World of Warcraft Solid Silver Pendants ideal gift for any WoW player

man Crest £49.50 inc p&p 54cm*40cm	Undead Crest £49.50 inc p&p 50cm*42cm	Night Elf Crest £25.00 inc p&p 25cm*20cm	Gnome Crest - Unavailable
Phantom Blade £25.00 inc p&p 40cm*7cm	Brain Hacker £25.00 inc p&p 40cm*15cm	Anathema/Benediction £25.00 inc p&p 40cm*15cm	Blood Elf Mage - Unavailable

Please Note - Postage included is to any part of the world.

This is the collection of pendants made during my World of Warcraft journey so far. Click on the images to read the posts about the items. Or check out this article featuring my site on Wowinsider

I have limited numbers of some of the pendants to buy. All Pendants are Solid Silver and not stampings, they are substantial pieces of jewellery with a lot of detail and would make ideal Gifts for any WoW player.

Welcome to the Warcraft Gift site by WOW Jewellery, this site has come about by combining the 2 passions of my life which are World of Warcraft and Jewellery. I have decided to expand what was initially an undertaking for personal pleasure into a small range of Warcraft Gifts that others hopefully will enjoy. I have played WOW continuously since its introduction into Europe in the early part of 2005, and I have worked in the Jewellery industry for over 23 years.

My first character to lvl60 was a Human Paladin and I was so excited to complete those last few levels, what a grind they were, those of you who can remember will testify to how long that used to take in the first World of Warcraft release. That’s when a friend said that as I worked in the Jewellery Industry I should have something made up to commemorate the occasion, so that’s what I did, I had my first Warcraft Gift made. The piece I chose was the Alliance Crest as the Warcraft Lore behind it fitted in with my Human Paladin. This was the start of my range of Warcraft Gifts.

In other posts on this site I will show each Warcraft Gift I have had made along the way and detail more of the process involved and the Warcraft Lore surrounding each of these Warcraft Gifts. My intention is to develop a complete set of World of Warcraft Racial Crests and significant game Items as Warcraft Gifts, so everyone who plays WoW will be able to purchase a Warcraft Gift that is relevant to them.

Introduction to The Three WoW Wars

Have you ever wondered about the Wars that took place and structured the geography and populations of World of Warcraft, what were the main events and who were the main characters that shaped the world that we play hundreds of hours in? Have you ever asked yourself why the Alliance was formed? Or who were the different races that made up the Alliance and the Horde and what were the Three Great Wars about?

Who were the Heroes or Villains in each of the major wars and what was the outcome and how does it affect World of Warcraft now? What is the symbolism behind the Racial Crests on each of there Battle Banners?, where did the Orcs come from originally and what was it that brought them from their world to Azeroth on a quest for conquest and destruction? Why are Night Elves with the Alliance and Blood Elves with the Horde?

There are so many questions about the characters and events that have formed the world where we play World of Warcraft but we tend to take this environment for granted and in doing so I feel we miss out on the chance to add another level of enjoyment to our WoW experience.

If you’re anything like me then you probably only paid attention to these facts as a fleeting interest as they were encountered while questing as you level up, or when you meet some of the famous names as bosses in that instance or raid, who is Jaina Proudmore? What part did she play in the Alliance and why does she stand next to the King of Stormwind? I wonder what the “L” on the Human Crest stands for?

The difficulty I had was that, when my interest was sparked, I could never easily find the answer, or it would be fragmented over several different locations or given in such a long winded article that I got bored reading before finding out what I wanted, so I would give up looking or only look far enough to gain a superficial explanation.

The Three World Of Warcraft Wars forged the worlds we play in now and the events and NPCs of those times have laid down the background and history that give World of Warcraft the depth and richness that make the game the best MMO out there, and I feel they are well worth knowing about and are sources of enrichment of your Gaming experience.

To that end I have pulled together under one heading everything I think you would want to know about the World of Warcraft Lore relating to those events. This is obviously not original material but what I have attempted to do here is gather this information together in one place and present it in a summarised and easily accessible and understandable format.

I hope you get as much enjoyment out of the WarcraftLore on these posts as I did in researching the subject matter, and I am sure it will enrich your World of Warcraft experience and open up a whole new outlook on the different lands and peoples of the World of Warcraft Universe as you interact with them on your travels.

First war –The Orc Invasion of Azeroth

The First War was fought between the Orcs and Humans following the arrival on Azeroth, through the First Dark Portal, of the Orcish Clans:-

Kil’jaeden, a lieutenant of Sargeras in the ranks of the Burning Legion, deceived Ner’zhul, a prominent Orc Leader, into believing the Draenei were plotting against them. He promised in return for serving the Burning Legion to give the Orcs the power to defeat their enemies. To receive this power the Orcs would have to drink the blood of the Demonic Pit Lord Mannoroth.

This act however put the Orcs under the Blood Curse, and with their aggression heightened and their spirits twisted by this, the once peaceful and honourable Orc tribes of the planet Draenor, turned on their neighbours the Draenei. The slaughter that followed united the Orcs under a single banner for the first time, and drove the surviving Draenei from their home planet.

Ner’zhul found out about Kil’jaeden’s betrayal and sought to free the Orcs from his grasp but his apprentice Gul’dan informed Kil’jaeden, who stripped Ner’zhul of any power and placed Gul’dan at the head of the Orc tribes.

The problem now for Gul’dan however, was that with no enemies left to fight the Orcs started to turn on each other. Gul’dan realized that unless he found a new enemy for the Horde, it would be in danger of destroying itself.

It was soon after this that Gul’dan was contacted by the powerful but corrupted and possessed human mage known as Medivh, he offered the Orcs a way to invade a world called Azeroth, which according to Medivh was ripe for the picking. The force that possessed Medivh was Sargeras a corrupted and disillusioned Vanir Titan and leader and creator of the Burning Legion, who wanted revenge on the humans of Azeroth for thwarting his previous attempts to conquer the planet.

Medivh with the power of Sargeras and the help of the Orc Shadow Council, created a Dark Portal connecting the two worlds of Azeroth and Draenor, the portal on Azeroth is located in Blasted Lands with the Draenor side in Hellfire Peninsula.

Once the portal was large enough, Gul’dan used it to usher his massive Horde army of Orcs through, along with the only loosely termed allies that the Orcs had at that time, the Ogres. This event heralded the start of the Hordes Invasion of Azeroth and the start of the First Great War.

Despite warnings from the Shadow Council of caution, the Orcs having encountered little resistance initially and under the influence of the Bloodlust expected an easy victory against a weak opponent. Led by Cho’gall and Kilrogg Deadeye they rushed to attack the fortress of the strongly garrisoned Stormwind Keep, but their vast numbers were no match for the Azerothian soldiers shield wall and then when the Knights of the Brotherhood of the Horse charged their flanks the Orcs, having never encountered cavalry before, broke and were routed and chased relentlessly by the Knights. The Orcs suffered a massive defeat with few surviving the initial battle, and the remainder were forced to flee back to Draenor.

After this defeat the Horde rallied under their Warchief Blackhand the Destroyer who was a great tactician and a respected warrior. Blackhand was egotistical and had a thirst for power this made him an easy target for Gul’dan and the Shadow Council to manipulate. Under Blackhands leadership the Orc Horde pushed forward again into Azeroth with renewed success until finally they were once again at the gates of Stormwind.

Just before the final assault took place, while Gul’dan was in a coma, having tried to penetrate Medivhs mind to find out the location of the Tomb of Sargeras as Medivh was killed by Lord Anduin Lothar. Orgrim Doomhammer one of Blackhands generals, took advantage of the situation to slay Blackhand the Destroyer and take control of the Orcs, he also broke the power of the controlling Shadow Council, killing most of them and declaring all Warlocks traitors.

Doomhammer led the Orc tribes in the attack on Stormwind Keep, this time the city struggled to hold off the full might of the Horde. During this second assault King Llane Wrynn I was assassinated by the half Orc Garona Halforcen, an act that signalled the fall of Stormwind. The Human Kingdom of Azeroth was almost completely destroyed, and the few survivors including the new heir to the throne Varian Wrynn, led by Anduin Lothar, were forced to flee north to Lordaeron where they sought shelter and aid from King Terenas Menethil II who was a long time ally of Stormwind.

Formation of The Alliance of Lordaeron and the Horde

Alliance of Lordaeron

The survivors of Stormwind led by Anduin Lothar made their way to the northern Kingdom of Lordaeron to ask for aid from King Terenas Menethil II. Terenas called for an emergency council of war to discuss the Orcish threat.

King Terenas managed to enlist the support of the human kingdoms of Gilneas, Stromgarde, Dalaran, Alterac, and Kul Tiras. They also managed to gain the allegiance of the Bronzebeard Dwarves of Ironforge, the Wildhammer Dwarves of Aerie Peak, and the Gnomes of Gnomeregan. Attempts to gain the allegiance of the High Elves of Quel’Thalas had limited success as the Elves seemed initially uninterested and sent merely a pittance of their forces. These forces resulted in the Alliance of Lordaeron.

The Horde

In the last days of the First War, Orgrim Doomhammer successfully took control of the remaining Horde forces and began to bolster the Orc armies with Trolls and Ogres from beyond the Dark Portal. With Trolls, Ogres and Orcs fighting side by side, it was not long before the enterprising Goblins saw the potential profit in aiding them. The Horde gained support from Goblin machinists and mercenaries, and through use of the Demon Soul, an ancient powerful artefact the Horde managed to enslave the Red Dragon Alexstrasza and use her brood to fight for them, giving them valuable air support.

When Gul’dan awoke from his coma and found himself without allies, he “swore” allegiance to Doomhammer and began creation of the first Death Knights by instilling the souls of the dead Shadow Council into the corpses of the fallen Knights of Stormwind and creating a legion of Unholy Warriors in the service of the Warchief. These combined forces were the beginning of the Horde.

The Horde Offensive

In the 6th year after the fall of Stormwind, the Horde began their northern offensive with two simultaneously launched primary assaults. The first was a land offensive launched out of Blackrock Mountain which moved north to the Dwarf holdings in Khaz Modan. The second was a naval assault launched from the ruins of Stormwind, which sailed north taking the islands of Zul’dare, Tol Barad, and Crestfall and establishing them as naval bases. From these launching points, the Horde landed troops along the coasts of the Wetlands, the Arathi Highlands, and most importantly the southern coast of Lordaeron. Southern outposts such as Southshore, Tarren Mill and Hillsbrad were assaulted, and the Horde squeezed a large amount of troops into Lordaeron this way, assisted by the nation of Alterac who, under the leadership of Lord Aiden Perenolde, secretly provided them with maps and secret routes in return for the promise of power.

Zul’Jin, a powerful Warlord and Chieftan of the Amani Forest Trolls, and some of his champions were discovered by Horde scouts in a makeshift prison near Tarren Mill. When he heard the news, Doomhammer immediately ordered the rescue and release of the Trolls. Now in Doomhammers debt, Zul’Jin agreed to form a pact with the Orcish Horde, they agreed that the plains and valleys of Lordaeron would belong to the Horde, while the Trolls would take back their ancestral forests from their mortal enemies, the High Elves.

The Horde’s land assault proceeded to lay waste to Loch Modan, pushing the outnumbered Dwarf and Gnome forces into the city of Ironforge, who sealed themselves from the outside threat. The Bleeding Hollow Clan attempted several raids on the mighty dwarven city, to no avail. For the most part, Dwarves and Gnomes were cut off from the rest of the Alliance, apart from air support. Following the ravaging of Loch Modan, the Horde pushed further north into the Wetlands, taking Dun Algaz, Dun Modr, and Grim Batol and converting them into fortresses for the Horde. Grim Batol became the primary base for the land offensive, and was also converted into a hatchery for the enslaved Red Dragonflight. Thandol Span was a pivotal battleground in the Second War, constantly shifting in possession between the two factions.

Finally, owing to a diversion of Lord Lothars main army at Aerie Peak, the Horde succeeded in penetrating Quel’Thalas through the cliffs undetected. Together with the whole of the Amani tribe under Zul’Jin, Doomhammers troops slashed and burned their way through the Elven forests, and made it as far as Eversong Woods before the Alliance reinforcements could arrive.

Alliance counterattacks

Enraged at the attack on their borders, the Elves finally put forth their full strength in the war effort. This included the deployment of Elven Destroyers south to the Hinterlands and to the shores of Lordaeron. In Lordaeron and Quel’Thalas the Alliance managed to push back the majority of Horde forces to the shores of Hillsbrad, but not before Gul’dan was able to acquire High Elven Runestones to use in his effort to create Ogre-magi for the war effort. With support from the Elves, the Alliance was able to launch an attack on Zul’dare and end the invasion of Lordaeron. Though Hillsbrad and Southshore were nearly obliterated, the Horde navies were driven back to the shores of the Wetlands, Crestfall, and the ruins of Stormwind.

Following the victory in the north, the Alliance concentrated on pushing back the ground offensive on the edge of the Arathi Highlands on the great bridges of the Thandol Span. The first step was a bloody retaking of the Horde fortress on Tol Barad for use as a staging point for an invasion upon Dun Modr, the primary base of support for the attacks upon the Thandol Span. With naval support from Tol Barad, the Alliance ground forces were finally able to push across the Thandol Span and reclaim Dun Modr. The Alliance continued to push south, taking the base at Dun Algaz. Though they were unable to completely take the cursed fortress of Grim Batol, they effectively shattered the armies of the Horde forcing them to retreat from Khaz Modan.

After the defeat of the Horde forces in Khaz Modan, a brief pause in open combat ensued. The Horde attempted to gather more troops from the south, including the newly completed Death Knights. The Alliance began to turn their sights northward to the remnants of the Horde forces in northern Lordaeron, and to that end they sent Uther Lightbringer and his newly formed Knights of the Silver Hand to lend aid to the victims of the war. However, a minor peasant riot in Tyr’s Hand led to a discovery of a plot from Lord Perenolde of Alterac, who was attempting to destroy the Alliance from within. Learning of Perenoldes plot, the Alliance forces obliterated the small, treacherous kingdom.

Final Victory

The Siege of Lordaeron

Despite the disruptions on the home front, the Alliance continued to move south toward Blackrock Spire. While the Alliance forces found themselves outnumbered, exhausted, and in the harsh territory, the Horde forces continued to gain fresh reinforcements through the magic’s of Gul’dan and from beyond the Dark Portal. Doomhammer used the lull in combat caused by Lord Perenoldes betrayal to prepare a massive assault that would tear through the assailing forces of the Alliance and push through all the way to Lordaeron. It was a daring plan, and by sheer force of numbers it surely would have succeeded.
However, on the eve of Doomhammers planned offensive, Gul’dan, finally learning the location of the Tomb of Sargeras, took nearly half of the Horde’s forces in an attempt to raise the Tomb from the sea and claim the demonic powers for his own. Doomhammer with half his standing forces suddenly gone had no choice but to retreat. He withdrew his forces to pursue Gul’dan, in an effort to terminate his treacherous Stormreaver Clan and Twilight Clan allies. The Alliance jumped on this opportunity and proceeded to mop up the Horde’s remaining standing troops in Lordaeron, who were in shambles and without air support. Many of his troops were also cut off from the siege by Stromgardian troops under Thoras Trollbane, preventing any reinforcements from aiding the trapped warriors. The Stormreaver and Twilight’s Hammer Clan were destroyed by Doomhammers forces, and Gul’dan himself was destroyed by demons released from the tomb when it was opened.

The End of the Second War

With his forces thus weakened, Doomhammer fell back to the fortress of Blackrock, where the Alliance laid siege. In order to break the siege, Doomhammer and what followers he had left charged out of the Spire and attacked Lord Lothar and his Paladins. Doomhammer clashed with Lothar on the battlefield and after a titanic conflict that left both warriors drained, the Warchief was able to slay the Regent of Azeroth. Lothars death however did not have the effect that Doomhammer intended, rather than being demoralized; the Alliance led by Lothars lieutenant Turalyon, rallied and fought with a frenzy that shocked the Warchief himself and crushed Doomhammer’s forces, chasing them back to the Dark Portal.
Ragged and broken, the remaining Horde forces attempted a defence of the Dark Portal. In what has been described as the bloodiest battle of the Second War, the Orcs were eventually defeated, their leaders rounded up, and Doomhammer himself taken in chains. Shortly thereafter, the wizard Khadgar, flanked by the brave warriors of the Alliance, destroyed the Dark Portal. With the destruction of the Dark Portal, the Second World of Warcraft War was ended.

Queen Sylvanas Windrunner

Sylvanas was a member of the prominent Windrunner family of the High Elves. Her siblings were Alleria, Vereesa, and at least two other brothers. Her family lived at Windrunner Spire in the tranquil forests of Quel’Thalas. Sylvanas joined the rangers and eventually became their leader, rising to the rank of Ranger-General of Silvermoon, military leader of all High Elven forces.

During the Third War, Arthas led a Scourge army into Sylvanas‘ homeland, Quel’Thalas, in order to use the Sunwell’s powerful magic as a means to raise the fallen necromancer Kel’Thuzad. Sylvanas valiantly fought against the Scourge, but Arthas managed to defeat her in battle. Instead of allowing Sylvanas to die a quick death, however, Arthas ripped the Ranger-General’s soul from her body. He then converted her soul into a banshee and forced Sylvanas to assist the Scourge as they defiled Quel’Thalas and slaughtered many of the kingdom’s inhabitants.

Sylvanas later regained her freedom following Illidan’s assault on the Frozen Throne. Illidan’s attack had widened an existing crack in the throne, this weakened the Lich King’s control over some of the Scourge. Sensing that she was no longer chained to the will of her dark master, Sylvanas reclaimed her body and plotted to avenge her death. She nearly achieved this goal when a group of banshees loyal to Sylvanas led Arthas into an ambush. During the attack Sylvanas paralyzed her nemesis with a poisoned arrow, but Kel’Thuzad intervened and saved Arthas.

Following the assassination attempt, Arthas journeyed to Northrend and merged with the Lich King. Meanwhile, Sylvanas gathered other renegade Undead, now known as the Forsaken, and established the Undercity beneath the ruins of Lordaeron’s capital. With the Forsaken under her command, Sylvanas went to war against the Scourge and eventually joined the Horde. This partnership benefited both parties: the Forsaken’s relatively small forces required assistance in their offensive against the Lich King, and the Horde desired a foothold in the Eastern Kingdoms.

Recently Sylvanas dealt with an uprising by a group of Demons and rebel Forsaken led by the Dreadlord Varimathras and Grand Apothecary Putress. During a joint Horde and Alliance attack on the Wrath Gate in Northrend, Putress unleashed a new plague that killed friend and foe alike, and Varimathras and his loyalists seized the Undercity. Sylvanas defeated her enemies and retook the Undercity soon afterward, a victory that was possible only due to assistance from the Horde.

Under her leadership, the Forsaken have managed to not only fend off the Scourge, but also the Scarlet Crusade. She has mastery of leadership, military strategy, and the bow. She is also adept at Demon magic, having the ability to drain life, create skeletons, and use mind control. Sylvanas is the best archer on Azeroth, she claimed she could hit a flying bird in the eye. She wields Sunstrider’s Longbow, once owned by Dath’Remar Sunstrider, it was passed on to Sylvanas when she became Ranger-General.

Despite setbacks and distractions, Sylvanas remains focused on her end goal, revenge. Now that the Forsaken and the Horde are beginning their assault on the Lich King’s fortress, Sylvanas believes that her destiny is close at hand.

Jaina Proudmoore

In anticipation of Jainas part in the upcoming Icecrown Citadel Patch, here is some history on her.

Jaina Proudmoore is the leader Theramore Isle. She is the daughter of Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, sister of Tandred Proudmoore and Derek Proudmoore. She is also the most powerful human sorceress on Azeroth.

Born during the Second Warcraft War, Jaina is the youngest daughter of Daelin Proudmoore. At a young age, Jaina’s magical talent was discovered and she was sent to Dalaran to learn under the great Antonidas, eventually becoming one of the few female wizards in direct service to Dalaran.

Because of their mutually royal heritage, it was inevitable that Jaina and Prince Arthas, the heir to the throne of Lordaeron, would meet. They began seeing each other regularly, and their relationship, over time, developed into something of a love affair. However, both Arthas and Jainas public duties and the public attention they were getting made things very difficult, and so they broke off contact, but remained good friends.

Jaina accompanied Arthas on his investigation of the Undeath plague that was sweeping the land and worked alongside the young prince in his unsuccessful attempts to stop the Undeath. Along with Uther Lightbringer, Jaina was horrified at Arthas slaughter of the innocent people of Stratholme whose only crime was to be infected, and would have nothing to do with it, and walked away from Arthas forever.

Jaina and Uther returned to Stratholme’s burning ruins after Arthas had finished with it. Both were appalled at what they saw. It was here that Jaina was visited by the Prophet Medivh who urged her to take the people she could with her to the west to Kalimdor, fleeing Lordaeron and her home. She realized that he was right, Lordaeron could not be saved, and Jaina decided to follow his words, and made preparations. She left just as the invasion of Lordaeron began, saving thousands of citizens from a terrible fate.

On arriving at Kalimdor, Jaina fought several battles with the Orcs before confronting Thrall and Cairne. The battle was about to commence when they were all confronted by the Oracle, the Prophet Medivh who had already given them advice that had saved countless of there peoples lives. The Prophet Medivh implored them all to ally with each other, telling them that they would not survive alone against the might of the Burning Legion.

Jaina agreed to ally her forces with Thrall’s. Jaina gave Thrall a Soul Gem, which he used to capture Grom’s essence as the invasion of Kalimdor began. Then, she helped him purge Grom of the demonic curse that had gripped him and Grom was then able to destroy Mannoroth one of the legions main Captains, weakening there invasion force.

Later Thrall received a vision. Jaina followed him to where he was instructed to go, where they found the leaders of the Night Elves, Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind. The Prophet appeared and again implored the Humans, Orcs and Night Elves to join forces against the Legion, or they would fall alone. They all agreed to defend Mount Hyjal together.

Jaina used her teleportation spells to scout out the surrounding area, and found that Archimonde and his doom guard were quickly making their way up the mountain. The defenders instituted three bases going up the mountain in an effort to halt his ascent.

Jaina’s base was the first in Archimonde’s path, and so it was the first to go, but before he could kill her, Jaina spirited herself out of Archimonde’s clutches. The next base to go was Thrall’s, and Jaina used her remaining energy to teleport Thrall from his base before Archimonde destroyed him, so that they could live to fight another day.

Following the Legion’s defeat on Mount Hyjal, Jaina took her refugees to an island outpost off the eastern coast of Kalimdor, the newly named Theramore.

Wrath of the Lich King

After the death of Bolvar Fordragon, King Varian Wrynn prepared the forces of the Alliance for all-out war against the Horde.(It appears that in 3.3 patch Bolvar didnt die..see below)

Jaina was desperate to avoid a Fourth War and teleported to Orgrimmar to uncover the truth. There she learned from Sylvanas Windrunner that an uprising had broken out and that Varimathras had taken control over the Undercity. Thrall assured Jaina that the Horde had no official interest in a war against the Alliance and that he would take care of the traitor. Jaina agreed to try to stop Varian, but warned him that it would not be easy- the late Highlord was like a brother to the king.

Jaina’s assessment proved correct as the forces of Thrall (attempting to regain control of Undercity) and King Wrynn (attempting to raze it) clashed at Undercity. Refusing to allow the Horde and the Alliance to descend into open war, Jaina stopped the Alliance army cold (literally) and teleported all of them back to Stormwind.

Blizzard Update for Icecrown Citadel Patch

It appears that in 3.3 patch Bolvar didnt die at the hands of the forsaken but was taken prisoner and is now in the hands of The Lich King who is trying to break him and make him turn on his enemies…will he resist long enough to be rescued ???

Currently the Horde and the Alliance are engaged in an all-out war in Northrend against the Lich King, who had earlier merged with Arthas to become one being. The offensive is gaining momentum, and Jaina occasionally attempts to act as a mediator between the Horde and Alliance factions. Most recently she tried to quell a fiery encounter between King Varian Wrynn and Garrosh Hellscream when they were discussing the ominous discovery of an Old God under the Titan city of Ulduar.

Maintaining peace between the headstrong leaders of these two factions is not easy, but Jaina is dedicated to focusing their energies on defeating the Lich King. For Jaina this imperative is more than just her duty to defend her people: it is personal. Perhaps in her heart she believes that the Arthas she knew from her past still exists somewhere deep inside the Lich King, awaiting freedom.

Onyxia the Broodmother

As you all know Onyxia has been upgraded in 3.2.2 to celebrate World of Warcrafts upcoming 5 year anniversary in November and is now available to take on in the form of a 10 and 25 man raid. Therefore here is some info on her history.

Onyxia is the daughter of Deathwing and the current Broodmother of the Black Dragonflight on Azeroth. She entered into a pact with her elder brother, Nefarian, to take over for their missing father, Deathwing, and gain control of the entire flight. To this end, she has begun manipulating many mortals and dragons alike to her own ends and wields considerable political power over many groups.

Long ago, Onyxia drove the Stonemaul Ogres from the caves in Dragonmurk, to make a place for her to raise her children, who would then leave to infest the Wyrmbog. She and her children became known for terrorizing any travellers who strayed too close to her home.

Since Deathwing’s departure, his eldest children have risen to lead their brethren and recoup their failing numbers. Deathwing’s eldest son, the malicious and cunning Nefarian, has claimed the burning fortress of Blackrock Spire as his aerie. There, aided by his loyal dragonspawn, he subverted the remaining Blackrock Orcs and ensnared any Black Dragons not already under his control.

Onyxia is a clever, highly intelligent dragon who delights in corrupting the mortal races by meddling in their political affairs. To this end, she takes on various humanoid forms and uses her charm and power to influence delicate matters between the different races. Onyxia has even assumed an alias once used by her father: the title of the royal House Prestor.

Onyxia’s human alias is Lady Katrana Prestor, the woman who used to stand immediately to the right of the boy king, Anduin Wrynn. She could be revealed as a dragonkin by Hunter dragonkin detection, and did not show up as a humanoid when using “Track Humanoids”. Her exact purpose at court was unclear, but it was probably to undermine the state of affairs in Stormwind.

Onyxia controlled Highlord Bolvar Fordragon through the use of the Drakefire Amulet. Using her Black Dragonflight and corrupt Stormwind nobles, she formed an alliance with the Defias Brotherhood and played a part in kidnapping the King of Stormwind (giving her more control of the kingdom, and preventing a possible Horde/Alliance negotiation). She may also have used the kidnapping to convince Stormwind’s nobles (particularly Bolvar) to not send troops to Westfall, Lakeshire, and Darkshire, in an attempt to increase the strength of the Defias Brotherhood and the Blackrock clan in those regions, which are both rumoured to be allied to the Black Dragonflight, and cause chaos throughout the human lands.

Though Onyxia is relatively small for a Black Dragon of her age, she shares the same powers and abilities as the rest of her terrible flight. Her searing breath weapon can melt both stone and iron. Her physical attacks, whether bites, scrapes or tail lashes, are lightning quick and nearly unstoppable. When cornered, Onyxia is fond of taking flight and blasting her troublesome prey from above (Deep Breath).

Though Onyxia has been sighted travelling to and from Blackrock Mountain, her main lair is located in a fiery cave below the Dragonmurk, a dismal swamp located within Dustwallow Marsh. She is guarded there by her kin, the remaining members of the insidious Black Dragonflight. There also her brood of new eggs is hidden, awaiting maturation.

For information on how to defeat Onyxia see Onyxia (tactics).

Confirmed Blizzards Next Expansion

This will be the theme of the next expansion, Blizzard had filed a Trademark for the term Cataclysm only weeks before Blizzcon, as they did with Wrath of The Lich King, and at Blizzcon have confirmed this exciting new Expansion. This post gives some insight into the events around the Cataclysm or “Great Sundering”.

The Great Sundering

The Great Sundering, also referred to as the Cataclysm, was the event which reshaped Azeroth approximately 10,000 years ago at the end of the War of the Ancients. This event was caused by the destruction of the Well of Eternity and the devestation caused by A frustrated and angry Deathwing the Destroyer.

Prior to the Cataclysm, there was only one continent on Azeroth, which was Kalimdor. In the catastrophic explosion, the vast majority of the land mass was destroyed, leaving behind the major continents and scattered islands that we know today: Northrend, Kezan, the Eastern Kingdoms, and the remnant still referred to as Kalimdor.

When it was destroyed the site of the First Well of Eternity, originally located in the ancient Night Elf city of Zin-Azshari, became a swirling vortex of power known as the Maelstrom. It can be seen now as a large storm viewable in World of Warcraft on the world map where it sits between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. Ship and zeppelin routes go out of their way to avoid the Maelstrom. It seems that the Maelstrom is slowly drawing the Broken Isles towards itself, and will ultimately destroy them completely. At the centre of the Maelstrom is a location known as the Eye. The empires of both the Makrura and Naga lie beneath it.

The Highborne Elves

10,000 years ago the Highborne, or Quel’dorei meaning “children of noble birth”, were the upper classes of the Kaldorei civilization and the favoured of Queen Azshara.
Originally the Highborne were a nameless caste of Night Elves who had unusual intelligence, strength, skills, or wealth and thus found favour with the ruling monarch. These powerful families became convinced that they were superior to the rest of their race, and so they began to call themselves the Highborne. As a member of the same caste, Queen Azshara made the term official. The Highborne were responsible for the War of the Ancients, and most of those Highborne who allied with the Demons and survived the war later became the Naga, while those that allied with the Kaldorei Resistance before the last battle of the war evolved into the modern High Elves.

Today, the Highborne are all but obsolete as they all became High Elves after they were exiled from Kalimdor. Even the High Elves are few in number because most survivors declared themselves Blood Elves after the Scourge invasion of the Third World of Warcraft War. One notable exception is the Shen’dralar, a holdout group against the Legion during the War of the Ancients. They were able to defend Eldre’Thalas (Dire Maul) but became isolated from the rest of Night Elf society.

The War of the Ancients

The Well of Eternity was a source of great power and the Highborne used their rank to restrict access to the magical Well of Eternity to only them selves. The access of the magic to the ruling caste began to split the Kaldorei nation, the Highborne were transformed by the magic into Night Elves with stronger magical abilities and greater understanding of how to use those skills. In contrast the other castes entirely foreswore the use of arcane magic and even built up great resistance against it as the centuries passed.

Azshara ordered the Highborne to search for the secrets of the Well of Eternity and reveal its true purpose in the world. The Highborne buried themselves in their work and studied the Well ceaselessly. Over time they developed the ability to manipulate and control the Well’s cosmic energies. The Highborne had stumbled upon primitive magic and although they agreed that magic was inherently dangerous if handled irresponsibly, Azshara and her Highborne began to practice their spell craft with reckless abandon. Cenarius and many wise Night Elf scholars warned of the dangers of toying with the clearly volatile arts of magic, but Azshara and her followers continued to expand their strengthening powers.

Eventually, the ever-more reckless use of magic by the Highborne and Azshara, led to slow corruption and addiction to the power it granted, and the ripples sent into the Twisting Nether attracted the attention of the dread forces of the Burning Legion. Sargeras felt the potent ripples and, sensing the limitless energies of the Well of Eternity, Sargeras was consumed by an insatiable hunger. The dark god and leader of the Burning Legion resolved to destroy Azeroth and claim these energies as his own.

Sargeras gathered his vast Burning Legion and made his way towards the unsuspecting world of Azeroth. The Legion was comprised of a million screaming Demons, all ripped from the far corners of the universe, and the Demons hungered for conquest. Sargeras’ lieutenants, Archimonde the Defiler and Mannoroth the Destructor, prepared their infernal minions to strike.

Sargeras seduced the Queen and the Highborne with the promise of unlimited magical power, and in return they agreed to grant the Legion entrance to Azeroth. Finally Azshara and the Highborne gave themselves over totally to magic’s corruption, they fell completely to the darkness and began to worship the Legion lord Sargeras as their god. Some, led by Xavius, gave themselves wholly over to the service of the Legion and were transformed by Fel magic into the Satyr.

To cement their pact, the Highborne agreed to open a portal within the depths of the Well of Eternity which would allow the armies of the Legion access to the world, this invasion would be followed by Sargeras himself. In the war that followed the Legion invasion millions died as the Demons, led by Archimonde, swarmed over the lands of Kalimdor and laid siege to the lesser Night Elves cities. Though the brave Kaldorei warriors rallied from the betrayal of their rulers and rushed to defend their ancient homeland, they were forced to give ground, inch by inch, before the fury of the Legion’s onslaught.

The Legion would probably have succeded in there annihalation of Azeroth if it wasn’t for the efforts of the Night Elf Malfurion Stormrage whose own brother, Illidan, practiced the Highborne magic’s. Illidan struggled to keep control of his nearly overwhelming hunger to tap the Well’s energies once again. However, with Tyrande’s patient support, he was able to restrain himself and help his brother find the reclusive Demigod Cenarius. Cenarius, who dwelt within the sacred Moonglades of the distant Mount Hyjal, agreed to help the Night Elves by finding the ancient dragons and enlisting their aid. The dragons, led by the great red leviathan, Alexstrasza, agreed to send their mighty flights to engage the Demons and their infernal masters.

Malfurion, convinced that the Well of Eternity was the Demons‘ link to the physical world, insisted that it should be destroyed. His companions, knowing that the Well was the source of their immortality and powers, were horrified by the notion. Yet Tyrande saw the wisdom of Malfurion’s theory, so she convinced Cenarius and their comrades to storm Azshara’s temple and find a way to shut the Well down for good. Knowing that the Well’s destruction would prevent him from ever wielding magic again, Illidan selfishly abandoned the group and set out to warn the Highborne of Malfurion’s plan.

Malfurion led his companions into the heart of Azshara’s temple. As they stormed into the main audience chamber, they found the Highborne in the midst of their final incantation. The communal spell had created a vortex of power within the Well’s depths and Sargeras’ shadow drew ever closer to the surface, Malfurion and his allies rushed to attack.

Azshara, having received Illidan’s warning, was prepared for them and nearly all of Malfurion’s followers fell before the mad queen’s powers. Tyrande herself suffered grievous wounds at their hands, and when Malfurion saw his love fall, he went into a murderous rage and resolved to end Azshara’s life. The ensuing battle between Malfurion and Azshara threw the Highborne’s carefully crafted spell into chaos. The unstable vortex within the Well’s depths exploded and ignited a catastrophic chain of events that would sunder the world forever. The massive explosion rocked the temple to its foundations and sent massive quakes ripping through the tortured earth. As the horrific battle between the Legion and the Night Elves raged around and above the ruined capital city, the Well of Eternity buckled in upon itself and collapsed.

The catastrophic explosion shattered the earth, killing many Highborne and sending those who survived to the sea floor where they were transformed into the serpentine Naga by the mysterious Old Gods.

Aftermath

Many Highborne did not meet their fate at the bottom of the sea. Some had betrayed their queen at the last minute, having realized the horrors she would unleash upon the world. These defectors had fled the capital city of Zin-Azshari, site of the Well, and were thereby spared when the Great Sundering tore Kalimdor apart. Others remained hidden away in far-flung strongholds such as Eldre’Thalas.

Those who had joined with the rest of their peoples fled the rising waters of the Great Sea, eventually arriving at the base of Mount Hyjal, where they helped to rebuild the Night Elven civilization in the newly reshaped world. They were not entirely welcome however as the Night Elves, who were now led by Malfurion, were suspicious of Queen Azshara’s former servants and were doubtful of their loyalty. However, without the Well to supply their magic, the Highborne were considered little threat, and were permitted to rejoin Night Elven society.

However, Illidan had managed to fill seven magical vials with water from the Well of Eternity before its destruction, and he poured three of the magical vials of water into the lake at the top of Mount Hyjal, creating a new Second Well of Eternity. When Malfurion discovered this insane act of his brother, Malfurion and the Demigod Cenarius imprisoned Illidan deep beneath Mount Hyjal. The new Well was completely absorbed by the growth of Nordrassil the World Tree, and its malevolent magic lost with the enchantments of the Aspects.

Many Highborne felt the pangs of their magical addiction and were tempted to use the power of the new Well of Eternity created by Illidan Stormrage. Though the use of arcane magic was forbidden on pain of death, the Highborne attempted to convince the Kaldorei of the power of magic by unleashing a magical storm upon Ashenvale. Their gambit failed, and the Highborne were exiled, the night elves mercifully refusing to execute any more of their brethren.

The exiled Highborne were led by Dath’Remar Sunstrider, and they set sail in hopes of finding a new land to call their own. Eventually the Highborne arrived in the land known today as Lordaeron, and there established their Kingdom of Quel’Thalas and crowned Dath’Remar their king. They abandoned the worship of the moon, adopting instead the sun, and became the High Elves. Dath’Remar had somehow acquired one of the remaining vials and, after founding their new homeland of Quel’Thalas, used it to create the Sunwell. After Quel’Thalas was destroyed by the Undead Scourge, a group of High Elves embraced their Highborne ancestry and resumed for the third time their reckless use of magic. Kael’thas Sunstrider renamed these people as the Blood Elves, and travelled to Outland to find a way to fuel their magical addiction. Those who did not travel with him remained behind and began to rebuild their shattered capital city of Silvermoon.

Illidan had not emptied all of his vials in creating the Second Well of Eternity (which is why the Aspects were able to enchant The World Tree with no interference). The last three vials were in Illidan’s possession, he gave one each to his lieutenants, Lady Vashj and Kael’thas. He holds the final vial himself, perhaps seeking to create a Well of Eternity in Outland to fuel his Blood Elves’ magical addiction.

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Deathwing the Destroyer

Deathwing was originally Neltharion the Earth-Warder, and is one of the five Dragon Aspects, leaders of the five Dragonflights, created by the Titans and given specific powers, to lead their Dragonflights and watch over ancient Kalimdor and its evolution.

Since his creation Deathwing has been a factor in the world of Azeroth in many ways and in several guises and I have detailed those in this post for readers to enjoy the Warcraft Lore surrounding this formidable Dragon who will be the Ultimate Evil in the new Cataclysm Expansion.

The Dragon Aspects :-

Nozdormu, the Timeless One

The bronze dragon was chosen by the Titan Aman’Thul to guard time and police the ever-spinning pathways of fate and destiny.

Alexstrasza, the Life-Binder

The red dragon was chosen by the Titan Eonar to safeguard all living creatures on the world.

Ysera, the Dreamer

The green dragon, Alexstrasza’s younger sister, was also chosen by the Titan Eonar to watch over the growing wilds of the world from the Emerald Dream.

Malygos, the Spell-Weaver

The blue dragon was chosen by the Titan Norgannon as the guardian of magic and hidden Arcanum.

Neltharion, the Earth-Warder

The mighty black dragon was chosen by the Titan Khaz’goroth and given dominion over the earth and the deep places of the world.

Early History

In peaceful times, Neltharion’s wisdom and power were renowned, he was known as a great protector of the land. Then came the madness that destroyed Neltharion’s mind and changed him forever, this was caused by some unknown crisis in the distant past. The inner-voices of the Old Gods continually whispered him and eventually further twisted his mind and convinced him that he could have power beyond his imagination if he served them.

The Old Gods convinced Neltharion to create the Dragon Soul. With the help of Goblins, Neltharion created a simple golden disc made of Neltharion’s blood and forged in the Goblin’s cauldrons and anvils deep beneath the earth.

Empowered by Neltharion’s magic, the Dragon Soul was shielded magically so that the other Dragon Aspects couldn’t see the taint of evil of the Old Gods in the disc. With the help of Malygos, Neltharion convinced the other Dragon Aspects to give a portion of their powers and their Dragonflights to the Dragon Soul. Neltharion told them that the Dragon Soul disc could be a weapon of great power to destroy the Demons of the Burning Legion who were invading Azeroth in the War of The Ancients.

Neltharion, the Dragon Aspects and their Dragonflights flew toward Zin-Azshari where the Night elves held the Demons at bay. Seeing the sky full of Dragons, the Night elves thought they would now win the war. Neltharion took the Dragon Soul and by channelling his destructive power through it destroyed most of the Demons with one swing of radiant magic. The Dragon Aspects watched in horror as Neltharion also killed hundreds of Night elves and other allies along with the Demons.

Neltharion was the only one who did not give his powers to the Dragon Soul. Now with the disc at his command he wanted all races and the Demons to see his power and to bow before him. The Dragon Aspects attacked Neltharion in an attempt to take the Dragon Soul from him and to reason with him in hopes of determining the cause of his treachery.

Malygos’ Blue Dragonflight surrounded Neltharion, but with a swing of the Dragon Soul most of the Blue Dragons perished. The next swing of the Dragon Soul paralyzed all Dragonflights and the Dragon Aspects in mid-air, rendering them unable to move or speak. Only the intervention of Korialstrasz, Alexstrasza’s consort, allowed the Dragons to counter attack. Deathwing struck out at the Dragon Aspects and their Dragonflights but despite decimating most of there numbers, the combined power of the Dragonflights forced Neltharion to retreat into hiding.

Thus was Deathwing the Destroyer born, and the Dragon Soul was renamed: the Demon Soul.

War of the Ancients

The ultimate goal of the Old Gods when they manipulated Neltharion into creating the Demon Soul was to try and create a way for them to be freed. They knew that Sargeras would be told of the Demon Soul and that he would try and acquire it to power a gateway that would allow him entry into Azeroth. By using the Demon Soul to amplify the gateway, the three Old Gods hoped that they would be able to escape their prison beneath the planet.

There plan was foiled by Malfurion Stormrage who stole the Demon Soul from the Black Dragons lair. Malfurion could hear the voices of the Old Gods coming from within the Demon Soul, asking him to wield the power. The more Malfurion used the Demon Soul’s power, the more tainted he became with the voices. Malfurion finally broke away from the corrupting thoughts, and put the Demon Soul away, so he wouldn’t be tempted to use it.

Later Illidan and Varo’then captured Malfurion and took the Demon Soul to Mannoroth the Destructor, the general of the Legion’s armies. It was used to power up the portal that would allow Sargeras to enter Azeroth. However Malfurion escaped and led a group into the temple and managed to disrupt the carefully crafted summoning spell. The unstable vortex within the Well of Eternity’s depths exploded and ignited a catastrophic chain of events that would sunder the world forever.

Rise of the Destroyer

After the Burning Legion was defeated, the Dragon Aspects sealed the Demon Soul with their energies, and now Neltharion may never use the Demon Soul. The artefact was hidden in an undisclosed location by Malfurion at the request of the Dragon Aspects. No longer in possession of the artefact and now unable to use it, Neltharion vowed to destroy most life and to wreak havoc on the planet. With his powers over earth, Neltharion caused volcanoes to rise along with the destruction already caused by the Well of Eternity’s implosion, sinking most of Kalimdor below the ocean. THE CATACLYSM

Aftermath

Lord Daval Prestor

For a time during and after the Second War, Deathwing disguised himself as a human nobleman named Lord Daval Prestor and attempted to gain control over the nation of Alteracby marrying Calia Menethil, the daughter of King Terenas.

Using subtle magic, he was able to ensnare the minds of the human leaders and forced them to grant him the title of King of Alterac. His ultimate goal was to obtain a high level of power and influence within the Alliance, so he could destroy it from within. He attempted to begin his campaign against the Alliance by pitting the kingdoms of Lordaeron, Stromgarde, Gilneas and Kul Tiras against the Kirin Tor of Dalaran - who Deathwing considered threats to his new identity.

Day of the Dragon

Sometime during the Second War, Deathwing discovered the Demon Soul’s location. Although he couldn’t wield its power because of the enchantment placed upon it by the Dragon Aspects, he realized that he could manipulate someone else to do so.

Deathwing manipulated the Orc Warlock Nekros Skullcrusher into doing his bidding. Nekros convinced his Chieftain, Zuluhed the Whacked, that he would have more luck in using the Demon Soul than the Shaman himself had. Although Nekros had no clue as to the power he was wielding, he was able to tap into enough of its power to kidnap Alexstrasza, her elder consort Tyranastrasz and some of her eggs. Nekros became Alexstrasza’s warden in Grim Batol, and used the Demon Soul to inflict horrendous pain to make her co-operate and produce offspring for the Horde to use in there battles.

Deathwing used his many pawns to try and manipulate himself into a position close enough to the Dragonqueen to either capture her himself or kill her. Deathwing tried to frighten the Orcs into believing that the humans were attacking, so that they would move Alexstrasza, and more importantly her eggs, north to Dun Algaz; this left her open to attack and her eggs vulnerable. Deathwing wished to steal Alexstrasza’s latest cache for himself to create a new Dragonflight, which although bearing the crimson scales of the Dragonqueen, they would be raised by Deathwing and carry his hatred for the mortal races.

His attack however failed. Rhonin, a Kirin-Tor mage, discovered the weakness of the Demon Soul and managed to destroy it, releasing all the powers of the Dragons who had given their power ten thousand years earlier. Deathwing was sent retreating with four very angry, fully-empowered Dragon Aspects on his heels, though he managed to elude them in the end.

When Deathwing was forced to go into hiding, he was no longer able to keep up the disguise. Lord Prestor mysteriously vanished, and Deathwing’s influence over the nobles disappeared along with him, although his daughter Onyxia followed in her father’s footsteps taking the Prestor name to attempt to also manipulate the Alliance.

Though long believed to be dead, Deathwing currently resides deep within the abandoned Wildhammer stronghold of Grim Batol, experimenting with his latest creations - the Twilight Dragonflight.