World of Warcraft
The Earth-Warder’s Betrayal
If you think Sargeras was the biggest problem in this war, think again. The Dragon Aspects, led by Neltharion the Earth-Warder, arrived to “help” the Night Elves.
Neltharion had convinced the other aspects (Alexstrasza, Ysera, Malygos, and Nozdormu) to pour a portion of their titanic power into a golden artifact called the Dragon Soul. He claimed it would be the ultimate weapon against the demons. It was. But not just against demons.
In the middle of the battle, Neltharion revealed his madness (thanks to the Old Gods whispering in his ear). He didn’t just turn the weapon on the Legion; he turned it on everyone. He decimated the Blue Dragonflight, crippled the resistance, and declared himself Deathwing. The weapon that was supposed to save the world became the tool of its destruction. From that moment on, the artifact lost its golden glow and became known to history as The Demon Soul, a name that would haunt Azeroth for thousands of years.
To grasp the magnitude of this betrayal, you have to know that The Demon Soul could be used to enslaved the other Aspects. They were physically unable to attack Deathwing. But the biggest victim was Malygos. When the Spell-Weaver tried to stop him, Deathwing unleashed the full power of the artifact on the Blue Dragonflight. Almost every single blue dragon was pulverized in an instant. This trauma is exactly why Malygos went insane and eventually declared war on all magic users in Wrath of the Lich King.
The Curse of the Satyr
As if betraying dragons weren’t enough, the Legion unveiled a new horror. Remember Lord Xavius from Part I? After failing Sargeras, he wasn’t just fired. He was tortured and twisted into something new.
Sargeras transformed him into the first Satyr, a horned monstrosity that spread the curse to other Highborne. He began kidnapping his former elf brethren, twisting their bodies and minds until they became Satyrs themselves. The Resistance were fighting their former friends and neighbors, now twisted by fel magic. The psychological warfare was just as damaging as the physical one.
The Time Travelers: Mentors Out of Time
Now, things get a bit “wibbly wobbly timey wimey.” The Resistance was crumbling, and they needed more than just willpower.
Human mage Rhonin, the dragon-mage Krasus (Korialstrasz) and Broxigar the Red. These time travelers played a massive role in shaping the heroes we know today. Rhonin and Krasus were pulled into a temporal anomaly. Although Krasus is a Red Dragon (Alexstrasza’s prime consort), not a Bronze one, his immense magical knowledge allowed them to navigate this chaos, to put a stop to the Legion. Broxigar arrived from somewhere else albeit from the same anomaly.
Rhonin became the unlikely mentor to Illidan. Imagine Illidan’s massive ego taking lessons from a human! But Rhonin taught him how to control magic efficiently rather than just recklessly consuming it from the Well. At first, Illidan underestimated Rhonin, but when he saw his powers in action, he was more than willing to make it his own. Without Rhonin’s guidance, Illidan might have burned out long before he could save anyone. Krasus, on the other hand, played a 4D chess game to save the future of the dragonflights despite Deathwing’s betrayal. Without these three “glitches in the timeline,” the war would have been lost in the first week. The third being Broxigar the Red, my favorite. I will get there soon. (It deserves its own header.)
Illidan’s Double Cross
While Malfurion was reeling from the dragon’s betrayal, his brother Illidan made a controversial move. He left the Resistance.
To the outside world, it looked like Illidan had defected to the Legion, seeking more power from Sargeras. In reality, it was a dangerous double-cross. Illidan planned to infiltrate Azshara’s palace, steal the Dragon Soul, and use it to close the portal. It was a classic Illidan move. He wanted to save everyone, even if it meant being branded a traitor and villain. Sometimes I think, this dude just does it because it looks cool.
He thought he managed to fool Sargeras, but you don’t easily trick a Titan. Sargeras saw Illidan not as a threat, but as a battery to be used. The “gift” of spectral sight wasn’t a gentle spell. Sargeras literally burned Illidan’s amber eyes out of his sockets with fel fire, replacing them with mystic orbs that could see magical flows. It was agonizing, brutal, and a permanent reminder that you don’t bargain with a god without paying a price.
Illidan accepted the torture, all to get close enough to the portal to shut it down. But his methods created a rift with his brother that would never truly heal. He was walking a fine line between savior and addict, desperate for both magic and victory.
The Miracle of Broxigar the Red
We cannot talk about this war without mentioning the only mortal who ever struck fear into a Titan. Broxigar the Red, an Orc warrior sent back in time along with Krasus and Rhonin. Not knowingly tho. To make it short; he went inside an anomaly, located in the Stonetalon Mountains zone and found himself in War of the Ancients, happening ten thousand years ago. After spending some time in that history, he found himself holding the line at the Well of Eternity.
As the portal widened and Sargeras himself prepared to step through to Azeroth, Broxigar realized someone had to buy time. He jumped into the portal. He stood alone in a realm of infinite demons, slaughtering thousands upon a mountain of corpses. He eventually faced Sargeras and, with the magical Axe of Cenarius, struck the Titan in the leg, giving it a wound.
It was a scratch to a god, but it was enough. That split-second distraction was exactly what Malfurion needed. Eventually he fell with glory, just as he wanted. Facing impossible odds.
The Great Sundering
With the Dragon Soul retrieved and Broxigar’s sacrifice buying them mere seconds, Malfurion and Tyrande managed to overload the portal’s energies. The magical backlash was too much for the planet to handle. The Well of Eternity imploded.
The explosion was so strong that it shattered the tectonic plates of Azeroth. The single supercontinent of Kalimdor was torn apart. The sea rushed in to fill the void, creating the Maelstrom, the swirling storm that rages to this day in the center of the map.
Zin-Azshari sank beneath the waves. This is the moment where Queen Azshara and her loyal Highborne (including Lady Vashj) made their pact with N’Zoth, twisting from elves into the serpentine Naga. The Legion was banished, but the cost was absolute devastation.
A New World
When the dust settled, the survivors looked out at a new horizon. The Night Elves had lost their immortality, their queen, and their glorious empire. But they had saved the world.
However, one elf refused to let the magic die. Illidan, ever the pragmatist (or power addict), secretly created a new Well of Eternity on Mount Hyjal using vials of water he saved from the original well.
This act was the final straw. For creating a new font of power that could summon the Legion again, Malfurion sentenced his brother to eternal imprisonment, under the watch of Maiev Shadowsong.
The War of the Ancients was over, but the WoW had just begun.
Personal Thoughts on The War of the Ancients
This event is the definition of a “Pyrrhic Victory”, a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Malfurion saved the world by breaking it. Illidan saved the future by betraying the present. Broxigar saved everyone by sacrificing himself against a literal god.
I urge everyone reading this now to also read the War of the Ancients book trilogy, written by Richard A. Knaak. They are a real treat. This story can’t really be contained even if I write ten articles.
It sets the tone for everything that comes after. Azeroth is no longer just a fantasy world. The survival had begun on the planet. It is a place held together by duct tape, sacrifice, and the stubborn refusal to die.
Looking at the map today with the Maelstrom spinning in the middle, and the world sprawling with continents, what a journey it has been! Though I don’t play the game anymore since it does not cater to the adventurers anymore, I’m still excited about what will come next.
