Velen

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Velen was one of the three Eredar leaders on Argus alongside Archimonde and Kil’jaeden. Accounts of his early life conflict, but he used the Ata’mal Crystal to contact the Naaru K’ure, who taught him advanced magic and technology 1487.

Velen rejected Sargeras and led Eredar followers away from Argus aboard a spaceship. The Naaru helped them escape the Burning Legion’s pursuit, and the exiles became known as the Draenei, meaning “the exiled ones” 268. His first wife died during their interstellar flight 73.

Velen later admitted that he had dismantled powerful Draenei weapons to protect his rule. He also kept ties to the Burning Legion through his son Rakeesh, positioning his family to benefit whichever side prevailed 585 1502.

Alternate Velens

The story features Velens from different timelines. The Velen of Draenor World died during the Dark Star incident, while the Velen of the Exodar remained alive 268 585. Another Velen was later hidden inside Cho’gall, and two Velens’ souls eventually fused 1535 1539.

Appearance

Velen is tall, with blue skin, a deeply wrinkled face and a beard 48 586 1482 1904.

• He has backward-bending knees and enormous hooves 1904.
• He stood two heads taller than Durotan 1482.
• Ner’zhul bit off one of his arms; the Holy Light restored it, though it no longer looked quite the same 256.

Personality

Velen presents himself as a benevolent, devout prophet, but he is calculating and willing to sacrifice others to preserve his position. He rapidly changed from hostility to warmth when dealing with Khadgar, then used wine and conversation to draw him close 585 586.

He is ambitious and jealous of potential rivals. He told Anduin that he had rejected a predetermined future with the Burning Legion in pursuit of his own potential, and he admitted dismantling Draenei weapons because they threatened his personal safety and authority 1435 1502.

Despite his strength, Velen often submits when threatened by Orcs. He surrendered to Durotan rather than fight, although the Holy Light told him he was strong enough to defeat the Frostwolf Clan 1482.

Abilities & Skills

Holy Light

Velen is a powerful priest with tens of thousands of years of accumulated strength 257 266.

• Offense: He forms blades, swords and spears from Holy Light, and can create a vortex that draws water from a target 1238 1239 1903.
• Defense and healing: He uses Divine Shield and can rapidly heal injuries, including a severed arm 256 1239.
• Movement and transformation: He used Holy Light Leap to flee Durotan and later disguised himself as a human priest 1482 1902.
• Lightforging: He helped infuse Akama and other Draenei with Holy Light, making them Lightforging Draenei 1478.
• Limits: Wrathion penetrated Velen’s layered Divine Shield and turned his Holy Light blades against him. Holy Light also could not cure a Draenor parasite Velen had acquired from meat 1239 1483.

Prophecy

Velen uses spiritual power and the Holy Light to capture visions of possible futures. Maintaining and interpreting the visions requires effort, and they can be manipulated: Grandaris used the Nightmare’s Heart to insert false visions into one of Velen’s prophecies 72 73.

• He used the Song of Souls to show Kites a vision of Arthas falling and Tirion Fordring triumphing 910.
• Naaru instruction on Argus made his visions clearer and more extensive 1478.
• He also fabricated prophetic guidance, including a pouch trick intended to make his prediction match A’dal’s 1899 1900.

Soul Power

Velen re-formed from countless phantoms after Wrathion seemingly destroyed him, claiming that the Holy Light had granted him an undying body 1239. Wrathion accused him of slaughtering innocents to absorb their souls and nourish a secret art; Velen said the loss of that power had ruined his chance to become a Naaru 1240.

Equipment & Items

• Staff — Used to channel Holy Light attacks and deathly pale beams 1238 1240.
• Holy Light particle-beam weapon — A long gun modified by the Army of the Light. It required ten seconds to recharge after each shot and was vulnerable to interference from other magic 1502.
• Holy Light Key — Symbols that opened a small storage space, where Velen concealed the particle-beam weapon 1502.
• Durotan’s Rune Stone — Velen crushed it to escape execution after his betrayal of Mar’gok was exposed 1503.
• Argus wine — Velen preserved a cellar of rare wine from his homeworld and shared it with Khadgar 586.

Relationships

• Yrel — His nominal disciple. The Draenor Velen kept her close because he was wary of her and taught her no real power; her Hoof of Justice interrupted his escape from the Dark Star’s claw 266.
• Rakeesh — His son and a Burning Legion commander. Velen concealed their connection while portraying Rakeesh as a traitor 585 1645.
• Archimonde and Kil’jaeden — Former fellow leaders on Argus who joined the Burning Legion and pursued Velen’s exiles 268.
• K’ure — The Naaru who taught Velen magic and technology after he made contact through the Ata’mal Crystal 1487.
• Anduin — Velen taught him Holy Light techniques, but later tried to kill him after revealing his slaughter of innocents 1188 1239.
• Wrathion — Confronted Velen over the Naaru’s aims and later defeated him in battle, destroying his accumulated soul power 1188 1239 1240.
• Durotan — Forced Velen to surrender and received the Naaru Mark in his place; later gave him the Rune Stone that saved him from Mar’gok 1482 1503.
• Khadgar — Worked with Velen to promote Illidan as Azeroth’s Savior, despite Velen’s private suspicions about Illidan 586 596.
• Garona — Velen called her his beloved, but gave Cho’gall her address when seeking his support 1485.

Story Role

The Dark Star and the Draenor Velen

Grandaris manipulated Velen’s prophecy to make cooperation with the Horde appear promising. The vision ended with Sylvanas and the Draenei turned undead, leaving Velen horrified 73.

During the Dark Star crisis, the Shadowmoon Clan Staff of Ten Thousand Souls shattered, and the Dark Star accused Velen of switching it. A black claw seized him; although he nearly broke free, Yrel’s Hoof of Justice interrupted his spellcasting and the claw crushed him. Yrel subsequently portrayed his death as a sacrifice to save the Draenei 266 268.

The Exodar Prophet

The Exodar Velen helped publicize Illidan as Azeroth’s Savior while privately warning Khadgar that Illidan might be their greatest danger 586 596. Later, he showed Kites a vision encouraging war against Arthas, while telling Bolvar of another vision in which Arthas refused the Draenei entry to a peaceful world 910.

In Northrend, Velen offered the starving Argent Crusade food and clothing, but Tirion refused. Draenei patrols later fought Crusade deserters 1081. At Exodar, Anduin overheard Velen telling O’ros that the Holy Light could make human souls appealing to the Naaru 1188.

After Velen admitted slaughtering Jinyu and Murloc villages, Wrathion intervened to protect Anduin. Wrathion destroyed Velen’s accumulated soul power, but Velen escaped 1239 1240.

Draenor and the Flesh-Eternal

On Draenor, Velen surrendered to Durotan and fled after the Holy Light chose Durotan for his role 1482. Velen then sought Ogre support, but his attempted betrayal of Mar’gok was exposed. Durotan’s Rune Stone allowed him to escape, and the two discussed opening a new Dark Portal to Azeroth 1485 1503.

Velen was later dragged into the Flesh-Eternal after Draenei souls confronted him over their suffering. The fusion of two Velens’ souls subsequently gave the two-headed Velen control over the Flesh-Eternal 1535 1539.

Later Schemes

Using the identity of Grand Knight Cyrus, Velen forced King Greymane to join a plan against the Cathedral of Light 1551 1552. He later faced accusations of Burning Legion ties and involvement in the Black Temple plot; a surveillance crystal showed him and Thrall meeting Rakeesh before Legion and Army of the Light negotiations 1645 1802.

Velen sought refuge at the Temple of the White Tiger, but Shang Chun handed him over to Medivh, Magni and the Emissary. He agreed to sacrifice himself to purify mutated Tauren, then raised the question of who would inherit his wealth 1890.

A’dal later assigned Velen and Rend to rescue Naruk Xil through the Timeways. They carried an unconscious Thrall to the Caverns of Time, where Anachronos explained the Main World and parallel worlds 1900.