đŸ„“ Worgen Lore - Ask me questions!

20 minutes! Find me at the Stormwind Embassy on WrA

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I’m getting back into the game, so let’s go ahead and revive this thread. I need to visit the forum frequently to earn back Trust lvl 3, and answering worgen questions is just what I need to get pumped about worgen again.

I almost feel like I answered this one, perhaps on another post.

There’s a few ways you could look at this one. Hierarchy, or fear. In terms of hierarchy, worgen - including Genn and his pack - live in a pack culture (see Wolfheart), where the Alpha does have to scold his followers if they get out of line, much like Ralaar Fangfire does in Curse of the Worgen. In contrast, if you’re talking about attempting to attack or scold a random worgen that doesn’t consider you a leader, you’re like to be disapointed by the results. https://i.imgur.com/cAK5m3w.jpg

The second way to look at that question would be fear. Something interesting to note is that while the quest Escape from Silverbrook litterally yells “There’s lamp oil in the back - make use of it. The fiends hate fire!” and has you burn worgen, suggesting worgen hate fire. Yet even wild worgen packs had long since lit their territory with torches, and even a giant bonfire (Brightwood Grove, Duskwood), and lit their dens with torches (Dark Riders).

Good question. A few things contribute to why the worgen is resistant to undeath. First and foremost, this is proven in-game, then backed up by a CDev response, then backed up by lore (unlike some CDev claims).

Ingame

This immunity becomes relevant in the Silverpine Forest questline, when Sylvanas is attempting to slay humans and raise them as undead, but the worgen get to the Hillsbrad Refugees first, who willingly accept the curse rather than be raised as undead slaves.

" Lord Darius Crowley says: Drink my blood and be reborn as worgen, immune to the depravity of the Forsaken."
https://wow.gamepedia.com/No_Escape

Community Developer Response

This is explained further in a CDev Response, saying
Not only are the Val’kyr less powerful than the Lich King when it comes to raising the undead, but the worgen curse also makes raising them into undeath far more difficult than it is for normal humans. The worgen curse has roots in both the Emerald Dream (through the wolf Ancient, Goldrinn) and the holy power of the goddess Elune. In addition, those worgen who imbibe the waters of Tal’doren—through the ritual they undergo to maintain balance between the worgen curse and their humanity—have a further resistance to the corruption of undeath.
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Ask_CDev#Ask_CDev_Answers_-_Round_2

Why

So we’re told worgen cannot be raised as Forsaken, and we’ve seen that to be true. We’re told the reason is because worgen are connected to Goldrinn and Elune. But why does that matter? Truth is, Life and Death are two directly opposing forces in the World of Warcraft universe. Because the worgen curse is so fundamentally connected to Life through two druidic dieties, minor forces of Death have no say, and it takes far more powerful Death magic (ie. the Lich King) to break that bond.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/wowwiki/images/f/fd/TheCosmicForces-WoWChronicleSample.png/revision/latest?cb=20160313175241

And that’s why we don’t have werewolf zombies.

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Also

:confounded:

:confounded:

:grinning:

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Im looking for help timeline wise with Gilneas. I know that the greymane wall was built pre third war and fall of Lorderan and I know that Gilneas was plague bombed at the start of cata, but what Im trying to figure out is when the worgen starting zone starts, when/ what happened during the blackout halfway through it when ypur character becomes a worgen, how long it is between the blackout and when your character is given the cure to the feralness of the curse, and if gilneas was inhabited at all before the forsaken invasion.

Typed on phone please forgive any mistakes I didnt notice and thank you for your time!

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Ooo
 very good question. The question of the Gilneas and worgen starter zone timeline is one that just can’t be answered, because of how vauge the writers have been in all sources. In the starter zone, it gives a transition via cinematic from the city’s fall to Liam with facial hair and the Forsaken attacking. In Curse of the Worgen, it does the exact same thing, literally saying “Some time later
” instead of giving exact days like the comic does leading up to the attack. Here is what we do know;

15-18 - The Alliance Splinters. The Alliance wants to tax Gilneas to keep the orcs in internment camps, Genn says no and builds a wall.

20 - Lordaeron falls to the Scourge, and the dead march on the Greymane wall. Genn has Arugal summon the worgen to fight the undead. The worgen rebel and thrive in Silverpine, then dig under the wall and begin the Wolf Cult in Gilneas.

(Shortly after) - Velinde Starsong summons worgen in Felwood as well. She travels towards Gilneas, but dies in Duskwood, leaving the Scythe to be found there by the Defias Brotherhood, who inadvertently summon the Nightbane worgen in Duskwood.

22 - Darius Crowley disobeys Genn, and sends his men to help Jaina Proudmore. Tensions are already high in Gilneas thanks to a famine, division between social classes, and rumors of wolfmen. The Northgate Rebellion occers shortly after.

28 - Gilneas falls.

33 - Battle for Azeroth begins

The Wolf Cult’s worgen launch their attack on Gilneas well after the end of the civil war. Some time passes between the worgen attack and the Forsaken attack, which strikes when the Cataclysm does (the forsaken can sail in to Gilneas because the cataclysm broke the coral reef). “Some time” may mean a month, since the moon phases change in the cinematic and we seen the full moon both before and after the timejump in the comic. And of course the Gilneans join the Alliance in an Alliance leaders meeting in Darnassus shortly after that.

In short, the worgen starting zone starts somewhere between year 22 (after dark portal) and year 28. Where exactly in those six years is left vague, and so is anyone’s guess. But to be safe, I would wager it all occured in the year (or two) before the wall’s fall.

(Ditto on the phone thing, apologizes for any odd auto corrects i might’ve missed. And thankyou for your question! The worgen timelime and the fall of Gilneas is definitely a topic i should adress in my guide. Here’s some bacon. :bacon: :bacon: )


Edit: I just re-examined the blackout gap as seen in the comic. Halford Ramsey is shot during the worgen attack, blacks out, and wakes up on his own when the Forsaken attack. So it couldnt have been long. In the cinematic, however, the change of the moon phases show the passage of time, from a full moon to a crescent means just under two weeks pass. But in any case, it could not have been months or years, since Halford Ramsey was waking up from a battle wound and not a coma.

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Sorry if this has been asked before, I may have missed it, but


-Why was fire so effective against Worgen? In Wrath, we throw lanterns of fire on the worgen cultists to great effect, we throw torches at Worgen in the Worgen starting zone to great effect, and I THINK we use fire against them in vanilla. Is there a reason? Is there some sort of fear of fire bred into Worgen? Or is it as simple as “OH LAWD NO MY FUR ON FIRE”?

-For Nightbane Shadoweavers in Duskwood, what kind of magic are they wielding? It looks like they are summoning voidwalkers. Are they summoning demons? Or is it some form of void magic?

-Can feral worgen sort of
 “choose” to become not feral? Or do they need to be given the ritual/alchemical potion to become mentally “there” enough to integrate into society? Is there a downside to becoming non-feral through alchemy?

-If two Worgen have a child, is the child also a worgen? Could the curse be genetic as well as transmitted? Can the worgen child become Human, or will they forever be a Worgen?

Sorry for the multiple questions, but I have been thinkinf about these A LOT. Along with Mag’har orcs, Worgen is my favorite race.

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Now, I can’t answer all of these, but I’ll certainly give it a shot.

Why was fire so effective against Worgen? In Wrath, we throw lanterns of fire on the worgen cultists to great effect, we throw torches at Worgen in the Worgen starting zone to great effect, and I THINK we use fire against them in vanilla. Is there a reason? Is there some sort of fear of fire bred into Worgen? Or is it as simple as “OH LAWD NO MY FUR ON FIRE”?

For this, I think you nailed it on the head; there’s nothing in their lore to suggest a more meaningful weakness than “fur is flammable”.

-If two Worgen have a child, is the child also a worgen? Could the curse be genetic as well as transmitted? Can the worgen child become Human, or will they forever be a Worgen?

For this one, it was covered in an “Ask the Devs” or whatever years ago. In short, the Worgen curse alters the physical form through magic, not DNA. And being that it’s a curse, it has certain
 rules that apply to it. The Worgen curse is spread via bite, or by drinking the blood of a Worgen. While it’s personal opinion, I feel the best interpretation of this is that there’s little to no “wiggle room” for interpretation. It’s the act that causes the curse to spread, not any substance involved in it. It’s the act of the Worgen biting the victim, not saliva or anything like that. It’s the act of knowingly, willingly drinking Worgen Blood.

Regardless, because the child has not been involved in these acts, and has inherited the (human) DNA of their curse-bearing Parent(s), the child will be born human.

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Thanks for the questions Urgrumag! I’m working on a beginner’s guide to worgen, so every question I answer goes in there. And thanks for answering what you can Harmarth, that allows me to see if I can’t go above and beyond. So here we go!

I do have plenty to add here.

Fire is indeed used as a weapon against worgen in both the Grizzly Hills and in Gilneas. In Escape from Silverbrook[1], Freed Alliance Prisoner says “There’s lamp oil in the back - make use of it. The fiends hate fire!”, and has you throw fire at worgen. In By Blood and Ash[2] in Gilneas, you use cannons, not fire.

It’s true that fire burns. This is seen as well in Curse of the Worgen issue 4, as Halford Ramsey uses a brazier of fire to bring another worgen to a smoldering end.

However, worgen are not afraid of fire. In fact, both Gilnean and Wild worgen use fire as a tool, both in destruction and recreation. Duskwood itself is a great example of this. In Brightwood Grove, we see the Nightbane Pack of feral worgen have built camps, a village, and have added several campfires, torches, and a giant bonfire to light it all.[4] In the comic “Dark Riders”, the very same worgen are lead by a branch of the Wolf Cult as well, and perform rituals in old houses and caves alike. One ritual takes place in Mistmantle Manor, where the worgen used candles.[5] Their headquarters of Roland’s Doom is lit as well,[6] seen even better ingame where Roland’s Doom is well lit inside and out.[7][8]

Furthermore, we even see the worgen of the Gilnean Wolf Cult using fire without fear. Alpha Prime himself has his abode lit with several candles,[9] and Halford Ramsey uses a full campfire while reading.[10]

In the end, fire can be a problem when it’s in your fur. However, while it may be an instinct that comes with the wolf side, there is plenty of worgen lore to say worgen are NOT afraid of fire, and actually use it in their day to day lives.

Cited Sources

[1] https://wow.gamepedia.com/Escape_from_Silverbrook
[2] https://wow.gamepedia.com/By_Blood_and_Ash
[3] https://i.imgur.com/edITEpV.jpg
[4] https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/512036763871739925/627681250173255691/unknown.png
[5] https://2.bp.blogspot.com/XckkM-X8iawanoNg-dqJDhREEfxZHpGfwHjnE0vhjf6vGkmPnxrPG--yKd5GfFnXVVIwFLU09Y1k=s1600
[6] https://2.bp.blogspot.com/GEjS37R2et08TEgeEHubD0nXXPwqqhhXSyPalKenWTA8oXxUBejVUEUiLtm8joSUjTzWpWgOQLgC=s1600
[7] https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/512036763871739925/627682288003448863/unknown.png
[8] https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/512036763871739925/627682339337666601/unknown.png
[9] https://i.imgur.com/qNkIyTw.jpg
[10] https://i.imgur.com/jPzNf5u.png

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Posting so my main can post)

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What magic to Shadowweavers use?
This one has a simple answer, and a more complex explanation. The Nightbane pack’s Shadow Weavers are using Shadow magic.[1] They use the abilities “Shadow Bolt” and “Shadow Word: Pain”, are called Shadow Weavers, and summon Woven Shadows. Calor says these worgen “conjure foul shadows to tear their enemies apart from a distance”.[2] Shadow Magic is a type of magic using the energies of darkness and void.[3]

Why do worgen use Shadowmagic?
It’s easy to see that these wild worgen are using shadowmagic. The question next is, why? We know the original worgen were Kaldorei druids, so why isn’t their society founded more on druidic magic?

In short, the first worgen were druids, but were banished to the shadow afflicted Emerald Dream, where they did battle with Nightmare Satyr. The worgen that were let out by various means began packs in Silverpine, Felwood, and Duskwood, all three of which are seen using shadowmagic. For the full story, see Shadowmagic in Worgen History below.

Shadowmagic in Worgen History

The first worgen were originally Druids of the Pack, who used the (four legged) wolf form, among other druidic magic. When they became worgen (two legs), they no longer seemed to use druidic magic. After Malfurion Stormrage found them and called them abominations, he banished them to the Emerald Dream. Unbeknownst to him, the Emerald Dream was being attacked by Shadow magic, turning pockets of it into Emerald Nightmare ruled by Satyr, known as Lords of the Emerald Flame.

The archmage “Ur” studied shadowmagic, and even wrote a bestiary on his findings called “The Book of Ur”. In it, he described the shadowy nightmarish dimension he’d found, where the worgen lived in constant battle with Lords of the Emerald Flame. It was with his research that Archmage Arugal, under orders from Genn Greymane, used to summon those worgen. Not knowing that the shadowrealm was in fact the corrupt Emerald Dream, the worgen were banished wolf-elves, and the Lords of the Emerald Flame were evil demon-elves. The shadowmage Arugal betrayed Genn Greymane and swore loyalty to Alpha Prime, the first worgen and one of the many he summoned.

The Book of Ur
The worgen’s home is a dark place, a place of nightmare. If that world fosters locations safe from the cursed Worgen, then my research has revealed no such bastions. And if one considers the ferocity and wickedness of the Worgen, it is likely that no such bastions exist. It is surmised that the Worgen are content to remain on their world, for although some Worgen possess powerful magic, they have made no attempts to reach Azeroth of their own accord. And for this, we are fortunate. As mentioned above, some Worgen are skilled in the mystic arts, and their magic is of darkness and corruption. Curses and supernatural poisons are common, so be forewarned–those who face the worgen should arm themselves with wards against shadow.
https://wow.gamepedia.com/The_Book_of_Ur

At the same time, we have Velinde Starsong using the Scythe of Elune to summon worgen in Felwood, then dying with the Scythe in Roland’s Doom, leading to their accidental release in Duskwood at the hands of the Defias Brotherhood. All three packs (Bloodfang, Terrowulf, and Nightbane) originated from worgen summoned from the corrupted Emerald Dream, where they had been in conflict with Nightmare (shadow) Satyr. And thus, all three have their own shadow-users in their ranks.

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Shadowfang_Darksoul
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Terrowulf_Shadow_Weaver
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Nightbane_Shadow_Weaver

Cited Sources

1 https://wow.gamepedia.com/Nightbane_Shadow_Weaver
2 https://wow.gamepedia.com/The_Rotting_Orchard_(quest)
3 https://wow.gamepedia.com/Shadow_(magic)

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Wow, thank you both for the amazing information! I really appreciate it

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The question of worgen sanity and culture is a tricky one, especially when it comes to the word “feral”. I could - and should - write a separate article on “feral-vs-mindless”, and the popular misconception. So many think “feral packs” are dumber than dogs, and that only “cured worgen” can be sane.


:face_with_monocle: Feral Worgen Culture

Feral packs include the Nightbane and Bloodfang, the former which has hierarchy and architecture, and the latter which can use human form at will and planned and orchestrated the fall of Gilneas. Feral worgen are sentient and live in the wild in a pack culture by choice, and many of the members of the Bloodfang and Nightbane have been initiated and given the bite of their free will, as we see in the comics Curse of the Worgen and Dark Riders respectively.

There is no cure needed and, in fact no cure exists; as stated by Belysra Starbreeze in Curse of the Worgen issue 5 concerning the Ritual of Balance, it is no cure. The Ritual of Balance is only helpful in helping you make peace with past grievances, as exemplified in both Curse of the Worgen and in the novel Wolfheart. In the latter, we are actually shown how Genn Greymane and his royal followers are -not- living as humans as if cured, but rather have adopted a pack culture themselves, living in the forest and hunting deer and boar with their claws and teeth. Hunting on all fours isn’t just a feral pack thing, it’s a worgen thing. Feral worgen are sentient, just live outside more.


:crazy_face: The Mindless State

So there’s the feral packs, which are cultures of people. Then there’s The Mindless State, which is the rabies-like fight-or-flight state. We’ve seen this occur in at least four examples, being the Gilnean player character, bitten Gilnean civilians, Mardigan, and Sven Yorgen. In these cases, this occurs when a human is bitten, and does not take it well, completely losing control. On the other hand, we’ve seen plenty of other cases where people become worgen, and remain in control - Alpha Prime, Genn Greymane, Halford Ramsey, Wolf Cultists in Gilneas/Northrend/Duskwood etc - meaning that the mindless state is not the default outcome.

This is where emotion comes into play, and where that therapeutic Ritual of Balance becomes so important for some worgen. The Worgen Curse is pumped full of raw emotion. It draws on the power of Goldrinn, who is the god of not just rage, but survival, meaning any of the character’s fears trigger instincts of survival, which present themselves as a fight-or-flight response, thus the Mindless State. If a character falls into a depression or a panic, they run the risk of going Mindless, as the wolf side takes over in an effort of survival.

Bitten and Mindless: You, Gilneans, Mardigan, Sven, etc

The player character, the attacked Gilnean civilians, Mardigan and Sven Yorgen were all attacked and bitten without consent and during or after traumatic events. You and the rest of the Gilneans were fighting off the werewolf apocalypse. Mardigan had been kidnapped by Duskwood’s Wolf Cultists, hated his father, and was a pretty dumb kid besides. Sven Yorgen came home to his farmstead in Duskwood to find his wife and children had been brutally murdered by at the hands of the Dark Riders, which you can read about in Jitters’ journal. In each example, there’s no one that would come out of that emotionally unscathed. Now throw a lycanthropic curse on top of that and boom, you’ve got yourself a Mindless Worgen.

Bitten and Not Mindless: Alpha Prime, Genn, Halford, etc

But let’s look at the other examples. Alpha Prime wanted to become worgen, and while he was fighting tragically blood a war at the time, he turned out to be one of the most cunning worgen of all time, even becoming a cult leader. Genn Greymane used to hunt worgen on horseback with his noble friends as one would a fox, until he was bitten. But even then, by the skin of his teeth, he managed to keep his worgen form at bay, even all through the fall of Gilneas and the whole Forsaken attack, managing not only to -not- go Mindless, but also keep human form
 until his noble friends figure it out. Halford Ramsey was bitten when investigating the Wolf Cult, and lasted three whole days in pain until he finally turned, at which point he was still capable of holding long complex conversation with Alpha Prime, the cult’s leader. He was unable to take human form until he had taken the Ritual of Balance, which helped him let go of his anger against his sister for her suicide, thus allowing him to unlock human form. Unlike the Wolf Cultists that already knew human form, such as those he chased and that literally turned and bit him.

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Jitters%27_Completed_Journal


:face_with_thermometer: Curing the Mindless

Now back to your real question


Can feral worgen become civilized? Well, yeah, I suppose. Considering Nightbane hunt and howl and live in the woods, and Gilnean worgen hunt howl and live in the city, it’s a difference of culture and ideals. Given the Wolf Cult, you do not need the elf ritual to learn to use human form, and many feral worgen likely already walk through Stormwind as they did Gilneas, hunting for new aspirants for the Wolf Cult of Duskwood.

Now if you meant a mindless worgen becoming sane, that’s a different story. We see calming chemicals used on Mardigan, the Player, and Sven Yorgen. A rage-suppressant is used on Mardigan, allowing his human side to resurface, albeit with boiling rage just beneath the skin. A potion with Mandrake root and Moonopetal is used on the player in Gilneas to similar effect. That Gilnean potion was the same that Genn used to remain human all through the fall of Gilneas, but he never went Mindless before.

  • Can feral worgen sort of
 “choose” to become not [mindless]?
    I have yet to find a mindless worgen who has made their way back to sanity on their own. However, I would say it is possible, depending on what drove them to mindlessness. For instance, if a soldier with PTSD went mindless under gunfire, he may return to sanity sometime later if given time away from gunfire to recover. But there are some mental illnesses people just can’t return from on their own, much like the real world. I also like to think that feral packs are a good place for mindless worgen to live and recover, since they both contribute to a pack and they aren’t risking hurting anyone like living in a human city.

  • Do [mindless worgen] need to be given the ritual/alchemical potion to become mentally “there” enough to integrate into society?
    If we’re talking about getting a mindless worgen to a state where they can attend Mrs Nesbitt’s tea party, I’d say there’d be three key points involved. Firstly, for there to be a human part in them that wants to get better. Second, the sedating medication as used on Sven and the player. And third, the Ritual of Balance to help them move past whatever it is weighing on their mind, as used on the player, Halford Ramsey, and Varian Wrynn. And lastly, time. You’re not going to go from Kujo to Doug in a day. But again, if we’re talking about just feral not-mindless worgen integrating into society, the dark truth is that they already do.

  • Is there a downside to becoming non-[mindless] through alchemy?
    I suppose if we’re considering a mindless worgen such as the PTSD soldier example, we have the two options. Let him possibly find his way back to sanity over time, or provide medication and ritual. I believe the former is possible, but we haven’t seen it, and most mindless remain in the local feral pack, being lead by the sane feral worgen. We have seen the latter occur, after which the medicated eventually rejoin human society. I would wager that is the major difference between the two options, being the time it takes and who they end up staying with.
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Can you roleplay as a bloodfang worgen?

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Sorry for the delay here. This question in particular has been asked and debated on the forums since the worgen were first introduced over a decade ago, and continues to be a subject of debate. The community developer “Lore” included an answer in a forum post, but his answer is vague and nonsensical not because of his answer, but the reason behind it.

The Chadster @killermonkey78: Can worgen reproduce naturally or only through a bite or blood? Would their child be a worgen or normal?

CDev Response: The worgen curse is exactly that: a curse. Its origins are rooted in the druidic “pack form” that was later altered by the Scythe of Elune. The end result is the worgen we see today, beings that can transmit their affliction to others via a single bite.

In theory, if two worgen were to mate and produce an offspring, that offspring would not be a worgen. The child would merely possess the genetic material of his or her parents, like any other child sans the curse.

On the Origin of Races: Worgen Reproduction :couple:


The heretical or genetic nature of the curse comes up on the lore forums every several months, and it’s always the same. Some people say it should, others say it shouldn’t. Some accept the CDev response, others - like myself - have lore to refute it.

  1. Curses Make Races
    “It is not hereditary, because it is just a curse” is the reason provided. That reason is not only unsuitable, but counter productive. In fact, many of the races we see in World of Warcraft originated from curses. A few prime examples include the Curse of Flesh, Curse of the Sporemounds, and the Curse of Sethe. Each afflicted select races, turning them into the races of today which produce offspring of their kind. I provide a much longer and detailed list in the post below from 2017.
    https://us.battle.net/forums/en/wow/topic/20754416049?page=1#post-6
Races born from Curses Magical Change

The Tauren, turning to Highmountain Tauren.
These Tauren were given magical change (Blessing or Curse, that is up to you to decide) by the Wild God Cenarius. This is a Magical Change, yet it can be passed to the offspring, and their spirits possess this trait as well. These Highmountain Tauren do not birth Mulgore Tauren, nor do Mulgore Tauren birth Yaungol.
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Highmountain_tauren
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Horns_of_Eche%27ro

The Titanforged Races (Earthen, Vrykul, Mechagnome, Tol’vir, Mogu, etc)
These Seeded Races were magically afflicted by what we call “The Curse/Blessing of Flesh”, being Shadow in Origin. The Humans etc, although cursed with this, do no birth non-“afflicted” offspring such as Stone Vrykul. The Dwarves do not birth Earthen, and the Gnomes do not birth Mechagnomes. Each of these races, when they die, have the souls of their race, not the souls of the race that came before them. The Curse of Flesh is exactly that; a curse.
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Curse_of_Flesh

From Azeroth Elementals, to Drakes, to Dragonflights.
It is known that before the dragons, there were the Proto-Drakes. These beasts are Elemental in origin, becoming as fleshy creatures. Ysera, for example, was once a Fire Drake. When she was a fire drake, she did not birth fire elementals. She birthed Fire Drakes. When she was Blessed (or cursed) by the Arcane effects of the Titans, she became as a Green Dragon. As such, her clutches were not Fire Drakes: they were Green Dragons. When dead, these Green Dragons are shown as the spirits of Green Dragons (as seen in the Nightmare raid), not Fire Drakes.
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Proto-dragon
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Dragon

The Draenor Breakers, turning into the Ogre and Orcs.
In Chronicle 2, we are shown the origin of the Ogres and the Orcs. Just like the Dragons, they were elemental in origin. However, they did not stay as such. Essentially, a curse (or blessing) was placed on them from the sporemounds (the Plantlife they fought) and they became as flesh. Obviously, the Orcs do not birth Ogre, the Ogre do not birth Ogron, and the Ogron do not birth elementals. Quite the opposite, in fact. Again, the souls of these dead races (as seen in Warlords of Draenor) are of their race.
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Orc
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Breakers

The Brown Orcs, turning into Fel (Green) Orcs.
Before the arrival of the Burning Legion on Draenor, the Orcs were not green. Instead, they were earthy tones such as greys, tans, and browns. When the curse (or blessing) provided by Mannoroth’s Blood was introduced to the race, they became green (among other side effects). This is not only passed on from a pair of Green Orcs to their children, but also otherwise effected Orcs to their children (as seen with Thrall and his parents). Green Orcs do not birth Tan Orcs and, again, these Green Orcs we see today have - you guessed it - the souls of Green Orcs. The Fel Curse is exactly that: A Curse.
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Mag%27har_orc
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Blood-curse

The Trolls, turning into Elves.
It was confirmed in Chronicle 1 that Kaldorei did indeed come from Trolls, who lived near to the Well of Eternity. With the effects of its Arcane power radiating to them, they eventually came to be the Kaldorei (and Queldorei) we see today, much different than their ancestors. Again, Kaldorei do not birth Troll children, nor do they have the souls of Trolls.
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Night_elf
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Troll
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Dark_troll

Elves turning into Naga.
The family tree doesn’t stop at Trolls, Kaldorei, and Queldorei. It continues even further, especially when the Highborn were cursed (or blessed) to become something else entirely: The Naga. These creatures were once elves, with elven souls and offspring. Now, as shown in Azshara, they lay Naga eggs, rather than birthing Elven offspring. The Naga Curse is exactly that: A Curse.
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Naga
http://www.wowhead.com/npc=38412/naga-hatchling

Elves turning into Fal’dorei.
Much like the Naga, some Nightborn (as an unexpected outcome of the Arcandor Tree) came to find themselves as Fal’dorei: Half spider, half elf. As seen in Falanaar, these creatures - even though they were once Nightborn - do not birth Nightborn Children. Instead, they lay eggs much like the Naga or Dragons, which hatch to become Fal’dorei.
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Fal%27dorei
http://wow.gamepedia.com/Fal%27dorei_Egg

In “Conclusion”, the Worgen

Worgen were once Human (or Kaldorei), but are now Worgen. Neither Man nor Beast. This occurred through a magical curse, turning them into something else than they were originally, much like all the examples above. This is described as a magical affliction (A Curse or a Blessing, depending on who you ask), just as all those above are. The fact of the matter is that “The Worgen Curse is exactly that: A Curse” means that, based on how such Curses work in the World of Warcraft, the Worgen Curse IS able to be passed to one’s young.
We have multiple sources referring to the Worgen Body as a Worgen’s True Form. This is supported in the Novel and both comics. The change is permanent, and cannot be removed. This is further supported by the fact that - just as the races above - dead Worgen do not appear with Human Souls: They appear with Worgen souls.

  1. Not just a druid form
    The worgen curse may have originated from druidic magics, but it is no longer a druid form. Cenarius himself says this in Curse of the Worgen issue 4. “This new form Malfurion
 Ralaar has perverted our ways. This form is beyond druidism. I do not believe that which has been done can be undone.”

  1. Worgen form is their new body
    Believe it or not, a worgen’s body is physically and genetically worgen, not a human in a druid form. In the game, Curse of the Worgen, and Dark Riders, worgen remain worgen when slain, whereas druids when slain return to elf form. This isn’t just a mechanic either; Jarod Shadowsong sees a worgen cut in half in the novel Wolfheart, and finds it curious that it did not return to human form when slain. In addition, we see several worgen spirits in both events like Day of the Dead and in instances such as Shadowfang Keep, meaning the worgen curse has turned even their soul into a worgen.

  1. Lil Bad Wolf

“The oft-forgotten offspring of the Big Bad Wolf, found gorged and asleep in a basket of sweets.”

oft-forgotten offspring of the Big Bad Wolf

offspring of the Big Bad Wolf

offspring

https://www.wowhead.com/npc=71014/lil-bad-wolf

My unpopular opinion is that World of Warcraft lore supports that worgen would produce worgen offspring. When it came to my character and his wife, we decided they would have human children, then give them the curse through bite or blood. But after months of thought and study, we decided to have them born as worgen children. One of the kids has survived the roleplay campaigns to this day, and I use the child worgen battlepet present in the game to this day. Ultimately it is your decision, though the bulk of the community believes the CDev response is the diehard truth.

Bacons to you! Thanks for asking the hard questions >:D :bacon: :bacon:

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posting so my main can post)

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Hi there! Thanks for your questions, here’s some bacon to enjoy while I answer. :bacon:

The Bloodfang Pack :paw_prints:

Yes, you can indeed roleplay as a worgen that is currently or formerly part of the Bloodfang Pack. The Bloodfang Pack began when Archmage Arugal summoned Alpha Prime and other Kaldorei-worgen into Silverpine forest. It grew in number in the shadows of Gilneas by initiating willing Gilneans, many of them criminals and former Northgate Rebels. The Bloodfang Pack now consists of both human-worgen and kaldorei-worgen, and while they were responsible for orchestrating the worgen attack on Gilneas, they have worked with the Alliance both in the Silverpine Forest questline and in recent days in Darkshore and Silverpine.

You could roleplay a Bloodfang Worgen in several different ways. You could play a Bloodfang Berserker type character, a primal fighter and powerful force against the Forsaken that has taken part in the conflict in Darkshore. Second, you could play the stealthier type Bloodfang, the likes of which used human form in Gilneas (see Curse of the Worgen issue 1) to sneak about the city unseen. In either cases, if you’re serious about the character and want to learn more, you can read Curse of the Worgen, do the horde Silverpine Forest questline, and examine the Shadowfang Keep dungeon.

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Bloodfang_pack
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Silverpine_Forest_storyline
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Shadowfang_Keep
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Curse_of_the_Worgen_(comic)

The Moonrage Pack :crescent_moon:

In addition to the modern Bloodfang Pack, you could indeed roleplay as a former member of the Moonrage Pack you find in Pyrewood Village. They have been exterminated by the Forsaken, but even in exterminations there are some surviving stragglers (see Apothecary Berard / Berard the Moon-Crazed, and Lost Son of Arugal). However, a Moonrage Worgen would be played differently than a normal worgen, since they get their curse from the cursed “Pyrewood Shackles” they wear in their servitude to Archmage Arugal, which cause them to all become worgen at night, and human by day.

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Moonrage_pack
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Arugal%27s_Folly
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Lost_Son_of_Arugal
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Apothecary_Berard
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Berard_the_Moon-Crazed

Thanks for your question, here’s more bacon :slight_smile: :bacon: :bacon: Please so come back to me and ask if this raises more questions.

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Thanks! I aprreciate it much

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I also have to ask concerning the bloodfangs how is it that they are not mindless? Did they all go througj with the night elves ritual of balance when they joined up with Darius Crowley?

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Believe it or not, the Ritual of Balance is not required for all worgen. Many worgen once bitten not only retain full sanity, but can also use human form. The Ritual of Balance is for those who have been in a traumatic experience, and is a therapeutic ritual. For more on the Mindless State and who it does effect, you can read more on it here.

  • https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/ask-me-about-worgen-lore-and-get-free-bacon/141963/55?u=raedolf-wyrmrest-accord

We know this thanks to Curse of the Worgen which shows all the Bloodfang as sane, the Grizzly Hills worgen who use human form at will without any help from elves, and the novel Wolfheart which - alongside Curse of the Worgen - depicts the Ritual of Balance for what it really is. Even Genn Greymane himself remains sane and in human form throughout the entire comic, without having once done the ritual. The comic also reveals Darius Crowley is sane, and has yet to do the ritual.

To recap, what you see in the Gilneas starter zone first appears to be an accidental epidemic. In reality, as we learn from Curse of the Worgen, the numerous Bloodfang were all completely sane, and expertly orchestrated the attack on Gilneas, with the intention of biting as many Gilneans as possible. However, whereas the Gilneans that had joined the Bloodfang’s “Wolf Cult” were given time and training before being bitten in a calm environment, those they bit in the attack were scared half to death and bitten without preparation.

https://i.imgur.com/bs6SGr3.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Es4JWzh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DjT8iUq.jpg

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Just wanted to say, while I can post on the forums currently, I love this thread and love seeing all the questions and answers!

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