This is an alphabetical list with the major and minor humanoid races in the Warcraft universe — a fictional universe in which a series of games and books are set. Although some of the races and creatures have been featured in earlier Warcraft games, most make their first appearance in the MMORPG World of Warcraft. Unlike beasts, Humanoids will typically run from battle when they realize they are near death or in danger. Humanoids typically wield clubs, swords, and other kinds of weapons although some humanoids specialize in hand-to-hand or magical combat.
Anubisaths[ | ]
A giant being of living stone, physically resembling the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, Anubis. The Qiraji created them as their minions. They inhabit Ahn'Qiraj and Silithus. The Anubisath are constructed from obsidian, and enchanted to serve as the guardians of the Qiraji capital of Ahn'Qiraj.
On rare occasions, Anubisath may be blessed by the god C'Thun and become the immensely powerful Horusath.
History: The trolls were the first mortal race to face the ancient, insidious Aqir and survive against their might. After thousands of years the trolls succeeded in splitting the insect empire in half, sending them fleeing to the northern and southern reaches of Kalimdor.
Over time the mighty troll empires collapsed, while in Silithus the Aqir slowly evolved into a new, terrifying race - the Qiraji.
According to legend, in the aftermath of the war the Twin Emperors Vek'lor and Vek'nilash acknowledged a need for loyal soldiers of great strength to stand against any future opposition. It is said that the Emperors themselves oversaw the construction of the first Anubisaths in the ever-burning fires beneath Ahn'Qiraj - even so the massive warriors were not completed for millennia. When the Well of Eternity was destroyed in the War of the Ancients, the few remaining mortal tales of the once-fearsome Aqir were lost, yet still the Qiraji waited, biding their time to strike at an unprepared world.
And so it was that a thousand years ago the Emperors once again commanded an assault to conquer Kalimdor. This time their newest weapons of war were ready, and the mighty Qiraji demonstrated their strength against the prolific night elves, a lone Anubisath often smashing through an entire unit of sentinels.
Though imbued with minimal intelligence, the colossal warriors proved to be highly effective killing machines. While the strongest of these constructs served as elite shock troops, General Rajaxx placed most of the Anubisaths on the front line, knowing that the massive warriors would strike fear in the hearts of the elves.
During the war, as the elves faced impending defeat, the Arch-Druid Fandral Staghelm persuaded the Bronze Dragonflight to join the fray. Amid the frenzied battle outside Ahn'Qiraj the dragons directed their wrath at the Anubisath constructs.
The few Anubisaths capable of casting spells were far from the front lines, and so the dragons were able to concentrate their attacks on the giants with little threat of being countered. Nearly every Anubisath was destroyed in the initial assault, but among them one in particular would prove to be more resourceful than all others combined: Ossirian the Unscarred.
Aqir[ | ]
Hardly anything is known about this race. According to limited lore, they were created by the Old God C'thun as avatars in his own image inspired by the insectoid Silithids* (see below), and eventually descended into the Qiraji (whom now rule the Silithid from C'Thun's city of Ahn'Qiraj) and Nerubian races. No Aqir appear to exist any more, having all descended into the Qiraji and Nerubians, and nothing else is known about them.
- There are some who think that the Aqir are/were Silithids, and not a different race at all. This is commonly debated however, and generally passed off as just a theory, and not many players are familiar with it.
Arakkoa[ | ]
Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. The Arakkoa are a race of humanoid birds native to Outland. They have brightly feathered bodies in a veritable rainbow of colors, hooked beaks, clawed hands, taloned feet, and an erectile crest of feathers on their heads.
They have great magical power over the arcane, and are also highly intelligent.
Arakkoa breed a species of owl called "Kaliri", which have valuable feathers. They also use several types of ravens and owls as guards.
Arakkoa likely pay homage to the Aarakocra from the Dungeons & Dragons universe. The Arakkoa are also likely to pay homage to the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal by Jim Henson. In Terrokar you break the Dark Crystal as seen in the movie.
Centaurs[ | ]
The natural enemies of the Tauren, the centaur are a race of brutal, barbaric raiders indigenous to Kalimdor. In appearance they have the body of a horse and the torso of a human where the neck and head should be. Legends say they are the offspring of Cenarius, a Night Elf demigod who also fathered the Keepers of the Grove and dryads. Whether or not this is true, it is certain that they are a vicious and war-like people, constantly raiding and terrorizing the settlements of the Barrens and attacking any travellers foolish enough to cross their path. The centaur have a savage and bloodthirsty nature and are wary of any person that is not a centaur; they especially hate the Tauren, and by extension, the Orcs.
These horse-men hail from Desolace in western-central Kalimdor, but tribes of them are spread throughout much of central Kalimdor, including the Barrens, Thousand Needles and Durotar. In the past they have ceaselessly terrorized the villages of the indigenous peoples, and have now extended their hatred to include the Orcs and Trolls of the Horde. The Tauren claim that the centaur have always existed to scourge the land. Legend holds that Zaetar, immortal son of Cenarius and the earth elemental princess, Theradras, sired the misbegotten centaur race. It is said that upon their emergence, the barbaric centaur turned on their father and killed him. Some believe that Theradras, in her grief, trapped Zaetar's spirit within the winding caverns of Maraudon - using its energies for some malign purpose. The subterranean tunnels are populated by the vicious, long-dead ghosts of the Centaur Khans, as well as Theradras' own raging, elemental minions.
Draenei[ | ]
The Draenei are one of the three primary races that inhabited Draenor before the coming of the Burning Crusade. (The other races being the Orcs and the Ogres.) They once populated much of the planet, but were slaughtered by the Orcs shortly after their corruption by the Warlock Gul'dan. The Broken are a type of disfigured Draenei, corrupted by fel magics and unable to access the powers of the Light. The Draenei seen in Warcraft III were Broken.
Dryads[ | ]
Half deer and half-night elf in appearance, Dryads are the frolicking daughters of Cenarius. Like their Keeper brothers, Dryads are protectors of the Ashenvale forest and have joined the Sentinels to defend nature from those who dare to defile it. Weaker than Keepers, Dryads are nonetheless immune to magic.
Dwarves[ | ]
The 'Earthen', one of the races created by the Titans when they shaped Azeroth, was greatly affected when the Well of Eternity exploded. They locked themselves into their underground chambers and went into a comatose state, refusing contact with the outside world. One group, however, woke up early for a reason as yet unknown, and they lost their stone skin and power over rock and earth. They called themselves the Dwarves (Originally a derogatory Night Elf term) and built the city of Ironforge. Up to the War of the Three Hammers, the three clans - the Bronzebeards, Wildhammers and Dark Irons - lived relatively peacefully in Ironforge until King Anvilmar died, leaving no heir. This began a civil war of enormous proportions, all three attempting to take the throne of Ironforge as their own. Eventually the Bronzebeards won, forcing the other clans out of the kingdom.
The Wildhammers recovered from this and built their own city of Grim Batol in the Wetlands. The Dark Irons did not recover quite so well, however, and resolved to destroy both the Bronzebeards and the Wildhammers in a single, two pronged attack. Though Grim Batol suffered heavy casualties and the death of its king, both forces of Dark Irons were repelled and brought to the edge of destruction in an ambush, the survivors fleeing to the Redridge Mountains. The warlock queen of the Dark Iron dwarves who went to Grim Batol was killed, but her evil magic cursed Grim Batol, forcing the Wildhammer Dwarves to leave. The Dark Iron dwarves were not finished yet, however, and attempted to bring back a powerful being to aid them in their cause - Ragnaros. Though they succeeded in summoning the evil monster, their leader and many others died in the aftermath, burned to a cinder by Ragnaros' power or enslaved to do his bidding. When Ragnaros was summoned a large crater was carved in the once peaceful Redridge Mountains, creating Searing Gorge on one side and Burning Steppes on the other side, and in the middle of it was Blackrock Mountain, in which the Dark Iron dwarves created a large fortress. The land around them became a burned wasteland rather reminiscent of the land of Mordor in Lord of the Rings. The Wildhammer clan, fearing that Grim Batol was irrevocably cursed, left the Wetlands for Lordaeron, where they built Aerie Peak above ground on the mountains of the Hinterlands, refusing to have anything else to do with the underground lairs of their brethren and forefathers.
And so the Bronzebeards claimed the entirety of Khaz Modan as their own, though still trading with the Wildhammers, with whom they attempted to mend their relationship. During the Second War, the Humans were able to convince the Bronzebeard Dwarves of Khaz Modan to aid them in the war effort. The Horde overran Khaz Modan, but the Alliance was able to liberate it once again. It was then that King Magni Bronzebeard vowed that the Ironforge Dwarves would forever owe a debt to the Alliance.
Elves[ | ]
One of the oldest races in the world, they were once the dominant race on Azeroth, but they have since been supplanted by the more competitive Humans and Dwarves. To this day lesser magic wells called Moonwells play a prominent role in the culture and religion of the elves. There are three Elven types on Azeroth, the Night Elves, the High Elves, and the Blood Elves. They all have pointed ears and are graceful in appearance.
Night Elves[ | ]
Night Elves are one of the oldest races on Azeroth. They can see in the dark.They have deep lavender skin, glowing eyes, long ears, and blue, purple, silver, or green hair and long eyebrows. In their own language, they are called the Kaldorei ("children of the stars"). The elves originated on the continent Kalimdor. Satyrs, Harpies, Naga, and the High Elves descended from them. They were the first race to awaken in the World of Warcraft. These shadowy, immortal beings were the first to study magic and let it loose throughout the world nearly ten thousand years before Warcraft I. The Night Elves' reckless use of magic drew the Burning Legion into the world and led to a catastrophic war between the two titanic races. The Night Elves barely managed to banish the Legion from the world, but their wondrous homeland was shattered and drowned by the sea. Until recently, the Night Elves closed themselves off from the rest of the world and remained hidden atop their holy mountain of Hyjal for many thousands of years. The Legion's invasion brought the Night Elves out of their long period of slumber. They now have renewed interest in shaping the world, and for the first time are allying themselves with other races to insure the continued survival of Azeroth. As a race, Night Elves are typically honorable and just, but they are very distrusting of the 'lesser races' of the world. They are nocturnal by nature and their shadowy powers often elicit the same distrust that they have for their mortal neighbors.
The Night Elves now aid the Human (and Dwarven and Gnomish and Draenei) Alliance against the Horde and reside in their capital of Darnassus and some of northern Kalimdor in World of Warcraft
High/Blood Elves[ | ]
Night Elves with an addiction to arcane magic became the offshoot known as the High Elves. Known in their native tongue as Quel'dorei ("children of the sun" / "highborne"), they were originally followers of Queen Azshara and helped her in her research of magic and demons. Azshara, feeling they were inherently superior to her subjects who did not practice magic, named her followers "Quel'dorei," meaning "Highborne." Azshara and the Highborne were responsible for the invasion of the Burning Legion and for the destruction of the Well of Eternity, a highly magical and sacred lake which once stood in the centre of Ancient Kalimdor. The Highborne, obsessed with magic and seeing that their dreams of magical power could never be realized under the rule of their magic-hating brethren, went into self-imposed exile to create a new, magical civilization for themselves. They found such a place across the sea, on the continent of Lordaeron. Travelling the continent for centuries, the Highborne slowly began to look less and less like the other Night Elves on Kalimdor, owing to their separation from the World Tree. They finally settled in the North, and were responsible for the destruction of the great Troll empire. Upon the introduction of Humans from the south, the High Elves (as they were now called) joined forces with the Humans, and welcomed them to their kingdom of Quel'Thalas.
After Arthas, the traitorous human prince, had been corrupted through picking up the cursed runeblade Frostmourne, he set out on a campaign to erase all the forces who might oppose the Burning Legion before it was summoned. When erasing the nation of the High Elves he managed to kill two birds with one stone; he defeated one of the nations mighty enough to repel the Burning Legion and he got to use the High Elves Sunwell, from which they got their magical abilities, to raise the Lich Kel'Thuzad.
A sizable number (estimated to be 20%) of High Elves survived the destruction of their homeland and a very small number joined Jaina Proudmoore's expedition to Kalimdor and currently live on Theramore Isle. They are able to satisfy their addiction to magic there with the Night Elf Moon Wells. Most however became the so-called "Blood Elves", who turned to darker sources in their quest to satiate their thirst for magic and restore their people to the glory they once enjoyed.
These Blood Elves ("Sin'dorei" in their own tongue) adopted the name in memory of their fallen brethren, and turned to corrupted magic that drew upon demonic forces to avenge their lost kingdom. Most of them were left in charge of the defense of Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas to drive out the Undead, led by Prince Kael'thas. The racist Human general in charge of the force, Lord Garithos, despised the Elves. He finally recalled all Human and Dwarven units to the front line, leaving only the meager Elf forces to defend against the rampaging Scourge. With no other options, the Blood Elves were forced to ally with the Naga, an action Garithos had specifically forbidden. He subsequently had them imprisoned in the ruins of Dalaran, where they were eventually freed by the Naga. Upon escape, they agreed to travel with the Naga to Outland, where they hoped to find the Naga's master, Illidan Stormrage, to ask his help in finding a cure for their racial addiction to magic. Other High Elves, those that survived Quel'Thalas's destruction and didn't fall to the primal rage that fuelled the Blood Elves' descent into dark magic, now consider the Blood Elves to be not only traitors to the Grand Alliance, but also a stain upon the memory of their fallen brethren.
They are the new Horde race in The Burning Crusade expansion pack, and they reside mainly in Quel'Thalas, where they are regenerating to their old strength. The only true friends the Blood Elves are presented with are the Undead Forsaken, who share in their ultimate fate against the Undead Scourge.
Within the current World of Warcraft timeline, the Blood Elves have largely been successful in retaking Silvermoon City and its surrounding areas from the Scourge forces, however the land still bears the scar of the battles fought. In addition to outlying towns within the contested Ghostlands, the Blood Elves maintain a number of outposts, towns and bases of operation within the realm of Outland.
While the overwhelming majority of the survivors followed in their leader's stead and ultimately severed their ties with the Alliance, a small segment of the High Elf population elected to remain loyal to the Alliance as a result of varying motivations. High Elves can currently be seen living alongside humans and dwarves within the port city of Theramore, maintaining a variety of hunting lodges throughout northern Lordaeron and also amongst the recently reunited Outland Expeditionary forces. This smaller faction also feels the effect of the Sunwell's loss upon their people, but abhor the selfish, arcane-driven practices of their Sin'dorei cousins.
It should also be noted that while a rarity, true light-embracing Quel'dorei Paladins do exist within the ranks of the Alliance as opposed to the Sin'dorei Blood Knights who have obtained their powers through the enslavement of a creature of light, the Naaru.
Ethereals[ | ]
Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. Treading the chaotic spaces between worlds, the ethereals are astral travelers who dwell within the Twisting Nether. They are known to be collectors and traders of arcane items and artifacts. Now drawn to Outland, many ethereals are seeking to track down its treasures and steal them back into the Twisting Nether. They are liars and scoundrels who will stop at nothing to pursue their mysterious aims. The ethereals have no care at all for the Burning Crusade. They would even play both sides of the conflict against each other if doing so would serve to further their own goals.
Faceless Ones[ | ]
In Warcraft III: Frozen Throne, Arthas and the Crypt Lord, Anub'arak, trekked to Icecrown to defend the Lich King from Illidan and the army of Naga he had amassed. As they worked their way through the underground kingdom of the Nerubian, Azjol-Nerub they encountered still living Nerubian freedom fighters and dwarves left over from Arthas' previous trip to Northrend. As they entered even deeper into the caverns, they also encounter what the Dwarf leader Baelgun referred to as "horrors" that had been released by Illidan's recently caused earthquakes. Humanoid creatures with tentacled arms and faces called the Faceless Ones were found as well as one massive creature, consisting mainly of tentacles, but having a bulbous, conical body covered in eyes with a large mouth at the top, similar to various creatures from the books of H.P. Lovecraft.
Faceless ones are also aided by The Unbroken, pink versions of the Faceless ones.
Anub'arak's statements during this adventure suggest that there is some ancient and forgotten race that was buried underground, of whom only myths reached the Nerubian people. The Nerubians are descended from the ancient Aqir people; the prospect of an even earlier race raises many questions. This is the only time they have appeared in the Warcraft universe and thus little is known about them.
Hakkar the Soulflayer, an immense Blood God worshiped by a group of trolls in the Swamp of Sorrows, is often called a "Faceless One", however there is no evidence about Hakkar and the Faceless Ones being related at all, except that Hakkar sometimes drops, in World of Warcraft, a dagger by the name of "Fang of the Faceless".
Floating Eyes[ | ]
Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. Floating Eyes are only seen in specific locations, and that is probably a good thing; many adventurers are struck with fear at the sight of such odd and malevolent beings. They resemble an orb of pale green flesh floating in the air, with a toothy mouth, numerous eyes, and a few short tentacles hanging down. The most famous Floating Eye is a boss from the Blood Furnace wing of Hellfire Citadel. Other than that, only a few lesser Eyes have been seen in Netherstorm. Whatever created these abominations is still unknown.
Floating Eyes fairly undoubtedly pay homage to the Beholders from the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Many players who are unfamiliar with the name "Floating Eye" call them Beholders.
Fungal Giants[ | ]
Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. The unique gases and nutrient-enriched soil of Zangarmarsh have given rise to a wondrous, diverse wetland ecology. The marsh's fungal giants stand as a prime example of the habitat's remarkable fauna. Though relatively non-aggressive, these lumbering behemoths are savagely efficient at dispatching their adversaries when provoked. They feed on other native swamp creatures, as well as any Lost Ones unlucky enough to stray too close to the giants' beloved hideaways.
Recently, the Fungal Giants have come into conflict with Sporeggar, and are now no less than their mortal enemies. Driven by starvation due to the continuous sapping of the marsh's resource by the naga, along with ogres overrunning some of their normal feeding grounds, they have begun to roam the spawning glen, preying on sporeling young. Members of the Cenarion Expedition are looking for a peaceful solution to allow the two species to cohabitate the marsh.
Being composed of plants and fungi, Fungal Giants, when killed, can be salvaged by players that have the herbalism skill for ingredients.
Fungal giants are considered giants in-game, showing the subclass "giant" under their names.
Notable Fungal Giants
- Quagmirran, final boss of the Slave Pens.
- Hungarfen, first boss of the Underbog.
Furbolgs[ | ]
Furbolgs are ursine humanoids. They reside in tribes, and were peaceful allies of the Night Elves until the coming of the Burning Legion, when many were affected by the corruption they brought and turned evil. The Timbermaw tribe were supposedly the only tribe to escape the corruption. Their tribe now has been forced into hostility due to an increasing show of violence towards them, as many assume they are also corrupted. Around 10,000 years before Warcraft: Orcs and Humans the Furbolg race fought the Burning Legion alongside the Night Elves, Tauren and Earthen. The Ursa Warriors are the Furbolg elites.
Other tribes than the Timbermaw include the Blackwood tribe, Stillpine tribe, and Deadwood tribe. These names were probably made after the Furbolgs in the tribes became corrupted.
Goblins[ | ]
The Goblins are a neutral race in World of Warcraft and tend to do everything for profit. However prior to that, during the great wars they sided with the Horde and still currently favour the Horde. They are green-skinned and the same height as Gnomes. Most goblins are engineering geniuses, but appear to have an insane side to their personality as well as unusual names. Goblins are not always neutral; many are employed by the Black dragonflight and were responsible for welding plates onto the scales of Deathwing. More recently, they assisted Nefarian in his creation of the Chromatic dragonflight.
Golems[ | ]
Golems are magical or mechanical constructs of materials such as rock or mud resembling humanoid giants. Due to their tremendous strength, immunity to magic, and lack of a need to sleep, Golems are employed by wizards to guard special locations from intruders. Golems are often used by the Dark Iron Dwarves within the Burning Steppes and Blackrock Depths. Golems come in many shapes and sizes some of the different kinds are. Mud golems, Rock golems, Granite golems, Flesh golems and more. Several of the Golems are capable of throwing large rocks at enemies, dealing damage and stunning them. All of the earth-based Golems' special attacks are rock-based.
Gnolls[ | ]
One of the younger races of the world, Gnolls inhabit much of Lordaeron. Although somewhat intelligent, the hyena-like humanoids often spend their time fighting with each other over things such as "whose shadow is larger." It has been said that if the Gnolls were able to stop fighting each other and organize an army, they would be quite a fearsome race.
Gnolls are commonly found as members of various mercenary and pirate organizations across the world. There is one tribe serving the Scourge, (these are an undead variety called "Rot Hides") two other tribes serving humans and many Gnolls serve Goblins. However, as yet there are no known organizations of Gnolls serving the Alliance or Horde. While native to Lordaeron, there are a couple Gnoll tribes in western Kalimdor. It is currently unknown how the Gnolls have spread to these far reaches, though many guess it was the help of Goblins who the gnolls are often mercenaries of.
Some Gnolls wield clubs while others arm themselves with crossbows. Many Gnolls know how to use magic too, mostly shadow-magic. Gnolls often come in small groups.
Gnomes[ | ]
The Gnomes are the super-advanced race of Warcraft. Though the Dwarves, who live near the Gnomes' former home of Gnomeregan, also have some advanced technology, the Gnomes provided them with some of the more critical designs for Dwarven weapons and tanks. They provided the Alliance with some of their inventions and personnel during the Second War, but in the Third war they did not send any actual personnel to fight. Only after the war did the rest of the Alliance discover that the Gnomes had been under attack by an enemy called the Troggs. Not wanting to further burden the other races during the Third War, they fought alone. Ultimately, they could not drive the Troggs from their home and released large amounts of radiation as an attempt to kill the Troggs and evacuated the city. This left about half of the Gnomish population alive to flee to Ironforge, the kingdom of the Dwarves.
Gnomes are famous for having a love for engineering and to create different mechanics and devices which are supposed to make life easier and gain the user avantages in combat. However, Gnomish Engineering is also famous for not always working as it is intended to do. For example, a Gnomish Shrink Ray may as well turn the user bigger and increase his/her power rather than make the target smaller and decrease its power (as the user of the ray planned). In more extreme cases, such an item-malfunction may give the user and sometimes the group the user is playing with larger problems.
Gronn[ | ]
A Gronn.
Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack, the Gronn are monstrous, Cyclopean creatures that reside in Outland, immortal demigods of the Ogre race. Some say the Gronn gave rise to the lesser Ogres, yet if so, they show little inclination toward liking them, given that they are tyrannical rulers. According to canon, there is rumoured to only be seven Gronn in existence, and they are not famed for their intelligence.
Gronn resemble massive Ogres, hulking and tremendously muscular, with bony, rocky, blood-red bodies covered with hard lumps and spikes. They are also covered with painted runes and symbols. They have only one eye, and are likely inspired by the Cyclops. They always carry huge clubs, truncheons, or rocks for hurling at foes.
These Ogre demigods were first mentioned in the Burning Crusade trailer at BlizzCon. Their image was also shown, but not identified until the release of the bestiary, several months later.
Two of the known Gronn are in Nagrand. The other—nicknamed The Hungerer—is an extremely potent foe.
Farther north, in the Blade's Edge Mountains, more Gronn have been seen. Canon legends tell of a lair (the Gruul's Lair instance) in that area where the greatest of these Gronn (Gruul [see below]) may be located.
Known Gronn:
- Gruul the Dragonkiller, the raid boss in Gruul's Lair is supposedly the father of the Gronn, and the most famous of the Gronn themselves. The greatest of the Gronn mentioned above is Gruul.
- The 5 known sons of Gruul: Goc, Gorgrom the Dragon-Eater, Grulloc, Maggoc in the Blade's Edge Mountains and Durn the Hungerer in Nagrand.
- Given that it is said there are only 7 Gronn known to exist, two remain after Gruul's sons; Nath is speculated to be the final Gronn.
- There are a few elite monsters in Nagrand, called Mountain Gronns, that are walking around near Warmaul Hill and will fight with Ogres. These are probably lesser Gronns, or a step between Ogre Lords and Gronn.
- At The Circle of Blood in Blade's Edge Mountains there is a NPC, Baron Sablemane that has this to say: "My loathing of interruptions is overshadowed only by my hatred of Gruul the Dragonkiller and his seven sons!" So we can safely assume that Gruul doesn't count amongst the 7.
Speculation: Given that both Durn and Maggoc are described as Gruul's sons, Gruul may be the first Gronn, or else the being who created them (if this is the case, then Gruul might not count towards the total of seven). Given the use of the term "demigod," it's logical to assume that Gronn are comparable in power to the Azerothian variety, such as Malorne, Cenarius, or Aviana.
It is most probably so, that the seven Gronn are demigods, but that there are differences in power amongst them, just as with their Azerothian counterparts. Gruul the dragonkiller is the mightiest one; as mighty as Cenarius, Malorne or Aviana, albeit in a different way, while the other Gronn, Durn, Maggoc, Nath, and the patrolling ones are lesser demigods, akin to the lesser Azerothian demigods. It has however been noticed at blizzcon about gronnkings which are probably the step over gronnlord, they were probably destroyed when ner'zhul tore the planet apart.
Harpies[ | ]
Harpies have the head and torso of a woman, but instead of arms and legs they have wings and bird feet with sharp talons. They nest on high peaks, or in basket structures hanging from trees. They are the descendants of Highbourne who were cursed into their present form by Azshara.
Harpies lack any males in their race, and thus in order to reproduce they must capture a male of another race and force it to mate with them, after which they kill and eat the captive. If a harpy is unable to find a male, then they are also capable of laying unfertilized eggs which later hatch into clones of them.[citation needed]
Horusaths[ | ]
Horusaths are huge, powerful constructs of living stone, created by the Qiraji. The only known Horisath is Ossirian the Unscarred.
Warcraft canon now states that Ossirian is actually an Anubisath that was granted this new form after slaying the dragon Grakkarond.
Horusath look like the ancient Egyptian god Horus, who appeared as a man with the head of a falcon.
Humans[ | ]
Humans have typically been the "good guys" in the Warcraft saga, being constantly thrown into battle with the savage orcs in the first two games. However, in Warcraft III, with the orcs as a "good" race, and the addition of the night elves (also "good") and the Scourge (whose living members are largely drawn from corrupted humans), their distinction as the "noble humans" has been blurred.
Though humans have only recently risen to power relative to the age of the world, they have existed in primitive tribes since even before the Great Sundering, and were often at conflict with various troll tribes. Roughly around the time of the High Elves' initial conflict with the Amani Trolls, a tribe of humans known as the Arathi saw that the trolls were becoming too great a threat. The Arathi set out on a campaign to conquer as many competing tribes as possible, offering those that lost peace and equality among the Arathi.
As a united nation, the humans developed a strong, optimistic culture. The Arathi warlords decided to construct a fortress-city to hold up against a Troll onslaught, and if need be, the High Elves as well. This city, named Stromgarde, prospered and became the capital of the fledgling nation of Arathor, led by King Thoradin.
The humans also embraced the Light and, with few exceptions, were characterized by a strong faith and commitment to the divine force. Paladins and priests rose in their ranks, even as other humans learned the art of magic.
Keepers of the Grove[ | ]
The Keepers of the Grove are among the offspring of Cenarius. Along with their sisters, the Dryads, they fought alongside the Night Elves against the Burning Legion when the latter invaded Azeroth. To this day, they keep watch over Kalimdor and stand vigilant against any other possible threats to Azeroth. It is not uncommon for Keepers of the Grove and their sisters to be collectively called Dryads. Especially since it doesn't appear that Keeper of the Grove refers to the race itself, but is rather a rank or title. In Warcraft III the same title is held by Malfurion Stormrage, a night elf.
Kobolds[ | ]
A Kobold commonly found in the Human starting area.
Rat-like humanoids who infest tunnels and mines. They try to stay away from larger, more powerful races, as they are traditionally rather cowardly in the human starter area but have been known to attack on sight in other locations. Kobolds have a rather big obsession for mining and digging, and their religion mostly bases itself on the earth. The spellcasters of their race mostly focuses on Geomancy, and some Kobolds are known to craft Golems from dirt and rocks. As miners, Kobolds often wear candles on their head; they guard these jealously, often shouting "You no take candle!" at intruders.
Of all the things one can mine from the earth, Kobolds seem to like Gold the most. When Thrall, the leader of the Horde, entered a dungeon in Stonetalon Mountains to find the Oracle, he discovered and slew a gang of Kobolds, led by a Kobold "Mastermind", which shows that some Kobolds actually form gangs and syndicates of their own.
Magnataurs[ | ]
Magnataurs the northern relatives of centaurs, with the torso of a neanderthal and the hindquarters and tusks of a woolly mammoth. They carry large spears.
Makrura[ | ]
Also possibly known as "Lobstrok". Hostile lobster-like humanoids with limited intelligence that live in the oceans of Azeroth. Not much is known about them, although they may be an offshoot of the Aqir race, like the Qiraji and Nerubians. How much intelligence they have is unknown as they are deep sea creatures and mostly keep to themselves. it is likely the Makrura live much deeper underwater than is possible for the player to reach. The Warcraft RPG states that the Makrura live in the city of Mak'aru (which is described as being seemingly organic) and that the Makrura despise the Naga and are at war with them, although information from the Warcraft RPG may not necessarily be canon.
Mok'Nathal[ | ]
The Mok'Nathal ("The Sons of Nath") are a clan of half-ogres, originally from the planet Draenor. They are a dying race, and apparently Rexxar is one of the only remaining left on Azeroth. They have a last remaining spot in Outland - in Mok'Nathal Village in eastern Blade's Edge Mountains. Chen Stormstout joined the Mok'Nathal after Rexxar helped him in Durotar.
It had been thought that Mok'nathal had been extinct on Azeroth, but after Rexxar's exploits on Azeroth, Mok'Nathal are showing up again. There is only a hundred or two that exist in the world.
Other named half-ogres who may or may not be Mok'Nathal include Mag Bearmaul, Tagar Bearclaw, Gorsh Talonfang, Maxx Rocmane, Gaz Boartusk, Mok Rocksnout, and Gish Eagle Eye. They are Beastmasters that can be hired from Mercenary camps in The Frozen Throne. Since Rexxar's model was identical to that of the other beastmasters, it's assumed that they are also half-ogres or Mok'Nathal.
How the Mok'Nathal came to Azeroth at all is unknown. It isn't likely that they were brought by Gul'dan. Some might have been in the ranks of the Old Horde but were not in large numbers so went unnoticed.
The novel Cycle of Hatred refers to the Mok'Nathal as a clan and states during a description of Rexxar "Born of orc and ogre blood both, as most of his now-defunct clan...". This implies that while Rexxar may be the last of the Mok'Nathal clan, he may not be the last half-ogre. The Burning Crusade seems to support this as well, see Mok'Nathal Clan Ring.
The Horde Player's Guide implies that "mok'nathal"(lower-case) is the Orcish term and honorific for "half-ogre", while half-ogre is the Common name for the race.
Physically, Mok'Nathal more closely resemble small ogres, and more rarely, massive orcs
Moonkin[ | ]
Bear like humanoids with the heads and wings of owls, and antlers (also called Wildkin or Owlbeasts). Generally peaceful, but if roused are very powerful. They were created by Elune to guard her most sacred places. Druids are able to transform into moonkin to increase their strength in nature and arcane power.
Mountain Giants[ | ]
Created by the Titans during their visit to Azeroth, Mountain Giants are gentle, gigantic humanoids of rock, and possess almost limitless strength as well as immunity to magic (though in Warcraft 3 The Frozen Throne they didn't have magic immunity, only magic resistance after researching the ability). Awakened from their slumber by Malfurion Stormrage after the invasion of the Burning Legion, they now protect the forests of Kalimdor.
Mountain Giants continue to grow from the day they are born until they become too heavy to bear their own weight. At this point, they will settle down and over time, become mountains.
Murlocs[ | ]
Murlocs resemble bipedal, amphibious fish, that can be found residing on many shorelines in Azeroth. They are one of the older races of Azeroth, though new to Lordaeron. Their intelligence is hard to truly tell, as their gurgling speech is near impossible to decipher, but the fact that they use weaponry and build huts and homes implies that they may be more intelligent than many think. Some murlocs have begun moving into other territories such as the Elwynn Forest, due to being driven out of their home, The Swamp Of Sorrows, by the newly arrived Draenei.
For some reason many murloc-leaders are the targets of "Wanted Dead!"-quests. Such a quest is found in Darkshore, Westfall and Wetlands (all Alliance quests); or in Quel'thalas, Silverpine Forest and Ashenvale(all Horde quests). Most likely this is because of murlocs' attempts to invade new territories, sometimes of the Horde and the Alliance.
Naaru[ | ]
The Naaru are a race of energy beings from the Warcraft Universe of which little is known. From what we have been told, they are the race that saved a portion of the Eredar (now called the Draenei) from destruction at the hands of the Burning Legion. They are known in the lore of the Humans, Dwarves, and Draenei. The Naaru are a force for good in the universe and do not wish to see it eradicated by Sargeras's Burning Crusade. One of the Naaru was kidnapped by the Blood Elves and forced to provide power for the Blood Elves' Blood Knight paladins. Since the Naaru are the source of the light which paladins often refer to, they are the teachers and inspiration for the paladin class. The Naaru contacted Velen, the leader of a small group of Eredar, (who had renamed themselves "Draenei" - Exiles in the Eredar language) through the Ata'mal crystal. They formed a vessel for a group of the newly christened Draenei to seek safety in the world of Azeroth. In the book Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden it is said that the first Naaru's name was K'ure. K'ure helped the Prophet Velen to escape their former world.
Naga[ | ]
The Naga are snake-like humanoids that inhabit a region of the Great Sea known as the Maelstrom. They were once Highborne, Night Elf mages, that allied themselves with Queen Azshara and the Burning Legion during the War of the Ancients. When the Well of Eternity imploded and swallowed vast portions of Kalimdor, including the Night Elf capital of Zin-Azshari, many of the Highborne were swept under the waves. Azshara, in desperation, made a pact with the Old Gods that transformed her and her followers into the Naga. A large number of naga, led by Lady Vashj, allied with Illidan's forces and reside in Outland, the remnants of the original home of the orcs. These Naga seem to be rogues of their race, working with Illidan. There was no official pact between the Nazjatar (the home city of the Naga, under the sea) and Illidan, and thus they are not officially sanctioned.
Nerubians[ | ]
Nerubians are a race of sentient spider-like people that inhabit the continent of Northrend. They once had a great underground empire, Azjol-Nerub, that occupied most of the continent, and they may also have had holdings above-ground. However, with the coming of the Lich King it was only a matter of time before they were destroyed, although they were at first immune to the scourge. When they attacked the Lich King's citadel, the majority of Nerubians were wiped out and resurrected by him, with only a few pockets of resistance remaining. Although he almost annihilated the entire race, the Lich King was impressed by their bravery and battle prowess and, to honor them, adopted their distinctive architectural style as the basis for his future army, the Scourge. He also resurrected most of the Nerubians he had killed, turning them into Crypt Fiends and Crypt Lords. They were once the same race as the Aqir but their kingdom divided thousands of years ago to become Azjol-Nerub in the northeast, home of the Nerubians, and Ahn'Qiraj in the southwest, home of the Qiraji. Anub'Arak was their king, before being enslaved by the Lich King against his own free will. Some Nerubians are rumored to still live in Northrend, with the hopes of one day rebuilding their ancient kingdom.
Live Nerubians have not yet been seen in World of Warcraft, although their undead counterparts have.
It is presumed that if the Nerubians do not become a playable race they will become a faction one can raise or lose reputation with.
Crypt Fiends[ | ]
These are large, mummified creatures in the Warcraft universe that look like a mix between humans and spiders, and are members of the Nerubian spiders. Their lower bodies are supported by six spindly arachnid limbs and their heavily bandaged torsos are vaguely humanoid in form, though their heads are more generally spider-like. The Crypt Fiends were once the dwellers of the ancient spider kingdom of Azjol-Nerub that spanned the entirety of Northrend in ancient times. However, the Nerubians' power base was destroyed by the Lich King, Ner'zhul, when he and his undead Scourge took control of the frozen continent. The former Nerubians, revived in undeath and now known as Crypt Fiends, command their spider underlings for the sake of their master, Ner'zhul. These aberrant creatures are capable of summoning swarms of vile insects and projecting web-like strands to incapacitate and harm their enemies.
When Sylvannas broke free of the Lich King's control and freed a large number of undead this apparently did not include any crypt fiends (and crypt lords for that matter) since they aren't seen in any of the Forsaken settlements in World of Warcraft. No explanation is given, but it is possible that the Lich King simply has more control over the hive-minded Nerubians than over more free-willed Humans, or that most humans were turned into scourge troops through plague, while the Nerubians were raised through necromancy.
Crypt Lords[ | ]
A Crypt Lord in World Of Warcraft.
In the fictional Warcraft universe, the Crypt Lords were once the leaders of the Nerubian people. When it was evident that Azjol-Nerub could not stand for long against the Scourge, some of the Nerubian rulers lost themselves to despair and vilely betrayed their people to please Ner'zhul so that they could spare their own lives. Now, they enjoy the full powers of undeath and serve as the guardians of Ice Crown Glacier, the Lich King's residence. The character of Anubiros is an Undead Crypt Lord.
Crypt Lord is a hero unit introduced in the Warcraft III expansion pack, The Frozen Throne.
Obsidian Destroyers[ | ]
Egyptian-inspired creatures made out of solid obsidian created by the Qiraji (see below) as guardians and servants.
Physical Description:Obsidian destroyers are made entirely out of glossy, black obsidian. When an Obsidian Destroyer stands still, it fools people into believing it is nothing more than a large obsidian statue. They have a centauroid form; It has a lower body of a powerfully-built horse crossed with a panther, with a pair of great black wings, and its upper body is humanoid, with a shriveled, lich-like face. It wields a pair of unusual ebon morningstars in its foremost limbs. An Obsidian Destroyer enjoys wearing crowns and other ostentatious headdresses. Though not a precise flyer, an Obsidian Destroyer attacks from the air when possible.
History: The combined forces of the night elves had proven themselves a formidable enemy to the Qiraji, but during the War of the Shifting Sands it was the Bronze Dragonflight that first taught the insect race the meaning of fear.
As the dragons slaughtered wave after wave of silithid, losing few of their own in the process, the Twin Emperors realized their forces were ill-equipped to deal with such powerful creatures of magic.
To combat this shortcoming, Emperor Vek'lor focused his efforts on designing a mechanism capable of fighting the ancient wyrms. These preliminary efforts, however, were wrought with failure.
Aided by whisperings from his ancient master, Vek'lor pressed on and developed a new kind of construct. Though pleased with his progress, even the Qiraji emperor could not guess what dark purpose lay in store for the machines.
Little is known about how the first Obsidian Destroyers were created, but legends speak of Vek'lor himself hammering out the first statue in a molten forge beneath the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj. To Vek'lor's surprise, his inert creations were quickly imbued with limited sentience by his shadowy overseer, as well as a mysterious power - the ability to drain the magical energies of living creatures. In addition these energies could be stored and then released in a tremendous burst of incendiary mana, making Vek'lor's latest creations among the deadliest in the Qiraji arsenal.
The first Destroyers proved extremely effective; the dragons were not accustomed to fighting enemies that were capable of retaliating from a distance, and they never found an effective way to counter the mana-draining powers of these obsidian statues. And so Anachronos, child of Nozdormu, sought the aid of the remaining dragonflights and history tells us that the Qiraji were sealed behind the Scarab Wall shortly thereafter.
Those dragons who survived the war still dread the return of these magic-stealing monstrosities.
In World of Warcraft: Obsidian Destroyers are found only in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj and the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj instances. The strategy to defeat them is quite simple: let the tank get some aggro on the destroyer before starting damage, but classes with mana-draining abilities should start manadraining as soon as the destroyer is initiated. Just have your druids and paladins heal the tank (who should not take that much damage), and the destroyer goes down easily.
Ogres[ | ]
Ogres are a savage race from Draenor. They are huge and strong, but tend to be stupid and slow. Many have two heads, especially casters. They followed the Orcs through the Dark Portal into the world of Azeroth. During the First War, they were little more than destructive brutes, hazards to both sides. But between the First and Second War, the Ogres were recruited into the Orcish Horde by the Warlock Gul'dan to replace the now-disbanded Wolf Riders as heavy cavalry. It is as this point, due to Gul'dan's experiments, that the Ogre Magi appeared — the powerful body of an Ogre with the power ursurped by the Elven Runestone. The Ogres left the Horde after they lost the war, and decided to leave peacefully. Many crated and joined clans, although a fair number became traders as well.
The ogre clans: Crushridge, Dunemaul, Stonemaul, Dreadmaul, Bladespire, Bloodmaul, Firegut, Gordok, Gordunni, Ango'rosh, Spirestone.
Note: Many NPCs (like Goblins and sometimes Gnomes) in World of Warcraft have an Ogre as "bodyguard".
Ogre Lords[ | ]
Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. It is believed that the massive, cyclopean Gronn are the ancient ancestors of the ogres. If so, the ogre lords of Outland are the only ogres known to retain some of the physical traits of their gronn progenitors, such as the bony, calcified protrusions on their head and back, as well as a portion of the gronn's immense size and strength. Other unique characteristics possessed by the ogre lords are their intelligence and reasoning abilities, which are more acute than those of their ogre cousins. This combination of brute strength and increased intellect make the ogre lords worthy of both respect... and fear.
These creatures are Ogres more closely related to the Ogre demigods, the Gronn (see above); a step between the two creatures. Like the Gronns (and unlike the Ogres), the Ogre Lords have only one eye, and flappy, triangular ears. It is possible that heads of the Ogre Lords (or their unknown, immediate descendants) were used in the process of creation of Two-headed Ogres (since the second head looks very similar to that of an Ogre Lord)
One such Ogre Lord can be found in Nagrand, after a tedious questline. He resides within Warmaul Hill, to the far west of Nagrand, and is called Cho'war the Pillager. He is a level 67 elite and the Chieftain of the Warmaul Ogre Tribe.
Orcs[ | ]
The Orcs are a savage, but noble, race from the planet Draenor who became corrupted by a demonic force known as the Burning Legion. Under the legion's influence, the Orcish Horde slaughtered over eighty percent of the Draenei, another race inhabiting Draenor, and then were led to the world of Azeroth. After two devastating wars, the Orcs were finally defeated on Azeroth, and rounded up into internment camps, until a young Orc named Thrall rallied them together, and finally broke the Horde free from demonic influence and helped them return to their shamanistic roots.
Pandaren[ | ]
Pandaren are humanoids that resemble Giant Pandas. Their homeland is Pandaria, an isolated and well-hidden island off the coast of Kalimdor. Pandaren are generally isolationists, and very few ever leave the island. Those that do are strong warriors with a mastery of martial arts techniques; the typical Pandaren fighting style in our universe would be a mix of Zui Quan (drunken boxing) and Shaolin staff techniques. Pandaren also have an extreme fondness for alcoholic beverages (both creating and consuming them); those that do leave the island are often Brewmasters, wandering the world in search of new and exotic ingredients in their ale creations. The Pandaren are a shamanistic race very similar to the Tauren in this regard. They strive to remain neutral in those rare dealings they may have with outside races.
The origin of the name Pandaren is unknown, but it is worth noting that the Chinese word for person is "ren", thus making the name "Panda-person" if taken literally in Chinese.
The conceptual origins of the Pandaren race can be traced to the 2002 April Fools joke [1] announcing the Pandaren as a playable race in the soon-to-be-released Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. However, the overwhelming and positive fan response to the joke caused it to take on a life of its own, and eventually Blizzard retconned the Pandaren race into the Warcraft story. The Pandaren race made its debut in Frozen Throne as a neutral hero, the Pandaren Brewmaster. Blizzard later provided background information on the Pandaren in the Alliance and Horde Compendium sourcebook for Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game.
Pandaren would later be featured in a second April Fools joke in World of Warcraft, announcing a take-out Chinese cuisine service called Pandaren Xpress (based on the real-life Panda Express) which could be accessed from inside the game. This was a parody of EverQuest II's /pizza command, which would open a web browser to order pizza. The Pandaren were long believed to be the fifth Alliance race in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, until the announcement on May 10, 2006 that the fifth Alliance race would be the Draenei.
The Pandaren are rumored to make an appearance in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King as an Alliance race.
Qiraji[ | ]
The Qiraji are an ancient in lore (though appearing quite recently) humanoid insectoid race that dwell in southern Silithus.
History: At the ancient continent Kalimdor's center was a mysterious lake of incandescent energies, the Well of Eternity. It was the true heart of the world's magic and natural power. From this magical ether the Silithid (see below) were born. As the fallen Old God C'Thun recognized their appearance, he attempted to sunder the world that he once held in his unmerciful grasp. The Old God created avatars from the Silithid in his own image. These avatars were to be known as Aqir (see above). The Aqir later split into the Qiraji and the Nerubians. While the Nerubians were driven by the Trolls into Northrend, the Qiraji stayed in Silithus in service of C'Thun. Sentient and with purpose, the Qiraji worked feverishly to build a force capable of laying waste to the world that would betray their god, with the Silithids as their minions. The great fortress city of Ahn'Qiraj was created in southern Silithus to house their growing armies and prepare for the coming of C'Thun. The Qiraji spent the next thousands of years building an army capable of exacting revenge upon the whole of Kalimdor.
Only the night elves, who once inhabited Silithus, stood in their way. The War of the Shifting Sands rages for long, agonizing months. The night elves were always on the defensive, always outnumbered, always being driven back. The whole of Silithus was soon engulfed by the Silithid and their Qiraji hosts. The night elf army was pushed back through Un'Goro, to the borders of the Tanaris desert. Out of desperation the night elven leader Fandral Staghelm sought the aid of the elusive bronze dragonflight. Their initial refusal to interfere was reversed when the brazen Qiraji attacked the Caverns of Time, home and province of Nozdormu the Timeless One. Nozdormu's heir, Anachronos, agreed to enlist the bronze dragonflight against the marauding Qiraji. Every able-bodied night elf joined the cause, and together they forged a campaign to retake Silithus. Even with the might of the dragons backing them, however, the sheer numbers of the Qiraji and silithid proved overwhelming. And so Anachronos called upon the progeny of the remaining flights. Even so, it seemed that the numbers of Qiraji and silithid were never-ending. So the dragons and Fandral hatched their final, desperate plan: to contain the Qiraji within the city, to erect a barrier that would confine them until a more hopeful stratagem could be devised. With the blessing of Elune the barrier was erected before their eyes, rock and stone and roots from beneath the sands emerging to create an impenetrable wall. Even the winged soldiers who attempted to fly over the barrier met with an invisible obstruction that they could not pass. The Qiraji who remained outside the wall were quickly slain. The dragon told Fandral that should any mortal ever wish to pass the magical barrier and access the ancient city, they need only strike the scepter against the gong and the gates would open. He then handed the scepter to the Arch-Druid.
Now the unmentionable Old God slowly awakens from his slumber beneath Ahn'Qiraj. The terrible fate that awaits Azeroth could come in days or years; time has no meaning for beings of his power. Both the Alliance and the Horde work together to reopen the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj and to face the Qiraji once more
Society: The capital city and main concentration of Qiraj is Ahn'Qiraj in Silithus, which in World of Warcraft is two instances. Different types of Qiraji are referred to as castes with a lifelong occupation and responsibility in society. It seemes to be that every caste has a leader, who in turn are under the command of the Twin Emperor rulers of Ahn'Qiraj, Vek'nilash and Vek'lor, who in turn are under the command of C'Thun.
The three most notable castes are the humanoid fly-like Battleguards, led by Battleguard Sartura, the humanoid scorpion-like Gladiators, led by General Rajaxx and the humanoid cockroach-like Prophets, led by The Prophet Skeram.
The Qiraji are able to create servants of living obsidian stone, the Obsidian Destroyer, the Anubisaths, and the Horusaths.
The Silithid race, from which the Qiraji are supposedly descended from via the Aqir, is apparently inferior to the more humanoid and intelligent Qiraji. The Qiraji are apparently the Silithids' rulers. Silithids live alongside the Qiraji in Ahn'Qiraj, and serve their place in the Qiraji military; however, the Silithids appear to be treated more like fodder and servants than friends and equals. The truly respected members of the Qiraji military are the Gladiators, and Silithids seem to be little more than front-line, overwhelming battle-fodder. Although the Silithid hives not in Silithus and Ahn'Qiraj are devoid of Qiraji and seem to work independently from them, there are communication crystals in them from which they appear to take orders from the Qiraji.
Culture: Qiraji culture, judging from their capital city of Ahn'Qiraj, is roughly based upon real-life Egyptian and middle-eastern cultures, only with a strange, evil, twisted, insectile overtone. The Qiraji and their servants wield items made with the rarest and finest materials: bones from gargantuan ancient creatures, gems from the depths of the earth, metals pure and strong. The most powerful Qiraji wield items of such might they'd give pause even to a dragon. The rings worn by the Qiraji lieutenants are rumored to grant them formidable abilities. The corrupted gems that adorn them could, in theory, be swapped out with more pure materials to create uncorrupted versions of the rings. It seems to be that female Qiraji must constantly keep their face covered. Obelisks, Scarab Beetles and Temples seem to be popular aspects of Qiraji architecture.
Quilboars[ | ]
Quilboars are creatures that resemble bipedal boars. They posed a problem to the orcs who had settled in perpetual war. The Quilboar of Razorfen Downs, the Razormane tribe, have considered an alliance with the undead Scourge though the current status of their pact in the story is unknown. The other Quilboar tribe, the Bristlebacks, are at war with them. Quilboars have shamanistic societies, and many of them are skilled geomancers and hunters.
Note: In World of Warcraft, there is a sword called X'caliboar used by one of the Razormane leaders, Ragglesnout. This name (on the sword) apparently comes from the legenday sword Excalibur in the tale of King Arthur of Camelot.
Rock Flayers[ | ]
Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. Rock flayers are one of Outland's indigenous species. Many careless wanderers have been killed by the primitive humanoids who roam the slopes and peaks of the Blade's Edge Mountains in murderous packs. Though they primarily hunt smaller mountain animals, they are not afraid of stalking potential prey that is much bigger than they are. There are accounts of packs of rock flayers taking down even mighty elekk that had wandered into the rock flayers' territory. Their vicious blade scythes and climbing claws are so sharp they can even cut through sheer rock, enabling the rock flayers to climb the most difficult overhangs with ease. Even for a predatory species, they are extremely fast and very aggressive.
Rock Flayers are humanoid, but have four arms which instead of ending in hands, end in huge curving blades with hooks on the ends. They have feral, fiendish, teethed heads, and walked with a hunched posture. They have thin, string-like tails with a barb on the end, and a mowhawk-like crest on their head and going down their backs.
Rock Flayers are an awful target for experience grinding. High health, considerable damage potential, and decent special abilities keep these from being even remotely soft targets. However, due to their highly cool and impressive models, many players kill them anyway purely for the experience of it.
Rock Flayers are found in Hellfire Peninsula, Blade's Edge Mountains, and the Netherstorm.
Sea Giants[ | ]
Gentle, aquatic proto-beings created by the Titans to help them dredge out the seas and lift the land from the sea floor of Azeroth. They resemble giant humanoids, with turquoise-green scales instead of skin, green beards, webbed feet and hands, and clothed and equipped with the remains of sunken ships. They stand around 18 feet tall and weigh about 1,000 pounds.
Sea Giants seldom make their way to the surface world, instead preferring the isolation of the ocean bottom. They enjoy the worship of murlocs, but are the constant enemy of the naga. Of late, sea giants have taken to hunting out these corruptors, which has brought them closer and closer to the surface world.
Nomadic creatures, sea giants do not maintain lairs like others of their kind. Instead, they drag their belongings and wealth along with them in huge sacks crafted from the sails of sunken ships.
In World of Warcraft, Sea Giants can be found in the coasts of Desolace, Stranglethorn Vale, Feralas, Tanaris and Azshara.
Sporelings[ | ]
Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. The Sporelings are a mostly peaceful race of mushroom-like humanoids native to the Zangarmarsh in Outland, where they have their own town called Sporeggar. While fearful of travelers (especially those significantly larger than them), they are quick to welcome anyone to help them.
Sporelings have many natural enemies in their native Zangarmarsh, such as the fierce Spore Walkers and the massive Fungal Giants. As the Sporelings are very small, they are unable to cope fully with these enemies, and often enlist the help of passing adventurers; helping the Sporelings kill their enemies builds reputation with them.
Sporelings are totally unfamiliar with the concept of currency made from precious metals. Their currency takes the form of small, glowing mushrooms known as "Glowcaps".
Sporeling young are grown in balloon-like spore sacs that start out large and grow smaller as the air bubbles in the sac are compressed. These spore sacs are stored in large fields called spawning grounds. The young, once emerged, are often preyed upon by hungry Fungal Giants.
Tauren[ | ]
The Tauren are a minotaur-like race with a fierce warrior tradition; in their own language they are called "Shu'halo." They are one of the most ancient races in the world of Azeroth, on par with the Night Elves, though their traditional culture emphasized simplicity and a nomadic lifestyle. Their principal goddess is the Earth Mother, and they participate in ancestor-worship. They are about twice as big as a man and when fighting prefer to wield totem poles nearing the size of an old oak tree stem or axes. The Tauren are known for their passion for nature and honour, and are traditional enemies of the marauding Centaur and Quillboar. Their culture is an amalgam of various Native American traditions, with an emphasis on the Plains cultures, however the inclusion of druids among their numbers has given a vaguely Celtic bend to them as well.
The Tauren are led by the great chieftain, Cairne Bloodhoof. Cairne allied with Thrall's Orcs when they came to Kalimdor; with the Orcs' aid, they defeated the Centaur and the previously nomadic Tauren finally claimed Mulgore as their own. They founded Thunder Bluff, the great Tauren city, where the Tauren now enjoy a relative tranquility.
The Tauren were introduced in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Originally there was only a hero (Tauren Chieftain) and a unit (Tauren). In the expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, the magical Spirit Walker was added. The Spirit Walkers are White Tauren, and as such they are believed to be the ill omen of a coming age, and are held in near reverence by their people, often becoming reclusive priests who wander the land in search of kindred spirits. The Tauren are also a playable race in the MMORPG World of Warcraft, serving as the only one of the five Horde races indigenous to Kalimdor.
Tigons[ | ]
In World of Warcraft, the tigon is not a true race or species, but rather a term to describe the form of three bosses in the game, two of which are in Zul'Gurub, and the third in Karazhan. Therefore, whether they should be included on the race list is debatable.
High Priestess Arlokk is a troll who transforms into the female panther form. High Priest Thekal transforms into the male tiger form, and Roar uses a male lion form.
If one equips the two fist weapons Thekal's Grasp and Arlokk's Grasp to form the "Primal Blessing" set, it grants a small chance when damage is dealt to infuse the wielder with a blessing from the Primal Gods, transforming the character into a Tigon temporarily.
The name 'tigon' comes from the model file of the two cat people.
Titans[ | ]
The metallic-skinned gods who ordered the world and created all the life of Azeroth besides the elementals, who were there already. They also chained the evil "old gods" of the elementals under ground.
After creating Azeroth, they then proceeded to imbue certain powers to the five Dragonflights. The Titans, also known on Azeroth as "The Makers", made the Earthen. The Earthen evolve to either Dwarves or Trogg. An account of this action is documented on the Discs of Norgannon, named after the Titan of Lore Norgannon. The discs, along with a brief history and explanation, are located at the end of Uldaman, an instance in the MMORPG World of Warcraft.
Sargeras, the Dark Titan, is not a Titan of the Pantheon. Although he was once, he deserted the Pantheon after being driven mad by demons and the evil and corruption they possessed.
Although the Titans generally believed that they were invincible and immortal, one was defeated in the battle against Sargeras.
Treants[ | ]
Treants are enormous enchanted beings whose bodies are born from the living trees of Kalimdor and Bloodmyst. They are tremendously strong and resilient to even the strongest blows. In times of great peril, they can be seen emerging from their shadowy forests to protect the land from evil corruption. Some, however, were tainted and corrupted by the Burning Legion ages ago. The corrupted Treants wish only to spread their corruption and hate for living things. Corrupted Treants are also found on Bloodmyst Isle following the Burning Crusade expansion pack.
Treants can be summoned by Druids specializing in Balance magic.
Troggs[ | ]
Troggs are primitive humanoids that inhabit Dun Morogh, Loch Modan and Gnomeregan among other places. They are often found living in caves and resemble cavemen.
When the Titans first came to Azeroth, they created a race of humanoids, the Earthen, to help them shape the world. After the creation of the Earthen, anomalies due to high-stress environments were discovered. These anomalies resulted in a degeneration of the Earthen into two forms - Troggs and Dwarves. The Troggs maintained the stamina and strength of their Earthen predecessors, but almost all their cognitive powers were lost in favor of force of will and strong cunning. Troggs will consume anything they can obtain, including stones and other Troggs. According to the Lorekeepers of Norgannon, due to these characteristics the Titans, when they return, will consider them abominations and destroy them.
Recently, Dwarven excavations of Titan ruins have awakened the Troggs, who have proceeded to invade Dwarven lands and even drive the Gnomes from their beloved capital of Gnomeregan.
Trolls[ | ]
In the current Warcraft universe, there are multiple types of trolls, each in their own tribe. It is speculated that a small group of Trolls are what were drawn to the Well of Eternity and evolved into Night Elves, although the Night Elves fiercely deny this. Trolls are thin, cunning and agile, with pointed features, rather than hulking brutes like traditional trolls. Before the time of multiple tribes of trolls, they were at one time united in the Gurubashi and Amani Empires that encompassed much of Azeroth. The Amani eventually attacked the Elven kingdom of Quel'thalas and seemed to almost destroy it. However, when the elves allied with the human state of Arathor, the combined might of the two armies destroyed the trolls, along with the Amani empire. It was this defeat that led to the division of the trolls into their particular tribes. The five types are:
Dark Trolls[ | ]
Dark Trolls are dark purple in colour and live in Ashenvale forest. Although they appear extremely hostile to the Night Elves, a band of dark trolls assisted in fighting the Burning Legion on Mount Hyjal. This type of troll has yet to make an appearance in World of Warcraft. According to recent information released on troll tribes by Blizzard, Dark Trolls are not a tribe in of themselves but are actually all from different tribes and seem to be outcasts of some sort. They were speculated to be the new Alliance race during the early stages of development on The Burning Crusade, but this rumor was debunked when the Draenei were announced as the new race instead.
Forest Trolls[ | ]
Led by one of their greatest heroes, Zul'jin, they allied with the Orcs during the Second War. They were enemies with the High Elves, who took their land when they were exiled from Kalimdor and landed in Quel'thalas. Since the Elves were allied with Humans, an alliance between the Orcs and Trolls was logical. They are savage, and very much into ritual sacrifices and cannibalism. They are green in colour, and most do not still serve the Horde, especially since the Blood Elves would probably not join a faction containing one of their ancient enemies (who haven't changed), and in the tutorial campaign in Warcraft III (featuring the Orc race), Thrall and his orcs can find a group of Forest Troll creeps and fight them, with Thrall saying "Forest Trolls. It shames me to think they were ever a part of the Horde."
The Forest troll tribes: Shadowpine, Amani, Firetree, Mossflayer, Vilebranch, Witherbark, and Raventusk.
Ice Trolls[ | ]
The Ice Trolls are huge and light blue, adapted for life in extremely cold climates. They can be found in Northrend, as well as in cold, mountainous regions of Khaz Modan. They, along with several other tribes, are known practitioners of cannibalism.
Jungle Trolls[ | ]
Jungle Trolls are blue-skinned, and originate from Stranglethorn Vale, a jungle south of Azeroth. They practice voodoo, dark magic, and cannibalism. The Darkspear Tribe, who lived on an island in the great sea, were still considered Jungle trolls. After Thrall and his newly reformed Horde rescued the tribe from Murlocs and their sea witch leader, the tribe swore eternal allegiance to the Horde. Originally settling on the Echo Isles, they were soon driven out by the crazed troll witch doctor, Zalazane. They now reside with the Orcs in Durotar, near the Echo Isles in Sen'jin Village. Vol'jin, a shadow hunter, is their leader. To appease the Orcs, the Darkspear Tribe changed some of their customs. They officially gave up cannibalism upon joining the Horde and practice voodoo with some discretion, though the Darkspear Voodoo priests still practice their Hexs and Shadow Magic. Aside from the Darkspears, the Skullsplitters, among other tribes remaining in Stranglethorn Vale, have re-united under the evil rule of the resurgent Blood God Hakkar the Soulflayer, who now resides in the ancient city of Zul'Gurub. Thus, the Gurubashi Empire has begun to reassemble itself at last, despite the fact that it is once again under the vicegrip rule of an evil god.
Known tribes: Darkspear, Skullsplitter, Gurubashi, Atal'ai, Hakkari( simply a priesthood from Atal'ai ), Bloodscalp, Shatterspear.
Sand Trolls[ | ]
The Sand Trolls live in the desert region of Tanaris. They have pink skin tones and act as marauders. They live in a great temple in the desert called Zul'Farrak where they worship dark gods. They have a friendly relationship with the Jungle Trolls and Forest Trolls that worship Hakkar, however they are not themselves worshipers of this dark god.
Tuskarr[ | ]
Humanoid walrus-like creatures who can be found in Northrend. They are a nomadic people who have little contact with the races of the warmer south. The Tuskarr typically live in tribes with a matriarch leading them. Their main source of food are penguin eggs, therefore they keep the creatures around for livestock.
Undead (The Forsaken)[ | ]
- Main articles: Undead (Warcraft), The Scourge (Warcraft), and The Forsaken (Warcraft)
- See also: Undead (WoWWiki)
The horrifying Undead army called the Scourge consists of thousands of walking corpses, disembodied spirits, damned mortal men and insidious extra-dimensional entities. The Scourge was created by the Burning Legion for the sole purpose of sowing terror across the world in anticipation of the Legion's inevitable invasion. The Undead are ruled by Ner'zhul, the Lich King, who lords over the icy realm of Northrend from his frozen throne. Ner'zhul commands the terrible plague of undeath which he sends ever southward into the human lands. As the plague encroaches on the southlands, more and more humans fall prey to Ner'zhul's mental control and life-draining sickness every day. In this way, Ner'zhul has swelled the ranks of the already considerable Scourge. Though Ner'zhul and his Undead Scourge are bound to the will of the Burning Legion, the Lich King constantly strives to free himself and gain vengeance upon the demons for damning him so completely.
Having broken free from the tyrannical rule of the Lich King, a renegade group of undead seek to retain their own free will while destroying all those who oppose them. Known as the Forsaken, this group is dedicated to serving their leader, the banshee queen Sylvanas Windrunner. These dark warriors have established a secret stronghold beneath the ruins of Lordaeron's former capital city. Situated deep beneath the cursed Tirisfal Glades, the labyrinthine Undercity is a sprawling bastion of evil. Within its shadowy confines, Sylvanas' royal apothecaries scramble to develop a devastating new plague - one which will not only eradicate their hated Scourge rivals, but the rest of humanity as well. To further their dark aims, the Forsaken have entered into an alliance of convenience with the primitive, brutish races of the Horde. Holding no real loyalty for their newfound comrades, the Forsaken have duped them into fighting against their common enemy - the Lich King. Only time will tell how these disciples of doom will fare in their mission of vengeance.
Wendigos[ | ]
Savage humanoids living in cold places such as Dun Morogh and Northrend. They look like giant apes with claws, curly horns, and white hair. Some shaman-Wendigos also know how to use "primitive" magic like healing. Their appearance is similar to that of the Yeti or Abominable Snowman. It's possible that the name is derived from the Windigo or Wendigo giant, found in the folklore of some Algonquian peoples.
Wisps[ | ]
At the Battle of Mount Hyjal, the mortal races of Azeroth banded together in a desperate bid to stall the advance of the Burning Legion. The combined might of their armies fought valiantly against the demonic onslaught, but slowly, inexorably, they were pushed back. Even the massive force gathered at the base of the mountain could not stop the demons' climb. On the steep slopes of Mount Hyjal, Archimonde gave the world a taste of the true power of the Burning Legion's fury. The Defiler himself led the vanguard, crushing all who stood in his way, determined to reach the World Tree at the mountain's peak. In the end, only one power was strong enough to destroy the insidious Archimonde: the Wisps.
Just as the orcs, humans and night elves discarded their old hatreds and stood united against a common foe, so did nature herself rise up to banish the shadow forever. The Legion lost one of its leaders, and the mortal races of Azeroth won a brief respite. Yet as the unknown threats of Outland loom ever closer, and hushed whispers of a Burning Crusade can be heard in the darkest, most secret corners of the world, the night elven druids have once again sounded the Horn of Cenarius, summoning the ancient spirits of the forests to aid the Alliance in their hour of need. The wisps have long been deeply connected with the night elves, and will do all in their power to protect their now-mortal Kaldorei allies in this new and dangerous frontier beyond the Dark Portal.
Even though they are commonly believed to be purely benign spirits of the night elves' sacred forests, a part of the primal energy that was used to destroy the terrible eredar warlord slumbers in all wisps. Should a wisp decide that its time has come, it can unleash all its energy in one devastating detonation. Although this can potentially turn the tide of battle, the wisp's energies will dissipate beyond any hope of recovery; the wisp's detonate ability is the ultimate sacrifice. A heavy cost; but the wisps, the ancient guardians of nature, pay it gladly.
Wisps were featured in the 2006 April Fool's joke when Blizzard Entertainment announced that Wisps would be the new playable race for the Alliance side. This news was greeted with equal parts outrage and bemusement until Blizzard stated the obvious: it was just a joke. The obvious part comes from the fact that when Night Elves "die" in World of Warcraft, their spirit is a wisp, not a ghost. It is also noted that if one looks closely, you can see the face of a night elf in the center of the wisp's mass.
Worgen[ | ]
The creatures known as Worgen physically resemble folkloric werewolves. The Worgen are savage and animalistic, slaughtering all they encounter save for other Worgen. They appear to have some rudimentary intelligence, as displayed by their use of magic and primitive armor. But they are very paranoid and distrustful, making contact with them extremely dangerous and difficult.
They were first summoned into the world of Azeroth by a Night Elf known as Valinda Starsong, after discovering an artifact called the Scythe of Elune. With it she was shown the Worgen battling the Burning Legion on their home planet. They were somewhat primitive and certainly aggressive in their own world, so she called the Worgen into the world under her command. She used them to fight the corruption of the Burning Legion in Felwood, but, eventually, the Scythe worked on its own, calling more and more Worgen to Azeroth. Without the control of the scythe, the Worgen quickly overwhelmed Valinda and began lashing out at all but other Worgen. Valinda lost the Scythe, and it was eventually rediscovered in a cave called Roland's Doom, in Duskwood, by a Defias worker known as Jitters. This discovery summoned the Worgen into the area, creating one of the area's major troubles. Jitters also witnessed the butchering of Sven Yorgen's farming family by creatures known as Dark Riders, who are rumored to live and be controlled by a dark master in the ruined tower of Karazhan. This master is seeking the Scythe, no doubt to call forth an army of the Wolfmen.
A second influx of Worgen was summoned by the archmage Arugal during the beginnings of the Scourge in Lordaeron. Arugal intended to use the Worgen as a tool to fight the Scourge, which proved to be successful, for a time. Ultimately, Arugal's magic was far too weak to control the Worgen fully, causing them to break free and wildly kill his countrymen. Arugal's failure and guilt over the death of his friends led to madness, as he began to think of himself as the "father" of the Worgen. His most recent experimentation has led to a town near to Shadowfang Keep to become infected with a curse that causes the human residents of the town to change into deadly Worgen at night. Even though they are human half the time, even these Worgen descend into animalistic savagery when transformed.
The Worgen will become a playable race in the upcoming expansion pack for alliance players.
Wretched[ | ]
Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. The Wretched are blood elves who have failed to control their magical addiction. The Wretched are currently scattered throughout Eversong Woods and lack any general leadership, but a few notable Wretched have stepped up and organized raids. The Wretched have infiltrated the Ruins of Silvermoon, the Sunsail Anchorage, and even the Falthrien Academy on Sunstrider Isle. Interestingly, their basic character model is that of the Forsaken (see above), not the blood elves. This new "kind" of blood elves is believed to be relatively new considering the fact it has to be after the corruption of the Sunwell.
Note that Wretched, regardless of in-game model, are the same species as blood elves and high elves.
Gershala Nightwhisper feared this transformation might occur before the events of the Burning Crusade. He even sent adventurers in Blackfathom Deeps to get corrupted brain stems from Naga and Satyr. The Wretched can be compared to both Naga and Satyr because their magical dependence caused them to undergo physiological changes. Unlike those two races, this transformation can occur in an instant (as soon as the Blood Elf succumbs to his or her thirst for magic) as Magistrix Elosai's transformation into the Wretched shows. However, the fact that she only stayed a Wretched for a short period might imply that the mutation is reversible or even curable.