordrassil, and so the Night Elves now only have a lifespan of around 1000 years. Here they now live, a part of the mighty Alliance.
A few tips and hints about playing a Night Elf -
You distrust the arcane.
You are generally in tune with nature. If you are a hardcore RPer, you may not want to take up engineering as a profession.
You usually look down with displeasure upon all other races. There are some exceptions of course.
For a name you might want to try to connect it in some way to nature. Most likely something to do with trees or the night.
Humans -
Description -
Hardy, strong, and willful. You are a Human, the cream of the crop. No one is better than you. You live any where, and do anything. Nothing will stop you from achieving your dream. Whether you fight with fire and ice and the arcane as a mage, whether you heal your comrades as a priest, or whether you Take up your mace as slaughter the undead on your holy crusade as a paladin, your might shall be put to good use in the ranks of the Alliance.
History -
No one is really sure where the race now known as the Humans originated from. Some used to believe that Humans are originated from Earthen, but recent evidence has come to light that Humans may in fact be descended from the Vyrkul. Humans did not come into prominence until the Troll Wars. Where, with the help of the High Elves, Humans learned magic and helped drive back the Trolls and established the Kingdom of Strom and later, the kingdom of Arathor. This late fractured into seven separate kingdoms until the foundation of the Alliance 1200 years later. Since the recent invasion of the Burning Legion and the threat of the Scourge, Lordaeron has been mostly abandoned in favor of the southern kingdom of Stormwind which provides greater security.
A few tips and hints about playing a Human -
You are usually haughty and distrustful of what you would call the "evil" races and you usually judge a being based on looks.
You are very resilient and resourceful, and will not allow defeat to slow you down.
When choosing a name, Try to think up of English sounding names, such as Meriam or Derrick.
Post by
Queggy
Gnomes -
Description -
Small, wiry, and ingenious. You are a Gnome. You may be small, but so are bombs. Who ever said the most powerful things came in the largest packages? Your natural proficiency at tinkering will be sure to complete your arsenal. Whether you choose the dark ways of the Warlock and pore through dusty tomes, or choose the way of the Warrior and battle face to face with countless evils your natural ingenuity will see you through the toughest battle.
History -
The Gnomes are supposedly mechanical constructs of the Titans that have now been turned to flesh. The Gnomes were not discovered until a band of Dwarves discovered a small city of Gnomes. The Dwarves (who had just discovered gunpowder) were shocked to see that the city was very advanced and had such mechanical contraptions as robot chickens. The Gnomes and Dwarves continued to get closer until eventually they Dwarves let the Gnomes build their capitol city of Gnomergan nearby to Ironforge. The Gnomes continued to serve the Dwarves and the rest of the Alliance races well. Especially during the 2nd and 3rd wars. Strangely though, they gnomes refused to send any of their own people to help during the third war. The reason became evident after the war ended and it was discovered that the Gnomes city of Gnomergan had been invaded from the subterranean deeps by ferocious beasts named Troggs. The Gnomes tried to destroy the Troggs, but were unsuccessful, and the survivors were forced to flee to Ironforge where most remain to this day.
A few tips and hints about playing a Gnome -
If you are a harcore RPer, you may want to take up engineering as a profession. And remember, you're a gnome. You're crazy and wild, so act like it!
For Gnomish names you want something quirky and cool and possibly related to engineering. A few examples could be "Queggy" (*cough**cough*), "Sprigglesport" or "Sprocket".
Dwarves -
Description -
Rough, stocky, and loyal. You are a Dwarf. You may not be as talented at engineering as the Gnomes, but at least your contraptions hold together. Whether you choose the way of the Hunter and stalk the ridgeline of Dun Morogh with your faithful pet, or choose the way of the Rogue and strike from the shadows your might shall surely be instrumental in the victory of the Alliance.
History -
The mighty Dwarves were once creations of the Titans, those that shaped Azeroth. When the Well of Eternity exploded, the Earthen felt the same pain that the Earth felt, and so they retreated to their dark cities of Uldum, Uldaman, and Ulduar which were located under the ground to sleep. There they hibernated for almost 8000 years before they woke up again. Only to discover that they had lost most of their powers over stone and earth and that their rocky skin had become soft flesh. The Dwarves that woke up in Uldaman moved to Dun Morogh and built Ironforge. Unfortunately the Dwarves fractured into three separate factions, the Bronzebeard Clan who controlled the city of Ironforge, The Wildhammer clan who controlled the foothills of the mountain, and the Dark Iron clan which lived in the shadows of the mountain. When the King of the Dwarves died, these three factions started warring with each other. The Bronzebeard clan ended up controlling Dun Morogh, and these same Dwarves live there in the mountain to this day, where they add their might to the armies of the Alliance.
A few tips and hints about playing Dwarves -
You
love
any form of Alcohol.
When you speak, you may or may not want to add a Scottish/Irish accent.
If you are a hardcore RPer, you may want to take up Mining and Blacksmithing as your professions.
For ideas for (male) Dwarvish names you may want to think up of something 'manly' or 'rough' sounding. A few examples are "Bronn" "Muradin" and "Magni". If possible you may connect in some type of ore or mineral with your name "Ferrous McHammersmithy" anyone?
Draenei -
Description -
Tall, mighty, and holy. You are a Draenei. Your zeal for the Holy Light will see you through the toughest scrape. Whether you choose the Way of the priest and decide to heal your companions from the back, or whether you choose the way of the Paladin and wield your massive sword for the Light, you might and wisdom shall spread the wisdom of the Naaru through the ranks of the Alliance.
History -
25,000 years ago, Sargeras the leader of the Burning Legion approached the three leaders of the Eredar race (Archimonde, Kil'jaeden, and Velen) offering them a position in the ranks of his army. But Velen had a vision warning him about Sargeras and the Burning Legion. He tried to warn Archimonde and Kil'jaeden, but they did not heed his counsel. Many of the Eredar followed Archimonde and Kil'jeaden and were transformed. But a fraction followed Velen and fled their homeworld Argus, taking on the name "Draenei", which means "exiled one". For thousands of years, they wandered the Twisting Nether, seeking a new world that they could call their own. Finally, they discovered Draenor, the homeworld of the Orcs. Here they dwelt in peace for many years, living side-by-side with the Orcs. But this would not last. Kil'jaeden discovered where the Draenei were residing and controlled his puppet, Gul'dan the Orc Warlock, to destroy the Draenei. So the Draenei fled once more. Some were left behind though, and when the Dark Portal was destroyed, the magic contained withing changed the Landscape of Draenor into the Outland. Those Draenei left behind were also changed into the Broken. Unfortunately, the Draenei's ship the Exodar was tampered with by the Blood Elves. This caused the Draenei to crash land on Azeroth were they now reside, a new faction that has joined the noble Alliance.
A few tips and hints about playing a Draenei -
You are a fanatical worshiper of the Light.
For a Draenei name, you may want something like "Akama", "Ishidi", or "Karsius".
Coming soon - The Horde Races!
Post by
Queggy
Orcs -
Description -
Green, powerful, and honorable. You are an Orc. Honor in and out of combat means the world to you. An Orc without his honor is like a bird without wings. Whether you choose the way of the warrior and wield your axe in defense of your people, or whether you shake tradition and honor and take up the path of the Warlock, your might shall further the cause of the Horde.
A few hints and tips about playing an Orc -
Honor and glory mean
everything
to you. To deny battle is to deny yourself. An Orc that does not die in battle is not thought highly of.
For Orcish names you may want something linked to battle such as "Doomhammer", "Deadeye", or "Hellscream".
Trolls -
Description -
Tall, lanky and powerful. You are a Troll. You are where it's at. You have got the Mojo 'mon. Not even losing an arm will stop you, it will just grow right back. Whether you choose the way of the shaman and guide your tribe, or choose the way of the hunter and stalk your prey through the jungle, you shall surely succeed on your quest.
History -
The Troll race is thought by many to be the oldest natural race in all of Azeroth. From the beginning of time the Troll Empires have warred with everyone, including each other. Our story picks up with the Darkspear Tribe. The Darkspear Tribe was a small tribe of Trolls living in the Broken Isles relatively peacefully, until one day they were attacked by an army of Murlocs being controlled by a Sea Witch. The Tribe was almost wiped out, until they were one day saved by Thrall and his Orcs who had crash landed on the islands to make repairs. Thrall, a few Trolls and Orcs, and Sen'jin, the leader of the Trolls was captured by the Murlocs. Thrall was able to escape with a few Orcs and Trolls, but was unable to save Sen'jin from being sacrificed to the Sea Witch so
Post by
Queggy
Tauren -
Description -
Tall, powerful, yet peaceful. You are a Tauren. Huge and imposing you stand silhouetted against the night sky of Mulgore as you search for that kodo that will allow you to finish the rites of the Great Hunt. Whether you end up choosing the way of the Warrior and crushing all beneath your hoof, or choose the way of the Druid and guard the way of the Earthmother, your strength will serve you and your allies well.
History -
The Tauren are an old and powerful race. Perhaps even as old or older than the Night Elves. The first contact that any race had with them was during the first attempt at a Burning Legion invasion by Queen Azshara, where the Tauren joined forces with the other races to push back the demons. After that incident, the Tauren sunk back into the sands of time and where forgotten by most other peoples. Since then the Tauren wandered the Barrens as nomadic tribes hunting the mighty kodo. The only thing keeping the various tribes together was their hatred for the centaurs. But the Taurens were not powerful enough to stop the centaurs, and they would have been defeated if Cairn Bloodhoof, one of the tribal leaders, had not befriended the Warchief Thrall. Thrall and his Horde killed the centaurs and saved Cairne's people. Because of this Cairne agreed to send some of his warriors with Thrall. The Tauren were now able to reclaim the rolling grasslands of Mulgore as their own and on top of a mesa, Cairne built a city named Thunder Bluff, that would be open to all tribes. There all tribes have now gathered under his rule, where they have joined their might with that of the Horde's.
A few hints and tips for playing a Tauren -
You are deeply in tune with nature and you worship the Earthmother. While you respect nature, you are not PETA. Think Native American.
You are generally peaceful and slow to wrath, but when your anger is kindled, you are a force to fear.
For a Tauren name you may want to link it in some way to an act of courage that you may have done or something connected with battle, totems, or horn and hoof. A few examples are "Bloodhoof", "Runetotem", and "Quillsplitter".
Forsaken -
Description -
Grimy, slimy, and ugly. You are a Forsaken. Your name fits you perfectly, for no one really likes you. You are a stinking, rotting, corpse. But at least you were accepted into the Horde. There is hope yet, right? Whether you choose the way of the Rogue and exact revenge with poison and powder, or choose the way of the Warlock and summon demons from the Twisting Nether, no one will be able to stop you because you are already dead.
History -
The Scourge are the undead forces that plague the world. The Scurge were created as a tool for the Burning Legion by the Eredar. The Eredar took the soul of the orc Shaman Ner'zhul and channeled him into a suit of armor. The armor was then encased in a block of ice and stuck in the Frozen land of Northrend as the Frozen Throne. The Lich King Ner'zhul eventually gained enough power to break the block of ice containing the sword Frostmourne free of the rest of the Throne. This piece containing the sword was then taken elsewhere where it was later discovered by the Paladin, Prince Arthas Menethil. Arthas took the sword, and in doing so lost his soul to the Lich King. Arthas eventually traveled to the Frozen Throne and used Frostmourne to break open the ice encasing the armor. He then put on the armor and fused himself to the Lich King, fusing their separate souls into one, more powerful entity. The Forsaken which are the race that you play as, are a group of Scourge that broke free of the Lich King and regained their will. The Lich King controlled his puppets through the mind, but when he was attacked by Illidan and his forces, he got preoccupied with getting Arthas to reach Northrend and lost control of some forces. These broke free under the rule of Sylvannas Windrunner. Sylvannas and her forces then wreaked damage upon the Lich King's forces before retreating to Lordaeron where they now reside in the sprawling bastion of the Undercity.
A few hints and tips about playing a Forsaken -
Everyone is usually hateful towards you and you gladly return the favor. There are exceptions of course.
If you are a hardcore RPer, you may want to take up the skill alchemy as a profession.
The Forsaken always have a hidden agenda. What their allies are working towards is usually not the same thing that the Forsaken are working towards.
For a Forsaken name you may either use a Humanish name, or you may create a Scourge like name. A few examples would be "Ghoulsbane", "Gutripper", and "Heartstealer".
Post by
Queggy
Blood Elves -
Description -
Tall, graceful, and magical. You are a Blood Elf. Your thirst for magic will either consume you from the inside out our make you a stronger and more powerful being, one capable of rocking the foundations of the world. Whether you choose the way of the Mage and fight with fire and ice, or choose the way of the Warlock and fight with shadow and flame, your thirst for magic will drive you on to victory.
History -
The Blood Elves originated from Night Elves. This group of Night Elves was seperated from their brethren and cast across the sea to the Eastern Kingdom of Lordaeron. Here, they harsh new climate and lack of a source of magic changed the Night Elves into High Elves. Eventually, they reached the land of Quel'thalas, and there, a crossroads of powerful lay-lines, poured a sample of water from the Well of Eternity into a fountain. This created the powerful artifact known as the Sunwell. The magic from the Sunwell strengthened the High Elves and gave them a source for their magic. Eventually though, Arthas the Deathknight with an undead army marched on Quel'thalas, for the purpose of using the magic of the Sunwell to resurrect the necromancer Kel'thuzad. He eventually reached the Sunwell, and there defiled it, ruining the High Elves magical source. Prince Kael'thas returned from Dalaran to Quel'thas. There he discovered that his people had grown addicted to magic and that without a source for their magic they had become apathetic. Prince Kael'thas renamed his people Blood Elves in honor of their fallen comrades and then led the strongest fighters left among them to war against the Scourge. This eventually led them to Outland where Prince Kael'thas met Illidan the Betrayer. Sure that Illidan could end his people's hunger he swore an oath and remained in Outland with Illidan, sending back one messenger to his people saying that he was working on a solution to their problem and that hope was near.
A few hints and tips about playing a Blood Elf -
You are addicted to magic.
If you are a hardcore RPer, you may want to take up the skill enchanting.
For a Blood Elven sounding name you may want to link the name to Light/Sun or magic in some way. For example "Sunstrider", "Brightwing", and "Bloodsworn".
Thanks for the sticky whoever you are! And thanks to
Iralima
,
Lusky
,
Skyfire
,
Gorefiend
,
ruleofthumb
,
Delterius
,
Isildur87
, and
shockwarrior
for catching a few errors of mine.
Post by
Queggy
Post by
ArgentSun
Report your thread for a Sticky when you are done.
Post by
Queggy
Thank you! I plan on going to bed soon, but if I can I'll get it finished tomorrow and then I can start mopping it up.
Post by
buzz3070
hey queggy why not post why the night elves are responsible for every bad thing that has happen to azeroth?
that should have some roleplay purpose or it could be im sleep deprived and i dont fully undertand it
Post by
243831
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
168437
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Queggy
buzz3070 and Lugburz -
While that link is quite hilarious I don't think that I'm going to post it here. Even though I support the Horde, I'm trying to be non-biased so that those that
like
the Night Elves do not feel shunned or anything. I admit myself that every now and then they have something going for them, but anyways, I digress.
Lugburz -
If I can think up of three for each I'll do it. Some of them I couldn't do that for last night.
Marrenus -
Lol. I can't make them read it, but I would highly suggest it.
Thanks for all the comments guys! I'll try to hurry up and finish the rest of the Horde races sometime this week if not today.
Post by
Slimda
As a Roleplayer, I approve of this thread.
Post by
Queggy
Thanks Slimda!
Lugburz -
You may not be very impressed about what I've written for the Tauren once I get it posted. So far it's not very big or detailed like the Orcs. The problem is, the Tauren don't have a lot of history like some other races because they were pretty much forgotten and didn't do anything except fight centaurs for a few millennium. I mean, they have a lot of Lore and stuff such as the Earthmother, but I don't really see any way to incorporate it into this thread. Although, talking about this has given me another idea for a new Lore and Roleplay type thread where the Earthmother stuff could fit in . . .
Hmmmm, once I finish this thread I may start writing that! Thanks for the idea!
Post by
173035
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
109094
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Queggy
Small correction: it was the dragon aspects who once blessed Nordrassil and refused to do the same for Teldrassil, not Elune. Also trolls aren't just hippies, they are intelligent and cunning beings older than any other race. That's the part most roleplayers forget about them, focusing on their superstitious aspects instead, so maybe you could mention it?
Other than that, great guide. Nice to see there are other roleplayers on wowhead =)
I'll fix that thanks. And, I understand about the Trolls, trust me. They're my favorite race. I'll add that in there.
I know its probably a little late for it in this post, but if you added links from the first post to each sub-post it would have made browsing through each race much easier. Instead you have to keep scrolling to the one your after.
Not a big deal, but it would make it easier
Yeah, the only problem is that I didn't post a separate post for each race like you said . . . :|
Post by
109094
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
138532
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Queggy
Thanks guys. Yeah, if they actually had I Lore and Roleplay forum, I might actually abandon Randomness for that. Well, not
abandon
, but you get the idea.
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