My WoW Journey

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.