Itās been stated by Blizzard that Worgen are canonically the strongest and fastest race in the Alliance. Of course this is very vague, but it at least gives us something to go off of.
I assume Worgen are super naturally strong, with the examples you stated being good evidence of such.
Alright, here we go! Time to tackle these big questions!
Gilneans and Druidic Shapeshifting
This oneās a topic of debate, as Iām sure you know. Ordinarily, in a debate, Iād humor both ideas. But since my goal is to write an RP guide, accurate to the best of my knowledge, Iāll have to decide. If someone in my guild asked me, or if someone asked me personally, Iād say no. Harvest Witches were not able to shapeshift, before being enhanced with the worgen curse. I say this for a few reasons, which Iāll explain in the drop-down menus below.
1. Harvest Witch teachings do not include shapeshifting.
Gilnean harvest witches follow āthe old waysā, basically a term for their traditional pagan heritage. This belief is described in various quest text from NPCs, and is explained as a form of paganism, but centered on mother earth itself. Think real-world druidism in medieval era, or Neopaganism in modern day. The fact is, this Gilnean pagan heritage is culturally and fundamentally different than the Night Elf druidism. It does not teach shapeshifting.
2. A Wild God has not taught them druidism
Looking at the other druidic races, each involves shapeshifting in their quest text and in their culture. Their druidic ways can be traced back to a single wild god, that taught them druidism in the first place. For the Kaldorei and Tauren, that is the god of druidism himself, Cenarius. For the darkspear trolls, that is Gonk, the crafty Raptor god. The Gilnean pagans have no such gods in their culture, much less one that has approached them to teach druidism.
3. There are no animal gods in Gilneas.
Thatās not to say druidism has to be taught. Perhaps it can be learned on your own. But even then, druidic forms are not simple polymorphs like mages use. These are gifts from the corresponding gods. Worship the cat god, you earn the cat form. Worship the bird god, you earn the bird form. Harvest Witches do not mention the existence of wild gods, nor do they seem focused on animal life at all. Not a single animal spirit is seen, mentioned, or suggested to be in Gilneas.
4. Gilnean Shapeshifting is not seen.
The only lore we have on Harvest Witches is from the starter zone. They are mentioned only briefly in later quests, and only briefly in the Genn short story. In the starter zone, we do not see shapeshifting. We see it from the player character, yes, because that is how the ingame druid class unlocks its abilities as you level. But while shapeshifting is seen time and again in the questlines of other races, not once does Celestine of the Harvest or other Harvest Witches use a bear form to fight the worgen, or the forsaken. Celestine is seen in Hyjal much later using ravern form, after having been bitten and thus enhanced by the worgen curse, but never once uses this shapeshifting during the Gilnean experience.
Addressing Kul Tiran Druids
Again, Gilnean druidism is a topic of debate, and I do expect the Kul Tiran druidism to be used as an argument against this, supporting Gilnean human shapeshifting. However, looking at the Kul Tiras, they have much more when it comes to shapeshifting in this aspect of their culture. Things Gilnean human harvest witches do not.
Thornspeaker teachings include shapeshifting.
This is seen in their questlines, which include seeing them taking on various different forms. Even their teacher, the last living and friendly Drust, seems to stay in a druid form. Celestine and the Harvest Witches cannot say the same, in the Gilnean stater zone.
An ancient being has taught them druidism.
Unlike the Gilneans who simply have granny Celestine, the Thornspeakers are actually taught by the last living good Drust, who is over 2,700 years old by now, and was part of a race that was spirutal, mysterious, and the original inhabitants of the land. While heās a far cry from a wild god, he still has far more teachings to offer than any Harvest Witch had access to in Gilneas.
There are Wild Gods in Kul Tiras.
Unlike Gilneas, where the sky is choked with industrial smog and the hills are reaped of trees, the land of Kul Tiras has many animal spirits, and is overall in far better condition. Once an ally of the Thornspeakers, the wolf spirit āGreenstalkerā is addressed in a questline, where heās been controlled by the Heartsbane, and you have to kill him to restore his spirit. What is more, the stag spirit āAthairā has been present in Kul Tiras since its founding, and Athainne is even confirmed to bless Thornspeaker druids.
And finally, addressing the last point, the shapeshifting ability is seen time and time again in the game. Where Gilnean NPCs are never seen using druid forms in their starter zone, Kul Tiras is full of those nasty Thornspeaker druid forms, from zone questlines or world quests.
Harvestwitches become Worgen
This is where the Worgen Curse comes into play, for the Harvestwitches. These Gilnean pagans were already intimate with nature, and were capable of āsimple nature magicā. Once bitten by the worgen curse, a worgen is spiritual connected to both Goldrinn and Elune, and thus capable of far more druidic potential. The Harvestwitches already had an intimacy with pagan practices, and so took to shapeshifting like fish to water. In fact, it is after they are bitten and then taught by the Kaldorei that the Harvestwitches return to the spotlight in the Horde Silverpine Forest questline, as the Inconspicuous Bears. If they were capable of this before, they would have done so.
In conclusion, human Harvestwitches did not use druidic shapeshifting. The new Thornspeaker druidism actually helps support this. For each reason the Gilneans canāt, the Thornspeakers have a reason they can. The Thornspeakers may be humans, but they have multiple wild gods and thousands of years of knowledge at their disposal. Harvestwitches were capable of far less, until enhanced by the worgen curse.
Thankyou for this question! I ended up having to do a lot more digging into Thornspeakers, and thinking on druidism itself. Which is a good thing! Iāll have to include all this in the āSoulā section of the guideā¦ maybe some of it in Culture tooā¦ but Iāll definitely have to include this in some kind of additional Worgen Classes RP guide. Hereās your free bacon, in case I forgot
sniffs around for the bacon
What is your take on Worgen Death Knightās?
Is the official Blizzard explanation of the player being an escapee from Shadowfang Keep and getting caught by the Scourge and raised by Arthas an acceptable one? Or are Worgen DKās more of a impossibility that only exist for the sake of faction racial class balance?
I was just thinking about this the other day. And Iāll allow Raedolf to give you an official answer, but I will give you my take on it.
Personally, I was never a fan of the official Blizzard explanation, you and your friend escaped Shadowfang Keep and end up joining the Argent Dawn and then get killed and raised. My main issue with this was your character theoretically has no control over themselves as a Worgen, they havenāt done the ritual or anything. However, I also remembered that there are Worgen in Grizzly Hills who seem to have some semblance of control, in that they can stay in human form and transform into their worgen form.
Because of this you could argue that you and your friend escape from Shadowfang Keep and have some control over your Worgen nature, and thus stay in human form because I doubt many in the Argent Dawn would take kindly to a giant bloodthirsty wolf, after that you join the Argent Dawn and then are later killed and raised.
Itās not the greatest explanation for Worgen Death Knight, but itās possible.
The way I play my Worgen DK, he was one of the people of Pyrewood infected with the curse and taken to Shadowfang Keep, he ends up being killed by the adventurers (the players) when they show up to kill Arugal. Then when the Lich King sends the Sanālayn to retrieve Argualās remains to bring him back (we find him in Grizzly Hills) they also bring back several Worgen remains to be revived as Death Knights because whatās more deadly than a ferocious Worgen thatās also a Death Knight?
Anyways, thatās how I did my character because to me that makes more sense, and it avoids the issue of āhow did he have control of himself and not get killed on the spot by the Argent Dawn?ā when he escaped Shadowfang Keep like the Blizzard explanation for Worgen DK.
Thankyou again for finding these two. Funny enough, the debate on worgen diets is what started it all for me, years ago. Someone on the forums asked the question, I answered, and a then-guildie disagreed and began trolling on an alt.
Itās been three years since then, and Iāve had the opportunity to research, ponder, and discuss the topic. At length. The question of āwhat worgen eatā really is bigger than simply taste. It involves biologyā¦ instinctā¦ and delving into what the worgen really are. Whether theyāre furry humans, or savage predators.
In short, yes, worgen eat meat. The wolf-men are predatory and carnivorous by nature. The worgen is physically equipped for the role of predator, with claws, a sensitive nose, and a maw of fangs. So too is the worgen instinctually predatory, by default. Halford Ramsey narrates it best in Curse of the Worgen - a sophisticated Gilnean detective - once he is turned.
A new, uncharted world stretched before me. And yet raw desire and emotion warred within. A need to sate hunger, to slake thirst, to run with feet barely touching the ground.
ā¦ Then a shift in the wind alerted me to another scent, an odor I had encountered many times in my workā¦ Blood.
Instantly calm, peace, and serenity were shattered. Rage swelled anew. I raced toward the source.
There was no thought, only action. I attacked! Driven by hunger, overwhelmed by the desire to pierce flesh with my teeth, to rend and tearā¦
(Curse of the Worgen, issue 3, pg 1-4)
Alpha Prime - the first worgen - addresses this instinct as well, more than once in the book. Perhaps one of his most forward of quotes is this, addressing on his imprisonment.
āBe at peaceā? At PEACE?! We are meant to run! To hunt!
The exile of the Dream was a torture you could never possibly comprehend! You cannot tame what is meant to be wild!
(Curse of the Worgen, Issue 5, pg 20)
This does not appear to be āsomeā worgen, either. Even the most sophisticated Gilnean worgen example we have, King Genn Greymane, hunts on all fours, with a pack. In fact, it was the bitten nobles that accompanied him, hunting on all fours in Teldrassil.
Those who accompanied Genn included other surviving members of the nobility, male and female. However, in addition, favored officers and Gennās own personal staff and guards would also be included in the āroyalā hunt.
(Wolfheart p. 263)
He bared his teeth as he imagined the nearby pack pursuing its prey, and increased his pace in order to better his chances of joining the chase before it was too late. He knew that the pack would not hunt too far apart from one another. Their lupine tendencies would make the worgen follow certain traits that Varian understood very well.
(Wolfheart p. 264)
And at last he saw a worgen who could only be the Gilnean king. Genn flung himself after a massive boar with tusks so sharp and strong that, if the animal turned to face the worgen, Genn would truly risk death. At the moment, though, the boar thought only of flight. Genn, however, was fast gaining. He ran sometimes on only his legs, but other times used his hands too. With a litheness that Varian had not even seen from the much younger Eadrik, the veteran ruler closed on the boar.
(Wolfheart pp. 265-266)
The bear let out a moan and fell on its left side, its throat now torn out. A worgen stood above the dead animal, blood and bits of meat still dangling from the end of his claws. The worgen looked at Varian.
(Wolfheart p. 274)
Iāve recently found another quote for support as well, in the newest book āBefore the Stormā. The passage below begins with Anduin and Genn (in human form), eating breakfast together at the table, and Christie Golden takes this moment to comment on Gennās other eating habits.
āI had almost forgotten we were heading into summer,ā Greymane said as he helped himself to a sweet-smelling, perfectly ripe peach. Amberseed buns, Stromgarde cheese, herbed eggs, ham, bacon, fresh sunfruit, and pastries also had been laid out, and milk, coffee, tea, and a selection of juices were provided to wash it down.
As a worgen, Greymane had hunted for food in a way that the rest of the Alliance could not, and could feed upon things others could not. Worgen were, in many ways, the strongest and best suited to war, for the adage that an army marched on its stomach was a true one. But clearly the king of Gilneas still relished the taste of summerās first fruits.
(Before the Storm p. 46)
More support can be found in other worgen lore sources as well. The Nightbane worgen in the comic Dark Riders love meat with a passion, so much so that two foolish worgen attacked without waiting for the pack. There are several mentions of bacon in the game, in jest, but there are also several instances of worgen eating meat, anywhere worgen can be found. In Duskwood, the Nightbane can be found eating slain wolves. In Silverpine Forest, the Bloodfang worgen were easily distracted by the meat on the table in the Shadowfang Keep dungeon. In the Grizzly Hills, the secretly worgen villagers try to sell you raw meat, and fur with puncture marks.
Thatās not to say worgen canāt eat other things. Even my family dog loves her some potato chips. Worgen are at least half human too, even if they do have a canine mouth, so chocolate or grapes isnāt going to kill you if you eat it, as it would a dog. What is true is that worgen are compelled to eat meat, as well as to hunt it themselves.
Thankyou for this question! I actually had to go looking for old posts, and through various books in my kindle library for this one. Now that I have them on hand, reformatting this for the guide should be a piece of cake.
The only one I couldnāt find the source link for was the vendor in Silverbrooke village, that sells you raw meat and punctured fur scraps. Evidence of hunting by fang, even by the āhumanā villagers. Iām gonna need to hop ingame to find that oneā¦ couldnāt find him on wowpedia or wowhead.
Hmmmā¦ good oneā¦ this is one I havenāt tackled in detail quite yet. Letās see what I can come up with here.
I donāt doubt that the worgen are strong, but Iād need a source for this, if Iām to claim that in a lore-based RP guide. If youāre going off of the racial stats (which donāt seem to do much), Iād be hesitant to take that mechanic as the full truth.
It is true worgen are the fastest, able to keep up with any horse or mechastrider when they take to all fours [1]. It is also true that the worgen are as agile as elves [2], and that it was using this swiftness and dexterity that they took down Forsaken, Tauren, and goblin shredders in Ashenvale [3].
As for strengthā¦ letās seeā¦in Curse of the Worgen, we see a worgen lift a man off the ground, and tear them in two[4], as you said. We also see a worgen rip off a satyrās head[5], as well as lift enemies off the ground with one arm, including a kaldorei woman[6], a human man[7], and a whole adult worgen[8]. Worgen are seen busting through the solid wooden doors[9] of the Gilnean cathedral, as well as through glass windows in Gilneas and Duskwood.
In contrast, we also see worgen bested in strength, mostly when imprisoned or bound. Both Alpha Prime[10] and Halford Ramsey[11] restrained by vines, and unable to break free. Worgen are seen restrained in stocks[12], both in the comic, as well as the starter zone, and several locations in the game.
Judging by how worgen are depicted, they are indeed stronger than a regular human. But Iād be hesitant to claim theyāre the strongest playable race, considering other beefy races like Tauren. The fact that the worgen chose to use swiftness and agility to take down the tauren should be noted. For both the tauren, and the goblin shredders, the worgen outmaneuvered their strong opponents, to strike from behind.
Iām gonna have to think on this one some more, thatās for sure! In the guide, Iād likely try to summarize all this in a few sentences under Strength. Perhaps that the worgen are indeed physically strong, but often rely on their agility as well.
Aaah, the good olā fashioned Worgen Deathknights question. Iāve definately got an answer for this one. Letās see if I can do this one too before I have to go to classā¦
Worgen Resistance to Undeath
Letās address that first part, so we understand how the worgen deathknight is at all possible.
Worgen are resistant to conventional forms of undeath. It is for this reason that Sylvanas cannot raise them after the forsaken kill them in battle, and are thus more effective in countering the forsaken than humans. This is noted in the Silverpine Forest questline, and humans later in the questline voluntarily become worgen for this very reason.
āConventional forms of undeathā includes natural undeath as well. See Duskwood. Duskwood is a zone full of undeath, including zombies, banshees, skeletons, and ghosts, without any scourge involvement whatsoever. These restless dead are in fact natural undead, restless after death for other reasons, usually if they have unfinished business in the world of the living. Not only are worgen unable to be raised by typical necromancers, but will not come back as restless zombies, as a human might. All because of the worgenās spiritual connection to Goldrinn and Elune, a god of Life and goddess of Azeroth respectively.
Now that weāve covered conventional forms of undeath, letās talk about the Lich King. The Lich King is far more powerful than an everyday necromancer. Where a Valkyr are simply blessed spirits of Vykrul women, the Lich King is more of a death god. The Lich King is far more powerful, having been made so by The Burning Legion. He is able to telepathically control an entire undead army, raise a whole dragon to undeath, and raise various races as deathknights. Note also that Sylvanasās valkyr can only make mediocre rotting undead, where the Lich King raised super powerful deathknights. Considering how much more powerful the Lich King is, compared to Sylvanasās forces, yes. It does make sense that the Lich King can raise worgen as Deathknights.
Now to address that note on the actual scenario given to us. First off, Iāll say that no, you do not need to follow that scenario exactly. There are two important details when it comes to creating a Worgen Deathknight backstory.
Worgen can become Deathknights. Really, it doesnāt matter if you use WoWās example or not. We know that worgen can become deathknights. If you have a better idea on how your worgen came in contact with the scourge, go for it. No where does it say 100% of worgen deathknights came from Shadowfang Keep.
Worgen have come into contact with the Scourge. Time and again, worgen have come into contact with the scourge forces, directly or otherwise. Hereās just a few examples I can think of.
When they were first summoned in Gilneas, the Kaldorei Worgen summoned were pointed towards the Scourge outside the wall.
After the Forsaken killed some of those Kaldorei Worgen, Arugal, and the human worgen in Shadowfang Keep, the scourge was in the area to raise Arugal.
According to the DK questline, some worgen fled Shadowfang Keep and joined the fight against the Scourge with groups like the argent dawn.
Raised as a Shade by the Lich Kingās princes, Arugal started his own Wolfcult in the Grizzly Hills, at the Lich Kingās behest. Living worgen were brought with him to northrend, where they gave the curse to willing villagers in Silverbrooke and other human villages. Those who opposed the cult were killed, and raised as simple undead to work tirelessly in the mines for the scourge.
In short, we know that worgen can become deathknights. And we know that worgen have came in contact with the scourge on multiple occasions. Which occasion, how they died, and how their body was recovered is up to you.
If some human tells you that you can 100% only play a DK worgen from Shadowfang Keep, ask them if they grew up in Northshire and killed kobolds for money. The starter zone is an example, not a rule.
Worgen Psychology
Totally gonna be late for class, but I want to answer this one too.
This aspect of worgen psychology is incredibly interesting to me. On one hand, all worgen are subject to predatory instincts and seething rage. Yet at the same time, even āferalā worgen are completely sane, contrary to popular belief.
Letās look at Shadowfang Keep first off. Shadowfang keep itself actually has a ton of support for feral sentience. At first glance, it looks like a few beasts that just overpowered some humans and took the place. In reality, Archmage Arugal summoned the worgen, including Alpha Prime, the first worgen. Alpha Prime spoke with him, and eventually earned Arugalās loyalty. In the Curse of the Worgen epilogue, we actually see Archmage Arugal bend the knee to Alpha Prime. In the very next frame, we see worgen subjects of Alpha Prime leaving Shadowfang Keep, set on betraying and overthrowing their alpha. These worgen indeed wild, and are fully sentient.
This is supported by the original Shadowfang Keep dungeon as well, that came out years before the comic. In the dungeon, we see several worgen. These worgen are not only named, but also wear clothes, and have several voice lines.
āFeralā worgen are not āmindlessā worgen. Many of the Kaldorei and even human-worgen in Shadowfang keep were sentient. They were even able to use human form - without using the ritual - as depicted earlier in Curse of the Worgen. Their feral lifestyle is a choice, lead by their wild but oh-so-sentient and clever leader, Alpha Prime.
These worgen are in their right mind, and have minds of their own. Just like Varkas was able to set out to betray Alpha Prime, it is just as possible for other worgen to flee Shadowfang Keep altogether if they so wished, as in the Deathknight questline.
Itās really nice see someone talking about lore with sources and logic, regardless the race or subject that is studied, congrats for that pal!!
Now, time to go for the bacon. I think itās pretty obvious that Gilneas main religion was the Light, considering that they have a cathedral in the midle of the city, and probably the harvest witch and his magic were more like a secondary practice among Gilneas humans.
So, if this were true, what is the current state of Worgens in relation with the Light? they are faithful to the Light? they still practicing it? Or are more inclinated to tilt his faith to the Druidism?
Thanks for the answer. One last question about the sentience of Worgen DKs. Given that DKs raised by Arthas were enslaved to him, do you think his immense necromantic powers played any role in caging the feral instincts of the worgen?
āIn the early days of humanity and its civilization, many tribes of humans had primitive belief systems that incorporated simple nature magic. However, the rise of organized religion such as the Holy Light and the potent arcane magics introduced by the high elves quickly supplanted such traditions. Gilneas, due to its relative isolation, has retained a degree of their ancient culture in the contemporary era. The religious leaders of what was in Gilneas referred to as the āold waysā eventually became āharvest-witchesā; those who used their nature powers to augment Gilneasā agricultural output during and following its period of industrializationā (source: Ask CDev Round 3)
Given that the Church of the Holy Light was (and still is) the dominant religion throughout the human kingdoms for some time, id argue that most non-druid Worgen still adhere to that belief system. As for the Harvest Witches of Gilneas, the Night Elves seemed to have helped them to get a better understanding of their powers. And im sure they have adopted the same Druidism of the Night Elves or at least tied their own ancient Harvest Witch beliefs with that of the Nelves. Given that Gilneas has had an intimate relationship with the elves after they took them in, I wouldnāt be surprised if more Gilneans took to Druidistic beliefs for the simple reason of trying to understand their curse. Perhaps some have even tied their belief of the Holy Light to that of Elune. Dealing in speculation of course.
Interesting. Yes, makes sense that some Worgens being nowadays more into Druidism than the Light. I would like to believe that also some of them still attached to the Light, specially those who were priests before the curse.
Iām glad you appreciate it! I really do love this stuff.
Worgen Spirituality
Thatās a very big question, and a sensitive topic. No matter the answer, someone would be upset. Even I have changed my perspective on it from time to time, as I learn more about Druidism, worgen cultures, and The Light.
The topic of worgen religion itself is quite a difficult one, because there is no one single culture of worgen to look at. Thereās Gilnean culture, then Gilnean worgen. Thereās Kaldorei culture, then thereās kaldorei worgen. Beteween the Gilneans, thereās a cultural divide between upper-class Royal and lower-class Rebel. Between the Kaldorei worgen, thereās a divide between those that worshipped Goldrinn and became worgen, and those who were simply bitten in the crossfire. There are packs made of just Kaldorei-Worgen (Terrowulf), of just human Worgen (Greymane, Moonrage, and Bloodmoon), and several consisting of both, no doubt mixing the cultures (Nightbane, Bloodfang, and Talonbranch).
There is such a variety of contributing variables that, in the end, it really depends on what culture the character is a part of, what their personal experiences and beliefs are, and what kind of character you wish to play.
That saidā¦ Iāll tell you what I do know.
Worgen Religions (click to expand)
Goldrinn and Elune
The two gods Goldrinn and Elune are frequently mentioned in the worgen lore, for good reason. It is their combined magics that created the worgen curse, and thus it is to they that the worgen owe their strength. Even if Gilnean worgen do not openly worship these pagan deities, they surely seem to revere them. Genn Greymane himself refers to Goldrinn as āour patron spiritā, and respects Varian because he is Goldrinnās chosen champion.
We see things that no normal human can. Some call you LoāGosh, though that they use a Taur-ahe title for you I find ironic. Still, it is but another name for Goldrinn, as we have come to know our patron spirit since our transformation. I saw the aura of that spirit around you the first moment you arrived at the banquet, and even though you gave every indication of crushing our hopes then, I still held out for our chances because I could see his touch upon you as if it were your own skin. . . .ā
Knaak, Richard Aā¦ World of Warcraft: Wolfheart (p. 267). Gallery Books. Kindle Edition.
Varian surveyed the other worgen, and though they were swift to recover from their shock, their movement yet struck him as slightly slower than his own. āGoldrinn . . . ,ā Genn muttered, staring. āLoāGosh . . . his aura . . . it surrounds you so completely. . . .ā Around them, the ears of the other worgen flattened, but in awe, not fear. āGoldrinn truly touches your heart, your soul . . . ,ā Genn murmured. āThe wolf honors you, and soāso do we. . . .ā Varian said nothing, but he, too, was at last able to sense what Genn had known from the beginning. The ghost of the great wolf had made him its chosen, its champion.
Knaak, Richard Aā¦ World of Warcraft: Wolfheart (pp. 331-332). Gallery Books. Kindle Edition.
Some Gilneans, however, have come to embrace and worship Goldrinn fully, such as those that joined Alpha Primeās āWolf Cultā in Gilneas. Alpha Prime himself spoke of both Goldrinn and Elune when he spoke of the curse as a purity, in his cultās holy book āPurity of Essenceā. Thanks to this book, the Wolf Cult appears to be the dominant belief in the Bloodfang (Curse of the Worgen) and Nightbane (Dark Riders) packs. The Nightbane and Bloodfang even refer to the Scythe of Elune as the āFang of the Fatherā, referring to the male wolf god Goldrinn, rather than Elune.
The Gilneans at least revere Goldrinn and Elune, while the more tribal worgen seem to heavily worship Goldrinn. While it is not stated that ALL worgen MUST worship Goldrinn, it may be difficult not to feel some respect and gratitude towards the great god of the hunt, and the goddess of balance. But again, it comes down to the character. A street rat risen to greatness thanks to the Curse may be thankful, while an aristocrat knocked down to a new low may loath those gods responsible for the curse. Even soā¦ it is indeed curious that Genn Greymane, the King of Gilneas itself, enjoys the worgen form so readily, and respects Goldrinn so much.
The Old Ways
Now to address the Old Ways, which the Harvest Witches of Gilneas follow. Iāve heard it referred to as Gilnean Paganism, and really, that seems quite accurate. We donāt know much about the Old Ways, but we know that it was an old animistic (pagan) belief left over from the days of human tribes. We are told that this had completely died out in other human nations, and was in the process of dieing out (more slowly) in the secluded city of Gilneas. We are also told that it was rare, only practiced on the fringes of agrarian villages, and that Genn hadnāt been exposed to it - in his own country - until the fall of Gilneas.
He had heard that druidism was practiced among some of Gilneasās agrarian folk, but he hadnāt been exposed to it until recently.
Lord of his Pack, pg 2
The Old Ways are indeed a secondary religion of Gilneas, if not even rarer. Gilneas is based on industrial revolution England, so letās look there as an example. Paganism once dominated Scotland and Ireland. Now, 59.5% are Christian, while Neo-Paganism is counted somewhere within the 0.4%. Meaning, if you have one thousand people, up to four of them may be some variation of pagan. This may have been slightly higher in the industrial revolution some two hundred years ago, and may be higher in Gilneas - set in a fantasy world with spirits - but the point still stands that the āOld Waysā would be rather rare. This number is said to have grown slightly during the Gilnean famine, and of course may have grown more popular among Gilnean Worgen as they become closer with nature.
Yet even so, the Old Ways are far from being the prominent religion among worgen. Rather, it is more akin to added lore, to justify and introduce Gilnean Worgen druids.
The Light
The Lightā¦ is an interesting topic. The Light appears to be the dominant religion not only among humans, but among the other Alliance races as well. The Gnomes pray to the Light in the starter zone, the humans dwarves and draenei all have priests as their current racial leaders, and several civilian NPCs pray to The Light.
The Light appears to be the dominant religion of Gilneas as well. The āLightās Dawn Cathedralā stands at the very center point of the city. Genn refers to praying and The Light multiple times in Curse of the worgen (āI pray youāre both wrongā and āLight, noā¦ not this. Not now. Not the Forsaken.ā in issue 5), as well as Liam, who says āLight, help us all!ā directed to the The Light, as the cataclsym strikes.
As for Gilneans once they become worgen, itās difficult to say. I would say an individualās belief is heavily influenced by the culture surrounding them, and this certainly applies to worgen. Those like Genn living in Stormwind amid other Alliance races may continue to worship the Holy Light alonside them, maybe even strengthened in this fellowship, āas iron sharpens ironā. Those living in the Nightbane and Bloodfang may revere the Light in their spare time, alongside Goldrinn and Elune, or forget the Light altogether. The same can be said for those that spend their time in the Cenarion Circle.
Also, the one worgen Priest I can recall is in Raven Hill Duskwood, named Sister Elsington. She uses holy Light, and gives you quests regarding the restless ghosts in the area, helping you calm their souls. https://wow.gamepedia.com/Sister_Elsington
All Three (Speculation)
Some food for thought as wellā¦ My own character has explored each of these religions in his own way, over the years. In a way, he now practices a balance of all three. Because it is religion, it is influenced by personal experience, personal choice, and cultural influence. With a Harvest Witch past, discovering Goldrinn and Elune in roleplay a few years ago, and a recent near-death encounter with The Light, heās found a way for all three to work in agreement.
The Light is all that is good in the universe. Goldrinn is a god of Life, far lesser in power than the Light. Elune is a goddess of balance, found only on Azeroth, while the Light covers the whole universe. The Old Ways is simply a reverence of nature, and caring for nature in the mortal world with basic nature magic.
Chronicle 1 says that in the beginning, there was Light. Where the Light was absent, Shadow grew to power. Rising tension between the two resulted in conflict, ārupturing the fabric of creation, and birthing a new realm into existenceā. If only Light and Shadow existed, then the other four planes of magic (Life and Death, Order and Disorder) resulted from the āexplosionā. Since Life and Order are positive, they must have come from Light, and since Disorder and Death are destructive, they must have come from Shadow in contrast. If Life goes hand-in-hand with Light, then nature itself - as well as the demigods - exist because of the Light.
Therefor; Nature obeys the Wild Gods, which obey the plane of Life, which obey The Light.
In this way, using nature magic, revering Goldrinn, and worshipping the Light functions, as a nature oriented follower of the Light. Just as a soldier may serve in a different regiment, but serve the same country.
This is certainly going to be an interesting topic to include, in the worgen RP guide. āReligionā itself is a field of study, that people can major in, especially anthropology, theology, and psychology. Iām just a worgen-obsessed Environmental Science major.
I dare say I went far deeper into this topic tonight than needbeā¦ but such a big question! And worthy of a good answer.
Thanks for the reply! Thatās a lot of information. BTW, related to the relation with the Light and the realm of life and nature, the lore says that Velen told to Nobundo that shamanism was another way to the Light (or something like this). May be that could helo to understand the Link between the Light and the realm of Life or Nature.
Oh yes, of course! Apologies, I really should have noted that while discussing them.
Yes. It is confirmed, via CDev response, that the Lich Kingās power suppresses these instincts when the worgen is raised as a Deathknight.
Worgen Psycology: Emotion and Instinct (or lack there of)
When raised as a Deathknight, a juggernaut of the scourge, much of the individualās identity is lost. Emotions, memories, even past addictions[1] and instincts[2] are all suppressed, overwhelmed, and replaced by Death Magic.
Which makes a lot of sense. Those worgen instincts arenāt just there for fun. Instinct serves a purpose; survival. The instinct to flee, if youāre in danger. Instinct to protect your young, keeps the next generation alive. Instinct to hunt, keeps you fed. An undead being no longer fears danger because itās already dead, has no need to protect children if it cannot reproduce, and has no need to hunt if it never grows hungry. No need for shelter, if you never need to sleep. Whether itās because theyāre dead, or because the Lich King found them unnecessary, Worgen Deathknights have as much instinct as any dead wolf carcass.
Worgen Biology: Death
Now here, I have something to offer.
It is true that worgen get their fur, fangs, and instincts from the worgen curse, which in turn draws from the Wild God Goldrinn. If the worgen curse is drowned out by the Lich King, then why are worgen deathknights still worgen?
The answer here is simply this. A worgenās body is, physically, worgen. When you undergo your first change, your true body turns into a worgen. Note that this is not a druid form[4]. When a worgen dies in a druid form, they return to worgen form in death[3]. When a worgen dies in worgen form, they remain in worgen form[5][6]. Either way, upon death, the worgen remains as worgen.
Therefore, a dead worgen is still, physically, worgen. A fact that surprised Jarod Shadowsong[5], as he came to realize the worgen was no mere druid form.
Worgen Deathknights: They have needs too!
So weāve covered typical worgen instincts and behavior, and how you can just throw those out the window when it comes to worgen Deathknights. But, while weāre on the subject, there are plenty of Deathknight urges that can supplement those missing instincts.
Namely, the hunt. Worgen have that constant urge to hunt, just as Demonhunters are compelled to wreak havoc. Deathknights, in turn, have the need to cause torment. While wolves do not tend to torment their food often, the prey no doubt feels a great level of fear during the chase, and despair afterwards. This may not be the most effective means to get your torture fix, as skinning a Horde spy alive might, but it gives you a reason to hunt all the same, should you wish.
Are blood elf death knights still afflicted by their racial addiction to magic?
No, though their new addiction, the one all Ebon Blade death knights possess, is arguably worse: the need to inflict pain. If death knights do not regularly inflict agony upon another creature, they begin to suffer wracking pains that could drive them into a mindless, blood-seeking hysteriaāa far worse fate than that of those who suffer from arcane withdrawal.
When the player death knights are pressed into the service of the Lich King, their minds are flooded with his indomitable will. The mind of a worgen who has not undergone the purification ritual beneath Talādoren is in a state of constant battle between the wild, animal instincts of the curse and the rational mind of a human. With the addition of the Lich Kingās control, however, the instincts of the curse are shattered by his power, leaving the logical, human mind in the service of the Scourge. And with the Lich Kingās will removed, as was the case with the Knights of the Ebon Blade at Lightās Hope Chapel, only the human portions of the mind remain, giving the now free, undead worgen control over its destiny.
I really should write a worgen class guide sometime in the future, to go over all this again more efficiently. But Iāll admit Deathknight lore isnāt my forte. So when my niche (worgen) overlaps with another niche (deathknights), Iāve been able to contact someone in the know about Deathknights, or even a Deathknight worgen RPer that shows their stuff. I knew this one guy a couple years ago, Deathcharge on ED, who rocked the Deathknight Worgen RP pretty well.
Anywho, hereās more thankyou bacon
Not that youāre hungry or anything, deathknight. But still.
Certainly is! Thank God for those dropdown spoiler boxes, am I right? Thatā¦ andā¦ they removed the character limit.
Iāmma have to look into that!
It spoke to me of secrets and power, and also of truths. The Light had not forsaken the Broken! The fel energies that the orcs had wielded long ago against the draenei had infused us, causing a break in our ability to be heard by, or perhaps to hear, the Light. The same that had been responsible for the degradation of our bodies.
But our spirits were not broken, and the air offered to me another path, through which I might deliver my people.
What was that?
It taught me the path of shamanism, which in a way is just another facet of the Light. Joining the wind was the water of the oasis, the fire from my camp and the earth upon which I sat. All had something to say.
Over the next few years they taught me what it was to call upon and be one with the elements of the world. And they told me that the worlds of all of the stars in the sky, even this one, are made up of these elements.
Thatās certainly interesting, and definitely contributes to the āDruidism serves Lightā theory. Shamanism, which in a way is just another facet of the Light. Could make senseā¦ Shamanism uses āSpiritā, the element of lifeforce, which is on the positive side of the cosmology chart, leading to nature.
Iām no lore expert here, but I remember hearing it has something to with Worgen being connected to the Emerald Dream and Nature magic which is all about Life, so basically Worgen are very hard to raise into Undeath unless said person who raises them is very powerful, like the Lich King.
<The Wolf Cult> presents, āPurity of Essenceā
Stormwind Embassy, 5pm WrA / 7pm MG
Meet us at the Stormwind Embassy tonight at 5pm for a lesson on worgen lore. This month, the TRUE story behind the Fall of Gilneas. Come for answers, stay for food, trivia and prizes, questions, and open discussion.
See the official thread for more info, as well as discord and ingame community invites.