25,000 years ago the Eredar lived in peace on their home world of Argus. Intelligent and with an innate ability in magic they built a rich and accomplished world. Unfortunately it was such that it attracted the attention of Sargeras, the Destroyer of Worlds who was in the midst of purging the cosmos of all life in his Burning Crusade. The Eredar’s potential to help this cause brought Sargeras knocking at the door of the Eredar’s leaders, Kil’jaeden, Archimonde (right) and Velen. With the promise of great powers beyond their wildest dreams Kil’jaeden and Archimonde signed up to the Burning Crusade offensive. However Velen, having had a vision that foretold a future of great destruction and transformation of his people into demons was convinced he should go against his former comrades and instead turn to prayer for saviour. His prayers were answered by the Naaru. Sentient beings, possessed of Holy Light and a determination to stop the Burning Crusade, they offered to transport all Eredar who were opposed to Sargeras to a safe haven.They of course snapped up the offer, renamed themselves the Draenei (which means ‘exiled one’s’ in the Eredun language) and fled Argus. Kil’jaeden, only moments behind, was furious at this and considered Velen had betrayed him and vowed to hunt him down until his dying breath. A cat and mouse chase continued for thousands of years with the Draenei moving from world to world hotly pursued by the demon Kil’jaeden and his forces.

Having been blessed by the Naaru with Light-given knowledge and power and promised that they would join forces with other races opposed to the Burning Legion to form one great Army of Light the Draenei finally found a planet remote enough to establish a new world. They named it Draenor (Exiles’ Refuge). Ever careful not to attract the unwanted attention of Sargeras, Kil’jaeden and their forces again they kept their magical abilities under wraps.

Draenor was not an uninhabited planet, there were already mighty orc clans there. Their contact was very much limited to trading with no hostility towards the newcomers. That however changed when Draenor was discovered by Kil’jaeden and having determined the Orcs would make ideal allies to annihilate the unsuspecting Draenei set about converting these peaceful shaman orcs into demonic beings of supernatural powers. Gul’dan, the Shaman apprentice, united all the orc clans and possessed with Bloodlust they launched an unforgiving assault on the Draenei. The Draenei fought in vain for nearly 8 years but eventually succumbed to the Orcs but not before seeing 80% of their population wiped off the face of Draenor.

Devolution of Draenei

Unfortunately, to add insult to injury, those Eredar who fought were affected by the fel energies used by the Orcs which went on to cause a mutation in their genes resulting in lesser subspecies of Draenei, ‘The Broken’ and ‘ Lost Ones’. Those who did not come into contact with the Orcs (and therefore suffered no such mutation) built a nether-ship to escape the now hopeless battle. The ship was a part of the Tempest Keep which belongs to the Naaru. Unbeknown to them the Blood Elves had sabotaged the ship’s engine causing it to malfunction sending it through the Twisting Nether to crash on a group of islands called Azuremyst Isles which lie off the west coast of Kalimdor in the Veiled Sea.

The Draenei will be a playable race introduced in The Burning Crusade expansion pack.

History in a minute

1. Eredar live on home world of Argus
2. Sargeras offers Eredar leaders Kil’jaeden, Archimonde and Velen great powers
3. Velen resists and prays for help.
4. Naaru offer Velen and his fellow renegades safe haven.
5. They rename to Draenei.
6. Kil’jaeden chases Velen and the Draenei across universe.
7. Naaru bestow powers of light on Draenei.
8. Draenie find new world. Call it Draenor.
9. Co-exist in peace with Orc clans.
10. Kil’jaeden finds Draenor and converts orcs.
11. Orcs attack Draenei killing over 80%.
12. Draenei make a ‘warp’ type ship to flee.
13. Blood elves sabotage it so it crashes near Kalimdor.
14. Make home in Exodar, on Azuremyst Isle.
15. Draenei left behind, affected by Orcs Fel energies, mutate into subspecies ‘The Broken’ and ‘Lost Ones’.
16. The Broken’s leader is Akama. Live in fortified village in Outland (name for remains of Draenor).
17. The Lost Ones went through the Dark Portal to Azeroth. Live in Swamp of Sorrows.

Race Factoids