So I’ve only returned recently and I understand some lore has changed or been developed for draenei since I last played. Was hoping someone here could help me out with a few questions. I’d appreciate a bit of theorycrafting as well if you feel like it fills in a missing gap.
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To my understanding, the Genedar crashed on Draenor 200 years prior to the Dark Portal’s construction, right? How long ago was the DP itself created, and roughly how old would a draenei be if they were born on the Genedar right before its crash?
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Do we know what motivated the naaru to help draenei flee Argus? I recall they were supposed to be instrumental in defeating the Legion, but in what way have they been since the Legion is now gone?
Now about the Army…
Is it true that the AOTL is canonically made up of hundreds of different races? I read that somewhere and can’t quite find a solid source. It would make sense if it isn’t just made up of draenei with other races being a very rare exception, and I could see why Blizz wouldn’t want to add in dozens of Light-textured races, but I’d like to know from a story perspective.
Thanks for any help you can give, hope my questions aren’t confusing
Correct. Right around two-hundred years.
Thirty-three years from the present as of Battle for Azeroth.
Roughly 233.
Their job was to protect life. As well, knowing the Draenei would be able to help them defeat the Legion and (assumedly) Void.
Kind of unclear what they’re doing now. Assumedly helping clear out Legion and/or Void remnants. Or preparing for the future wars.
Not that I know of. Velen had a vision about such and I believe he said they supposedly were. We’ve only ever seen Lightforged Draenei, a human, and a Lightforged Draenei in it. And I guess maybe a couple Ethereals.
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I’d like to know more about the Naru’s motivations for helping the Draenei. Irenaus isn’t wrong, but there could be more to it.
Keep in mind Sargeras had also contacted the Draenei, and most of them took his deal, lead by Archimonde and Kil’Jaeden. The Naru could have just been countering that, or helping who they could, like assisting refugees.
But also keep in mind what the Naru likes to do to “chosen ones”, look at Illidan. Xe’ra may have had a plan for him since his birth, with his amber eyes. What if she caused his eyes somehow? What other Naru have “chosen” other beings like that? Does Velen have a Naru “sponsor” somewhere like that?
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The naaru being at war with the Void and framing them as equal opposites in a grand war is a new thing in canon, and only X’era has been shown to actively have the whole chosen one plot going on. It’s pretty clear that she wasn’t on the same wavelength as the other naaru, given that the AotL had just her, while the draenei of the Genedar had multiple naaru with them.
Moreover, other naaru actively interfered in her “Chosen One” narrative by helping to kill Illidan. In Burning Crusade, the Void was described as being a natural part of the naaru life cycle, though Void Lords and Void Walkers were seen as dangerous threats.
Based on everything, it seems that the bulk of the naaru did just want to help the draenei, and believed that only a united front of many mortal races would be able to beat the Legion, in the end. They saw potential to eventually end the Legion, but weren’t willing to force a prophecy. The schism was ‘The Grand Army of the Light’ prophecy versus X’era’s “Chosen One” prophecy. In the end, they were both right, but all the naaru except for X’era were portrayed as being benevolent and selfless for the sake of it.
Hell, A’dal crossed from Outland to Azeroth just to make sure a dying crusader didn’t become raised as undead.
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Thanks everyone for the help! It’s a bit difficult catching up to the lore after so much time away.
I don’t want to start a new thread just for another random question, but I was wondering something about the massacre at Shattrath.
If I’m remembering correctly, Velen had a large portion of the draenei stay behind to ensure they wouldn’t be followed into Telredor. A strange red mist came and corrupted the surviving draenei, turning them into broken. Were any of the surviving draenei not made into broken? I know the Aldor tried to defend the city, but I’m not sure where they went afterward or how so many of them avoided being corrupted as well–unless they were just some of the draenei who stayed behind when the Exodar left and returned afterward with the naaru?
It was a hit or miss thing, as I recall. Over the last few years Blizzard has added stuff to the lore of the Battle of Shattrath, specifically just what was used there. Chronicle states that the Old Horde literally threw everything they had at the city, and the battle was a literal hellscape. The Dark Star, summoned demons, corrupted elementals, and tens of thousands of orcs all got launched at Shat in addition to the Red Mist.
There aren’t any specific cases known of defenders who didn’t get mutated, though it’s certainly plausible. The Aldor didn’t stay during the battle, they returned years later to try and rebuild the city instead. I’m unsure as to the exact timing, but it might have been when A’dal and the other naaru arrived.
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Alright, thanks! Appreciate the help^^
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The info for the AOTL on the player’s faction info does say it’s made up of multiple races. But as someone else said, we only see Lightforged Draenei, Turalyon, Naaru, and the lightforged dreadlord guy so far.
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Yeah, part of me thinks it might be because texturing so many races to reflect the Lightforged theme may have been a big investment and would have brought up a call for adding them as allied races as well, but as always it’s impossible to judge the scope of anything ingame to what it should be in lore.
Still, the idea that a bunch of races who survived the Legion and joined the AOTL to avenge their homes is really cool.
I’ve got another question if anyone would like to take a stab at it. I don’t really know if it has an actual answer, but I was curious to see peoples’ thoughts all the same.
In the Warbringer Maraad cinematic, we see he was in the battle of Shattrath. This would definitely confirm that not all draenei who survived it were broken, but it does leave me a little confused.
Now from what I recall from reading ROTH, a great deal of draenei were selected by Velen to remain behind, and I remember something related to him allowing them to inform their families. Others, I think, volunteered. But what everyone seemed to accept was that the point was to die there, wasn’t it? Because the Horde had to believe that the draenei were completely wiped out so that they didn’t scour the rest of Draenor in the hopes of finding the survivors.
But Maraad was supposed to evacuate refugees, which depicts the siege as something the draenei had no time to avoid at all. Is this a soft retcon? It just makes me wonder where he would have taken them, unless we’re just to assume that they wouldn’t have thought to look for a select few–but again, I thought everyone there was supposed to be, civilians and children included.
The way the cinematic is depicted just seems to me like they didn’t have the chance to escape at all, and those who fled to Telredor were actually refugees from the battle. Anyone have anything to chip in on this? Maybe another tidbit from Chronicles that helps explain it? I’m sure I’m just looking too into things, but I tend to obsess over details like this.
Maraad was supposed to be taking the very last of the refugees to Telredor, which happened on the very cusp of the battle, just as the Horde was beginning its siege. Most of them had already been led to Telredor, and his was the last batch. But yes, anyone else who remained inside the city was meant to die.
Presumably, after his refugees were killed while he pursued that band of Orcs in vengeance, he simply went to Telredor, alone.
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Well she also says ‘you will defy death’ some time before the final siege. So seemingly it was just as planned.
That makes a lot more sense, thank you!