A Brief History of the Original Story

(A brief account of the original story's history, to help those unfamiliar with the background understand it. This book makes major changes, so please don't apply this history to it. Thank you!) (I'd also like to strongly request fairly comprehensive information on the High Elf story characters and some of Kael'thas's subordinates. Thanks, everyone. My knowledge is limited, and it's hard for me to cover them all. I don't even know the original story of the four advisors. It would be bad if I missed someone important later, so it would be wonderful if someone could provide me with a reference!! Many thanks.)

-147,000: The mighty Titans came to Azeroth and created two races to reshape the world. The Earthen were responsible for maintaining the land, while sea giants oversaw the oceans.

-65,000: The Titans placed the Well of Eternity at the center of Kalimdor to serve as the energy source for all magic on Azeroth.

-14,000: The mighty Well of Eternity magically influenced the Kaldorei living nearby, allowing them to evolve and create the first great civilization. As the Kaldorei studied the Well of Eternity, they released more magic into the world.

-13,500: The Kaldorei began drawing on the power of the Well of Eternity to study arcane magic. They established an advanced civilization, created powerful artifacts, and even reshaped the continent. Some Kaldorei considered the abuse of magic a very serious problem and stopped studying it. They continued to be known as Kaldorei, while those obsessed with the arcane arts called themselves the Highborne.

-10,250: The Kaldorei's warnings proved correct: a group of magic-devouring demons from another dimension-the Burning Legion-corrupted the Highborne. Unable to reach Azeroth's physical plane without assistance, Sargeras, ruler of the Burning Legion, began subtly manipulating the mages. He promised the Highborne greater power if they opened a portal. They opened a gateway deep within the Well of Eternity, allowing Sargeras to enter and leave Azeroth freely.

-10,000: The Burning Legion poured into Azeroth, intending to drain the Well of Eternity's energy and destroy the Night Elves' civilization.

-9,999: The brothers Malfurion and Illidan Stormrage, together with the priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, led the campaign against the demons and destroyed the Well of Eternity in the process. With the portal gone, the Burning Legion was driven from Azeroth. But the shock of the magical forces split Kalimdor into several continents, forming the dangerous Maelstrom at the center of the ocean.

-9,998: Unwilling to lose the arcane magic of the Well of Eternity, Illidan Stormrage created a new Well of Eternity using water taken from the original. Malfurion was furious and locked Illidan in an underground prison.

Three dragons-Alexstrasza, Ysera, and Nozdormu-planted the World Tree, Nordrassil, in the new Well of Eternity to conceal its existence.

-9,900: The surviving Kaldorei, now called Night Elves, abandoned arcane magic. They exiled themselves to the secluded vicinity of Mount Hyjal and the World Tree and began practicing a safer, sacred form of nature magic. Over the following years, they exiled the Highborne with a taste for the arcane and concealed Kalimdor in mist.

-4,000: After years of wandering, the Highborne, now known as High Elves, established a new homeland in Lordaeron. They called it Quel'Thalas and created a new source of magical energy, naming it the Sunwell.

-2,800: Human tribes established the first human kingdom, Arathor. The High Elves formed an alliance with Arathor and taught humans to use arcane magic.

-2,700: Human and High Elf mages established a secret organization called the Guardian of Tirisfal.

-2,500: The dwarves of Ironforge awakened in Uldaman, which had been built by the Titans. Having forgotten their origins, they called their new civilization Khaz Modan.

-1,050: Aegwynn, Guardian of Tirisfal, defeated a small group of demons with the dragons' help. During the battle, the demon Sargeras entered her body and lay dormant. Unaware that she had been corrupted, Aegwynn buried Sargeras's physical body beneath the Great Sea.

-100: Sargeras's lieutenant Kil'jaeden began stirring up the Orcs on the world of Draenor. He corrupted the Shaman Ner'zhul and twisted the peaceful Orcs into a violent and savage race.

-46: Ner'zhul foresaw how destructive this would be to his people and severed his connection with Kil'jaeden. The demon then turned his attention to Ner'zhul's powerful disciple, Gul'dan. Soon afterward, Gul'dan established the Shadow Council, systematically infusing the Orcs with evil spirits to build a powerful army.

-45: Aegwynn decided to have a child who would succeed her as the new Guardian of Tirisfal. Sargeras's dormant spirit silently tainted her unborn son.

-41: Under Gul'dan's supervision and guidance, the Orcs began studying demonic arcane magic, becoming Warlocks and wizards.

-40: The Orc clans united as the Horde, a bloodthirsty and corrupt group. Shamanism was declared illegal.

-30: Aegwynn's son Medivh fell into a coma on his fourteenth birthday. Sargeras's spirit began corrupting the boy.

-19: After the Horde conquered all the races of Draenor, the continent was ravaged by their dark magic. They fell into chaos and began fighting a civil war.

-5: Medivh had grown to adulthood and was completely under Sargeras's control. The demon showed Gul'dan images of Azeroth, indicating that the time was ripe for him to conquer it. Medivh began building the Dark Portal between Draenor and Azeroth. Though still small, it was slowly growing.

0: Orc scouts passed through the portal into Azeroth and began exploring for places to settle. They established an outpost in an uninhabited marsh, a place known as the Black Morass.

1: The First War began. Gul'dan expanded Medivh's portal enough for the Horde to pass through and invade. The initial battles proved that the Orcs had underestimated the humans' strength. They suffered defeat after defeat, with only a few survivors. Gul'dan's magic concealed the Orc encampment, and the Horde regrouped.

2: Gul'dan installed a new warchief, Blackhand the Destroyer. This brutal leader rallied the Orcs for another attack. The Warlock received another tempting vision-the location of the Tomb of Sargeras. Durotan, chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, was assassinated by hostile Orcs. The assassins abandoned Durotan's infant son in the wilderness to fend for himself, but he was found and rescued by a squad under Aedelas Blackmoore. The baby was taken in by humans as a slave and named Thrall, meaning "slave."

3: Regent Anduin Lothar discovered Medivh's betrayal. He killed Medivh and destroyed Sargeras's spirit, but Medivh's spirit escaped.

4: Blackhand the Destroyer was assassinated by Orgrim Doomhammer, who took Blackhand's place as the tribes' warchief. He led the Horde in sacking Stormwind Keep. During the fighting, Doomhammer's trusted agents captured Gul'dan's assassin, the half-Orc Garona. They forced her to reveal information about the Shadow Council. All of Gul'dan's Warlocks were killed, but he was pardoned.

The humans abandoned Stormwind Keep and retreated north to Lordaeron.

The First War ended.

Gul'dan resurrected Warriors who had fallen in Stormwind City, calling them Death Knights.

5: Humans, dwarves, and High Elves formed the Alliance, vowing to defeat the Orcs. Uther the Lightbringer founded an order of holy warriors, the Order of the Silver Hand.

The Horde brought more troops through the Dark Portal, expanding their army.

6: The Second War began. The Horde marched north with their new allies, the Jungle Trolls. They stormed into Lordaeron and destroyed much of Quel'Thalas. The Alliance regrouped and drove the Horde back to Stormwind Keep.

Gul'dan tried to help the Horde, but he was still looking for a way to fulfill his own ambitions. He continued searching for the Tomb of Sargeras and made a pact with a trusted follower of the fallen Titan. He raised the tomb from the sea, releasing a group of demons imprisoned there, and was killed by the demons he had freed. The demons pouring out of the Tomb of Sargeras had a major effect on the Horde's forces, weakening them.

The Alliance drove the weakened and scattered Horde back from all sides to the Dark Portal. Regent Anduin Lothar fell in the final battle, but the Dark Portal was also destroyed. Many Orcs who remained on Azeroth were imprisoned by the Alliance.

The Second War ended.

7: Ner'zhul opened several portals to other dimensions on Draenor, causing a catastrophic explosion that tore Draenor apart. The fragments floating in all directions formed what we now call Outland, now part of the Twisting Nether.

Kil'jaeden captured Ner'zhul and transformed him into the Lich King, who was sealed in ice in Northrend.

10: Ner'zhul was still powerful. He corrupted Archmage Kel'Thuzad and directed him to begin spreading the Undead Plague in Lordaeron. The mage founded the Cult of the Damned to help carry out his plan.

16: Thrall escaped Blackmoore's control and sought out other Orcs to confirm his identity. He heard of the Warsong Clan-the only surviving free clan-and their valiant leader, Grom Hellscream.

23: After joining forces with Orgrim Doomhammer and Grommash Hellscream, Thrall freed the remaining imprisoned Orcs and rebuilt the Horde.

24: Doomhammer fell in battle, and Thrall became the Horde's warchief. He reintroduced the long-lost Shaman culture to his people in the Horde.

25: The Cult of the Damned infected Lordaeron with the Lich King's plague. The Order of the Silver Hand tried to stop the wave of disease but failed. Prince Arthas of Lordaeron followed the source of the plague and the Lich King to Northrend. The cursed magic sword Frostmourne claimed his soul, and he became a servant of the Lich King and a Death Knight. Arthas returned to Lordaeron, assassinated King Terenas, and took control of the Scourge.

The Third War began.

Kel'Thuzad had become a Lich, and he summoned the Burning Legion. Archimonde and the demons he ruled arrived in Dalaran. To escape the demons and Undead, Alliance and Horde forces traveled west to the forgotten continent of Kalimdor.

Medivh's spirit took form and began seeking to help the Alliance and Horde fight the Burning Legion. He asked the leaders of both sides-Jaina Proudmoore and Thrall-to unite, but they refused.

The Horde's logging inadvertently offended the Night Elves, and during the ensuing fighting, Grom Hellscream drank demon blood to gain great power. The ancient demigod Cenarius was killed in a later battle. The Night Elves awakened the sleeping Druids, including Malfurion Stormrage.

The Burning Legion reached Kalimdor and found the World Tree and the Well of Eternity.

Isolated and without help, Tyrande Whisperwind released Illidan from prison. Illidan killed the demons and Orcs who had corrupted Grommash Hellscream, but he became a demon in the process. Malfurion exiled him.

In desperation, the Alliance, Horde, and Night Elf forces united against the Burning Legion. They feared the World Tree would fail, but the Night Elves poured their immortality and all their power into the great tree. The World Tree became overloaded and released a tremendous burst of energy, destroying Archimonde and all his minions.

The Third War ended.

The Night Elves joined the Alliance and accepted the obligations of an ally. They no longer had the power they once possessed. Thrall and the Horde established a homeland in Kalimdor's desert, naming it Durotar.

Jaina led the Alliance to an island off Kalimdor's coast, where they established an Alliance homeland called Theramore.

In search of an artifact, Illidan awakened an amphibious race, the Naga. He entered the Tomb of Sargeras and found the Eye of Sargeras.

26: Illidan opened a portal from Lordaeron to Outland and fled Lordaeron with his associates.

28: Arthas and the Scourge came to Northrend to investigate the Lich King's throne. Illidan's army returned from Outland and waited for Arthas's Undead army to enter an ambush. In the battle that followed, Arthas's army prevailed. He donned the Lich King's crown, merging his body with Ner'zhul's spirit and becoming the Scourge's true master.

Human forces began launching surprise attacks on small villages in Orgrimmar. Thrall sent scouts to investigate.

29: Admiral Proudmoore, Jaina's father, arrived in Theramore with the remaining Kul Tiras navy. He landed on Kalimdor and drew the Horde into a series of battles. The Horde pushed the fighting back to Theramore and killed Admiral Proudmoore, but spared Jaina and his loyal followers.

30: Former Ranger-General Sylvanas launched a coup during the power vacuum left when Arthas led the Scourge's main forces on an expedition to Northrend. She declared herself the Dark Queen and renamed the Undead Scourge troops under her command the Forsaken. Thereafter, out of hatred for both the Scourge and the human race, the Undercity resolved to declare an alliance with the Orcs of Orgrimmar and formally joined the Horde.

To welcome the Undercity's forces, Orgrimmar spent a vast sum hiring Goblin engineers from Ratchet to build an airship route connecting the Undercity and Orgrimmar.

The old king of Stormwind City mysteriously disappeared on his way to visit Theramore's port. The young Anduin Wrynn was declared king, with Duke Bolvar Fordragon and the nobles' representative, Countess Katrana Prestor, serving jointly as regents.

A serious nuclear incident occurred in the gnome city of Gnomeregan, a short distance west of Ironforge. High Tinker Mekkatorque was forced to lead the remaining gnome tribes to seek refuge in Ironforge, and from then on, he began searching day and night for a way to clear the contamination and return home.

That same year, with the support of advanced gnome technology, the dwarves began digging an underground railway tunnel intended to strengthen communications and mutual support between Ironforge and Stormwind City. With the completion of this vast, secret project, the new Alliance, centered on dwarves and humans, was also formally established.

31.10: Orgrimmar and Stormwind City simultaneously faced the threat of coups and subversion. The Burning Blade Clan plotted to overthrow Thrall as warchief of the Horde, but before the plot could be put into action, the Orgrimmar guard loyal to Thrall crushed it completely. Thrall discovered, however, that the Burning Blade Clan still maintained extensive ties with the remnants of the Burning Legion in Kalimdor.

A secret reconnaissance squad sent by Stormwind City's SI:7 discovered the hideout of Edwin VanCleef, leader of the Defias Brotherhood, in an abandoned mine in Westfall. Following clues found on his corpse, SI:7 secretly executed a high-ranking Stormwind City noble suspected of involvement in the Brotherhood's uprising, but the threat of the uprising was not eradicated. Only years later did people discover that the Brotherhood might also have been involved in the old king of Stormwind City's disappearance.

31.11: With the Goblins' help, the Orcs opened another air route to the eastern continent and established the heavily fortified Grom'gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale. Using it as a base, they extended their influence into the Badlands and reopened the road to Stonard, the Horde's former camp in the Swamp of Sorrows.

A mysterious ancient temple appeared in the Swamp of Sorrows. Curious Goblins investigated and discovered that it was a stronghold of Atal'ai Troll tribes who worshipped the ancient evil god Hakkar.

A dwarven expedition unearthed Uldaman, one of the three great ancient Titan ruins, in the Badlands, but suffered heavy losses when attacked by monsters called Troggs. The gnomes later discovered that these monsters were related to the enemies that had attacked Gnomeregan.

31.12: Stormwind City troops stationed in the Burning Steppes finally discovered the whereabouts of Marshal Windsor, who had been missing for years. He was being held by the Dark Iron Dwarves in a prison somewhere in Blackrock Depths. To rescue the marshal, Stormwind City sent an elite suicide squad into Blackrock Depths.

Meanwhile, the Horde expeditionary force in the Badlands learned that the princess of Ironforge, Magni Bronzebeard's daughter, who was rumored dead, had actually been abducted by the Dark Iron Dwarves. For diplomatic purposes, Thrall authorized the expedition to venture deep into Blackrock Depths, hoping to reach a peace agreement of some kind with the Alliance by rescuing the princess. But the rescue plan came to nothing, and the secret behind it remains a source of jokes for Orc drunks in Orgrimmar's taverns to tease the dwarves of Ironforge.

32.01: Marshal Windsor returned safely to Stormwind City, but he brought back a shocking truth: Countess Katrana Prestor was actually a disguise assumed by Deathwing's daughter, Onyxia. With her plot exposed, the Countess returned to her true black dragon form and flew away, while the marshal died a hero's death as a result. Recovering from his shock, Duke Fordragon angrily ordered the Black Dragon Princess slain at any cost to avenge the marshal.

The long-dormant ancient elemental war was quietly continuing in this era. Hydraxis, a Water Elemental lord from the ocean depths, appeared offshore from Azshara. His mission was to recruit Azeroth's mercenaries to challenge Ragnaros, the Firelord, in Molten Core. Faced with the Water Elemental lord's tempting reward-the legendary artifact Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker-the bones of countless mercenaries soon littered the road to the entrance of Molten Core in Blackrock Mountain.

32.03: Unusual energy fluctuations appeared in Dire Maul, the Night Elf ruins deep in the forests of Feralas, drawing the attention of Thunder Bluff's Druids.

32.06: A bloody conflict erupted between the Frostwolf Orcs, who lived in seclusion in Alterac Valley guarding Durotan's tomb, and a dwarven expedition that had come to excavate and search for treasure. In a rage, expedition leader Vanndar Stormpike summoned his own elite Stormpike Guard from Ironforge, intending to wipe out the Frostwolf tribe. When Thrall heard the news, he urgently assembled a Horde volunteer force and sent it as reinforcements. The two sides entered a stalemate.

The Warsong Orcs gathering construction timber for Orgrimmar in Ashenvale also clashed on a small scale with a Night Elf hunter patrol in the area, and the fighting showed signs of spreading.

Soon afterward, the Forsaken army of the Undercity also began launching fierce attacks on the League of Arathor stationed in Arathi Basin.

From then on, the fragile peace agreement between the Alliance and the Horde faced the threat of total collapse.

32.07: The Horde expeditionary force in the Badlands discovered that the Blackrock Orcs entrenched in Blackrock Mountain had unusual ties to another of Deathwing's offspring, Nefarian. With the Blackrock Orcs' help, Nefarian was steadily expanding his Black Dragonflight. The Horde expedition decided on a preemptive strike against Blackwing Lair before the Black Dragonflight reached its full strength.

32.08: The Goblins made a new breakthrough in their investigation of the ancient evil god Hakkar. They discovered that the Atal'ai Trolls had already summoned an avatar of Hakkar, and the summoning site was in the jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, not far from Booty Bay. "For world peace," the Goblins called on passing wandering warriors to help destroy Hakkar's avatar. Naturally, this would also clear the way for the Goblins themselves to excavate the treasures of Zul'Gurub.

32.10: Mysterious green dragons appeared at the entrances to the Emerald Dream in four locations across Azeroth, attacking any creatures that passed by in a frenzy. Something behind the insect wall in the southern Silithus desert was awakening. The Druids of the Cenarion Circle feared that all of this might be inextricably linked to the War of the Shifting Sands, which had taken place there a thousand years earlier.

33.01: The Cenarion Circle formally issued a grave warning to all the tribes of Azeroth: the magic sealing the gates of Ahn'Qiraj was gradually losing its power. Countless Qiraji troops could pour out from behind the gates at any moment, and they would destroy every creature of Azeroth they saw. This would be another devastating crisis following the invasions of the Burning Legion and the Undead Scourge. Everyone, whether Alliance or Horde, had to set aside their differences and unite to face the coming disaster together!

Orgrimmar and Stormwind City heeded the Druids' advice. They sent a combined force led by High Overlord Saurfang to stand ready in the Silithus desert, and ultimately sealed the Qiraji behind the gates of Ahn'Qiraj once more, at an extremely heavy cost.

33.04: With the help of the Sha'tar and Khadgar, the Aldor, an organization of Draenei Priests, rebuilt the holy city of Shattrath.

Kael'thas led his forces in a surprise attack on the Sha'tar flagship Tempest Keep and captured a Naaru named M'uru. Kael'thas sent him back to Quel'Thalas to provide a source of energy for the magic-addicted Blood Elves. Afterward, Kael'thas declared himself the "Sun King" and began using Tempest Keep's equipment to absorb Void Energy from Netherstorm. He also secretly betrayed Illidan and joined the Burning Legion, offering the technology in the fortress in exchange.

33.05: Kel'Thuzad, the Lich King's lieutenant, led Undead Scourge forces back to Azeroth aboard the floating fortress Naxxramas. They launched powerful attacks on the world's major cities simultaneously, and Kel'Thuzad swore to reclaim everything Sylvanas had taken from him.

Neither the Horde nor the Alliance wanted to see the Undead Scourge reappear on Azeroth. Before the Qiraji threat had been completely quelled, the combined Horde and Alliance forces moved on to the Eastern Plaguelands. The radical Scarlet Crusade and the moderate Argent Dawn, the two major powers that had continued resisting the remnants of the Undead Scourge in the Eastern Plaguelands, also set aside their prejudices and joined forces against the new Scourge invasion.

33.09: On Kael'thas's orders, Voren'thal led a Blood Elf army to attack the holy city of Shattrath. But beneath Shattrath City's gates, Voren'thal ordered all the Blood Elves to lay down their weapons and surrender. The Naaru A'dal accepted their allegiance, and from then on, these Blood Elves were known as the Scryers. Together with the Aldor, they became a principal force against the Burning Legion and Illidan's forces. Yet prejudice remained, and the Scryers and Aldor continued to be divided, unable to coexist.

33.11: To join the main forces in Outland, Lord Kazzak, commander of the Burning Legion remnants on Azeroth, reopened the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands and led his followers into Outland. But even more masterless demons began pouring out of the Dark Portal in an endless stream. Through their efforts, the mages of Nethergarde Keep barely managed to control the situation, but a greater crisis drew closer as the Dark Portal's power continued to grow.

Having just defeated Kel'Thuzad, Azeroth's combined forces immediately pressed on to the Blasted Lands without pause. This time, they would make a bolder, more reckless strategic move: take the offensive, pass through the Dark Portal, and strike straight at the Burning Legion's stronghold.

33.12: Shattrath's assault on the Black Temple was thwarted because another enemy was attacking it outside the temple: the Doomwalker Legion, directly under Kil'jaeden's command. This attack showed that Illidan and the Burning Legion had broken with each other completely.

34.01: The first combined forces from Azeroth arrived on Outland's Hellfire Peninsula and joined the human expeditionary force that had been holding out and fighting there for nearly twenty years. They swiftly defeated Lord Kazzak, who was assembling a demon army on the peninsula.

34.03: Azeroth's combined forces fought their way into Serpentshrine Cavern, headquarters of the Naga army in Outland. Vashj, the Naga queen and Illidan's most important assistant, was killed.

34.04: The combined forces moved on to Tempest Keep and routed the elite Blood Elf Sunfury Legion. Kael'thas, the Sun King, disappeared in the fighting.

34.05: The unstoppable combined forces of Azeroth stormed the Black Temple with the help of Akama on the inside and Illidan's old enemy, the warden Maiev. The temple's defenders crumbled at the first clash, and Illidan, abandoned by his followers and allies, met a bitter end in battle.

34.10: Zul'jin, leader of the Amani Trolls hiding in Zul'Aman, took advantage of the combined forces' expedition to Outland and Azeroth's weakened defenses to greatly expand his forces, preparing a plan of revenge against all of Azeroth. Before his preparations were complete, however, Zul'jin was assassinated by a group of unknown adventurers. The Amani Trolls were left leaderless, and the revenge plan came to nothing.

35.03: Kael'thas, who had disappeared during the battle at Tempest Keep, fled back to the Isle of Quel'Danas. With Illidan's death, Kael'thas had now openly joined the Burning Legion's demon lord Kil'jaeden, and he seized Anveena, the incarnation of the Sunwell. Kil'jaeden personally took command at the Sunwell, directing the demon army against the combined forces of Azeroth and Outland pursuing them. This would be the final battle for both Kael'thas and Kil'jaeden!