Warcraft Universe
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The Warcraft Universe is a fictional universe in which the Warcraft series of computer games is set. Known worlds of this fantasy universe are Azeroth (homeworld of the Humans), and Draenor (homeworld of the Orcs). The setting was very much inspired by the Warhammer Fantasy games, and, to some extent, the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse. The fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien also served as a foundation; many of the races are patterned after Tolkien's, and placenames are often made to sound like Sindarin, the predominant Elvish language used in Lord of the Rings.
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Games set in the Warcraft Universe
Computer games
Strategy Games
- Warcraft: Orcs & Humans
- Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
- Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal
- Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition
- Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
- Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
Other
- Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans (adventure game, cancelled)
- World of Warcraft (MMORPG)
Tabletop games
- Warcraft campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game
- Warcraft strategy board game
Books
- Warcraft: Day of the Dragon
- Warcraft: Lord of the Clans
- Warcraft: Of Blood and Honor
- Warcraft: The Last Guardian
- Warcraft: War of the Ancients Trilogy
- Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy
Geography
The Warcraft Universe includes many worlds, connected by a chaotic vortex called the Twisting Nether. Travel between these worlds is a rare event, but it can be achieved by so-called portals.
The World of Azeroth
Azeroth is an Earth-like planet, inhabited by a diverse array of species. Most of the action of the Warcraft games takes place on this planet. For more information, see the World of Azeroth
The World of Draenor
Draenor (referred to as Outland after its partial destruction) is a harsh world that glares in a reddish hue. The waters seem foul, but this is misleading: the planet is capable of supporting life. It is the homeland of the Orcs and other related races (Ogres, Draenor Giants, and Draenei) that invaded Azeroth through the rift called the Dark Portal. The energies of this and subsequent portals opened by the Orcs were so intense that the world was ripped apart, and nowadays, only floating islands and debris remain. The world was originally a dense green swampland, but the demonic corruption of the Orcs by the Burning Legion scarred the land so thoroughly that it was left as little more than a dusty wasteland. The dominant life forms of the world were once the Draenei. Gul'dan the Warlock describes these beings as a "a weak people -- hardly worth the effort of our raiding sweep." After the destruction of Draenor, a few Draenei remained alive on Outland, but their numbers were further crippled by the Fel Orcs led by the Pit Lord Magtheridon, who completely conquered the remains of the planet. It wasn't until Illidan Stormrage and his band of High Elves and Naga arrived that the world was freed from Magtheridon's iron grip.
Peoples of Draenor
Races native to the world of Draenor:
Note: The Draenor giants are rarely mentioned or referenced to. The only reference to them was concerning the temples of the damned used by the Orcs in the Second War. The temples are made from the bones of the petrified corpses of a race of giants that were native to Draenor. Nothing else is known about them.
The Twisting Nether and the Beyond
A chaotic swirling mass, the Twisting Nether is the fabric of the universe. One can think of the Twisting Nether as the universe itself, although this is rather simplistic. It can be more accurately described as a higher plane of existence, where powerful beings exist that shape the events we see. It is not to be confused with space as we think of it for it is clear that space is a well understood concept by the races of Azeroth. The Dwarves, for instance, originally created and bestowed with knowledge by a species of inter-dimensional entities known the Titans, have large mechanical astrolabes which demonstrate the movements of planets, stars, and extra-solar bodies through space. The Elves, furthermore, have been shown to possess telescopes for observing objects in the night sky. This space between the stars and planets is frequently called "The Great Dark Beyond," or simply "The Beyond," and it is described by Gul'dan as a place where the spirits of the newly dead go. On the other hand, the Nether, known varyingly as the Void, is shown to be a hell-like place above (or below) space and time as mortals observe them, and is the realm of Demons, what Gul'dan describes as "the long dead." It is arguable as to whether all dead beings invariably go to the "Great Dark" and the Nether, as humans, who worship what they call "the Holy Light," have been known to perform resurrections in which a winged being of light can be seen bringing back the dead with rays of sunlight. Furthermore, Orcs routinely commune with the natural spirits of their dead ancestors through the wind and the earth. It is perhaps possible, that in Gul'dans lifetime, before the Orcs broke free of the demonic possession, that no Orcs were simply "good enough" to go anywhere but the "Beyond."
Demons of the Burning Legion
Known demon races from the Twisting Nether:
Related topics
External links
- The History of Warcraft (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/story/chapter1.shtml)fr:Warcraft