Sunwell

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For information on the in-game area, see Sunwell Plateau and Isle of Quel'Danas.
The Sunwell in its current state.

“We will have our glory again, and this will give it to us. So much power... The power of the Well of Eternity, transformed with our guidance into something greater yet!”

— Dath'Remar Sunstrider

The Sunwell is a fount of mystical power located within the Sunwell Plateau, on the Sunwell Grove of Quel'Danas. While its waters, holy to the high elves,[1] were originally pure arcane power,[2][3] it has since been restored as a fount of both arcane and Light energy.[4][5][6] It was originally created by Dath'Remar Sunstrider who used a stolen vial of water from the Well of Eternity at a nexus of ley lines within the northern forests of the Eastern Kingdoms. His Highborne followers named the Sunwell after their leader, in honor of his bold quest to reignite their culture, as magic had been outlawed in their ancestral homeland. Now calling themselves the high elves, they embraced the Sunwell as the very heart of their culture, since the kingdom of Quel'Thalas was only made possible because of it.[7]

The Sunwell was destroyed during the Scourge invasion of Quel'Thalas, when the death knight Arthas Menethil used its power to resurrect Kel'Thuzad. The ritual tainted its energies and threatened to kill the elven survivors of the onslaught; in response, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, last of Dath'Remar's bloodline, destroyed the corrupted Sunwell. This act saved his people from destruction but also cut them off from their source of power completely. Now calling themselves the blood elves in honor of their fallen people, the survivors were left with an insatiable hunger for magic.[8]

Created by the red dragon Korialstrasz, the Sunwell's remaining power manifested itself as Anveena Teague, who was put under the protection in Quel'Thalas. However, after he was defeated on Outland and twisted by fel energies, Kael'thas returned to the ruins of the Sunwell and openly sided with the Burning Legion, seeking to usher his new master Kil'jaeden into Azeroth through the fountain's exhausted mystical depths. Leeching the powers of Anveena and the naaru M'uru, and fortified by arcane energy harvested in Netherstorm, the Sun King restored the Sunwell.[9]

During the Battle for Quel'Danas, the Shattered Sun Offensive succeeded in defeating the Legion, while Prophet Velen of the draenei sanctified the corrupted Sunwell using the holy spark of M'uru. The Sunwell shone once again, now a fount of both arcane power and Light -- bringing about the gradual "rebirth of a nation's soul". Almost immediately after its restoration, the addiction pangs of both the blood elves and their high elven kin were considerably relieved.[10]

Characteristics

The Sunwell in Reforged.

The Sunwell empowered the high elves for roughly seven thousand years to come. Its presence in their lives was comparable to eating or breathing.[7] In the Sunwell's light, Quel'Thalas grew mighty, becoming a beacon of power in the Eastern Kingdoms.[11] Culturally, it was the very center of Thalassian society.[7][12] Yet, the boons it granted were not without a price: the high elves, constantly bathed in the Sunwell's power every moment of every day, became addicted to its energies.[13] The Sunwell does not provide immortality,[14] but something akin to it.[15]

The Sunwell enabled many of the enchantments and indulgences used by the elven magi. It passively empowered Silvermoon City's great shield, Ban'dinoriel, an impenetrable barrier used to repel any would-be invaders,[16] which also weakened the magic of all non-elves within it.[17] Neither Gul'dan nor Arthas could find the key to the shield's subversion, only treachery from within could undo it. While the elves generally lived in harmony with the creatures of the woodlands, the Sunwell ensured the pacifism of their artificial creations, such as mana wyrms.[18]

With the Sunwell's rebirth, the Blood Knights — who once wielded the Light by force — have decided instead to embrace it and to forge a new identity as they lead their people into a more promising future.[19][20] Although possible to "steal" the Light from the Sunwell in the same way they did from M'uru, Lady Liadrin has moved her paladins away from that type of abuse.[21]

Its power has no physical limits or boundaries. An elf bound to its energies would be so no matter how far away they went from it.[7] Its energies are available to be drawn upon from anywhere in the cosmos[22] and even alternate realities as evidenced by the Sunsworn forces on the alternate Draenor.

History

Creation

Dath'Remar Sunstrider and the high elves creating the Sunwell Plateau.

Around 6,800 BDP, the Highborne exiles under the leadership of Dath'Remar Sunstrider arrived at the forested woodlands one day known as Quel'Thalas. Dath'Remar had long sought a suitable homeland for his people, practitioners of arcane magic abhorred by their brethren across the Great Sea. Unveiling a stolen vial of water from the Well of Eternity, he poured its contents into a lake situated at a convergence of powerful ley lines. A brilliant fount of energy tore through the skies of Azeroth, and Dath'Remar proclaimed that this new source of power would one day surpass its predecessor. The Sunwell was named after Dath'Remar, in honor of the Highborne leader's bold quest to reignite Highborne culture. Over time, the Highborne lost their characteristic kaldorei looks and shunned the moon to embrace the sun. They would become known as the high elves, or quel'dorei, and the Sunwell became the heart of their culture.[11]

The well's potent arcane magic fed and strengthened the high elf people. It suffused them unceasingly; they were bathed in its power every moment of every day. The Sunwell had empowered the magi who built the kingdom and enabled some of the elves' day-to-day spellcasting. Thus, the city of Silvermoon was established. The power of the high elves grew, and they cast an enchantment on the Eversong Woods that would keep them bathed in eternal springtime. Elven magi crafted monolithic runestones along the borders of Quel'Thalas; these massive stones relayed the Sunwell's power into a magical shield intended to mask the elves' magic from extra-dimensional threats and protect the land from invasion.[23] The hard-won peace of Quel'Thalas would endure for roughly four thousand years.

For millennia, the mystical pool of energy fuelled the potent magic of the exiled high elves. The Sunwell's inexhaustible power permeated the elves and infused them with a constant supply of arcane energy. For generations, the high elves protected and cherished the well, benefiting from its powers even when outside the borders of their homeland. All high elves had access to the Sunwell's powers from anywhere on Azeroth. Over time, the high elves came to regard the Sunwell's waters as holy. Magic became part of their genes centuries before, but the Sunwell's unique energies became part of them acutely.[24]

The Stone of Spark, Stone of Light, and the Stone of Flame are three items that Grand Magister Belo'vir Salonar imbued with the power of the Sunwell during the Troll Wars.[7]

Second War

During the burning of Quel'Thalas in 6 ADP, the orc Gul'dan intended to use the power of the Altars of Storms to break through Ban'dinoriel's protection. As the altars were crafted from the elves' own runestones, which were originally powered by the Sunwell, the warlock thought to use that link in reverse, sending his own magic into their power source and either destroying it or wresting it away from them.[23]They were largely unsuccessful however, as Silvermoon City remained protected after the Magisters used the Sunwell's power to erect a shield around their capital,[25] in order to hold off the Orcish Horde's invasion.[26]

Third War

Prince Kael'thas, Archmage Rommath, and Magister Astalor Bloodsworn destroying the corrupted Sunwell.

During the Third War in 20 ADP, the death knight Arthas Menethil laid waste to Quel'Thalas in his quest to reach the Sunwell. Its mystical depths were a key component in the resurrection of the fallen necromancer Kel'Thuzad, who would then summon the demon-lord Archimonde and the Burning Legion for their second invasion of Azeroth.[27]

As the undead armies closed in, a high elf named Dar'Khan Drathir (who hoped to gain the favor of the Lich King) aided Arthas by lowering the shields surrounding the Sunwell, killing key members of the Convocation of Silvermoon, and binding the well's energies using instructions from his undead masters.[28] Dar'Khan, who had long coveted the Sunwell's energies, could not resist the urge to gorge upon them himself, despite Arthas forbidding it. Unfortunately for Dar'Khan, the energies he had ingested were soon corrupted, and the man he had sold his kingdom to repaid his treachery in kind. Before that, Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner had sent Tel'kor to the Sunwell Plateau to warn the mages that they could have been betrayed.[29]

With the elven capital of Silvermoon lying in ruins, High King Anasterian Sunstrider and the surviving elves gathered aboard their fleet and retreated to the Isle of Quel'Danas. Protecting the Sunwell became their primary focus; they could always rebuild their capital, but the fount of arcane magic was irreplaceable. After he killed the high elf king, Arthas reached the Sunwell the bones of the necromancer into the radiant beam of light, resurrecting Kel'Thuzad into a lich. This act, however, came at great cost, as the ritual befouled the Sunwell with corrupted energies that gradually permeated the lands of Quel'Thalas and the surviving quel'dorei. The death knight then gathered the Scourge and marched south toward Dalaran, leaving only ruins and death in his wake.[30]

When Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider returned from Dalaran, he discovered that the greatest danger to the sin'dorei was not the Scourge remnants, but the Sunwell itself. Given enough time, the necromantic energies would kill them all, and the prince painfully concluded that the Sunwell, the heart of their society, had to be destroyed. With the aid of the most powerful remaining magi, who had come to the same conclusion, Kael'thas executed a plan that would irrevocably change the fate of his people, and succeeded in destroying the Sunwell through a great ritual.[7]

The hole left by the Sunwell's destruction.

He executed a plan that would irrevocably change the fate of his people. With the aid of the most powerful remaining magi, accompanied by Lor'themar and a party of volunteer defenders, Kael'thas succeeded in destroying the Sunwell.[31] After a three-way struggle between the elves, the Scourge remnants, and an armada of emboldened Amani trolls seizing an opportunity to secure the Sunwell for their own purposes, the elven magi detonated the Sunwell and escaped, leaving the undead and trolls alike to perish in the ensuing blaze.[32] However, though the Sunwell's energies had been dispersed, not all of its essence was lost. The red dragon Korialstrasz gathered what remained of the energies[7] and hid them away in the guise of a young human girl, Anveena Teague.[33]

In the aftermath of the Sunwell's destruction, Kael'thas declared that his people would be forever known as the sin'dorei, or blood elves in Thalassian, so they would never forget those who had fallen in defense of their homeland. Although the Sunwell's threat was ended, the prince could not have foreseen the effect its loss would have on his people. The elves suffered terribly from withdrawal, for many of them had been infused with the arcane energies of the well all their lives. Only in the absence of the Sunwell did the blood elves come to realize how addicted they had grown to its powers. Over time, the elves grew ill, weakened, and the youngest and oldest among them died.[34][35]

During the reconstruction of their kingdom, the blood elves notably enslaved demons into fel crystals, which they used to maintain their architectural structures in lieu of the Sunwell's energies.[36]

The Sunwell Trilogy

Comics title.png This section concerns content related to the Warcraft manga or comics.

Months later, the traitor Dar'Khan Drathir – now a powerful agent of the Scourge – returned to Quel'Thalas. There he battled the avatar of the Sunwell, Anveena Teague, and a band of heroes with the aid of the blue dragon Kalecgos and others. She was able to defeat Dar'Khan and release the Sunwell's energy, in the process restoring the grove once destroyed by the Scourge. In the aftermath, Anveena decided to stay in the ruined city to begin the process of renewal with Kalecgos, protected by a magical shield and watched over by Lor'themar Theron. Her identity as the avatar of the Sunwell's power was kept a closely guarded secret, known to only the Regent Lord and his people.[37][38]

Fury of the Sunwell

Burning Crusade This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

Main article: Battle for Quel'Danas
Kil'jaeden the Deceiver emerging from the Sunwell.

During the Battle for Quel'Danas in 26 ADP, the loose energy from the Sunwell had caused the sentries of Quel'Danas to malfunction. The crystal cores that control their behavior were damaged beyond repair until Vindicator Xayann and the adventurers repaired them with Attuned Crystal Cores.[39] In Outland, the Bash'ir ethereals in the Blade's Edge Mountains were smuggling mana cells from Tempest Keep to transport them at the Sunwell for Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider.[40]

In time, Prince Kael'thas - bristling with power from his manaforges in the Netherstorm - finally returned to Quel'Thalas. Seeking to summon the demon lord Kil'jaeden, he captured the personification of the Sunwell's power, Anveena Teague, and leeched her energy to restore the ruined Sunwell as a portal between Azeroth and Argus.[41] This was prevented by the actions of the Shattered Sun Offensive, with a group of heroes charging into Sunwell Plateau and finally, the sacrifice of Anveena, who used her power to prevent Kil'jaeden's emergence.[42]

Although the demon lord was banished through his would-be portal, corruptive energies once more fouled the Sunwell's waters; the tainted well threatened to spread through Quel'Thalas and engulf the blood elves. The kingdom's regent, Lor'themar Theron, considered destroying the fount to avert this catastrophe, but another solution presented itself: accompanying a repentant Lady Liadrin to the plateau was the draenei Prophet Velen, who had come to pay his respects to M'uru, slain after its turn to the Void. The prophet recovered the naaru's heart alone, unblemished through his fall to darkness, and used it to purify the Sunwell.[42] Cleansed of its corruption, the Sunwell's energies are now derived from both the arcane and from M'uru's powers of the Light.[8][20]

After the Sunwell was restored, the fel crystals used by the Magisters across Silvermoon City were removed,[43] though they still employed standard arcane crystals.

Wrath of the Lich King

Wrath of the Lich King This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

Lor'themar Theron claiming the purified Prismatic Blade Quel'Delar from the Sunwell.

During the war against the Lich King in 27 ADP, the Sunwell was seen briefly during the quest to restore the fabled elven sword, Quel'Delar. Access to the Sunwell itself was policed by the Ranger-General of Silvermoon, Halduron Brightwing, who allowed the adventurers to enter once the spirit of Thalorien Dawnseeker - Quel'Delar's original wielder - offered his blessing. The Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas, Lor'themar Theron, and Grand Magister Rommath were seen within, along with Lady Liadrin and groups of blood elf pilgrims. In addition, several high elves have been allowed access to the sacred Sunwell; Auric Sunchaser was also present as the high elf representative.

If the adventurer was not a sin'dorei, Quel'Delar was submerged into the Sunwell itself, and Lor'themar Theron thanked the hero for returning it to its "rightful owners." He then attempted to claim it, though the Prismatic Blade hurled him back, to which Rommath and the Sunwell's Guardians immobilized the adventurer and Auric, outing them as traitors. Auric was eventually able to defuse the situation, however, and stated that Quel'Delar chose its own wielder. Rommath called the guards off, ordering the adventurer to begone with the blade if it was not meant to be theirs.

If a blood elf delivered Quel'Delar to the Sunwell, things would play out differently. Lor'themar simply observed it as the blade was submerged into the Sunwell, and both he and Rommath confirmed its authenticity. Hailing the adventurer as a hero and inspiration to the sin'dorei, Lor'themar, Rommath, and Auric offered words of support. Rommath then instructed the sin'dorei to deliver the blade to Archmage Aethas Sunreaver and noted that the blood elves would always rise up to face any foe.[44]

Legion

Legion This section concerns content related to Legion.

Grand Magister Rommath, Thalyssra, and Alleria Windrunner closing the Void rift above the Sunwell.

During preparations for the battle on the Broken Shore in 32 ADP, a group of blood elf paladins used the power of the Sunwell to enchant their Horde allies' weapons with holy might. The priests of Netherlight Temple later retrieved a fragment of Light from the Sunwell, among other holy places on Azeroth,[45] in order for the naaru Saa'ra to created the lightspawn Sol.[46]

The Sunwell was later visited by Lor'themar Theron, Grand Magister Rommath, Lady Liadrin, First Arcanist Thalyssra, Arcanist Valtrois, Silgryn, and Alleria Windrunner. The visit was intended as a gesture of goodwill for the nightborne leaders and a courtesy for Alleria; while the latter was estranged from Silvermoon's political climate, Lor'themar would not deny a daughter of Quel'Thalas' request to see their people's most sacred site. Alleria's presence attracted a group of void creatures, who spilled into the plateau at Nether-Prince Durzaan's command and began spreading their corruption.

The heroes, along with the Sunwell's magi, wardens, and spellbreakers, sortied to battle the void beasts and prevent the Sunwell's corruption. A powerful void horror, Aruun the Darkener, then emerged in an attempt to contaminate the well directly but was stopped and killed. Finally, a rift portal was opened directly above the Sunwell's waters, but Rommath, Thalyssra, and Alleria combined their magics to close it before catastrophe struck. In the aftermath of the battle, Alleria was exiled by Lor'themar, on the grounds that her very presence poses a threat to Quel'Thalas and the Sunwell. The battle's outcome also endeared the regent to Thalyssra, who pledged her kingdom to the Horde.

Rommath had previously demanded Magister Umbric's group be exiled for similar reasons, as those who treat with the Void are a danger to the Sunwell. According to Thalyssra, the Sunwell is as potent as the Nightwell, albeit of a different nature due to its partially Light-based energies.[47]

Battle for Azeroth

Battle for Azeroth This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

During the Fourth War in 33 ADP, as part of a ceremony of remembrance held each year in the kingdom, the blood elf adventurer returned to the Sunwell on their journey to reenact the Scourge invasion of Quel'Thalas. The adventurer inevitably failed to prevent Arthas' advance into the plateau and the corruption of the Sunwell, and then experienced the aftermath of the onslaught, when Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider led a raid to destroy the tainted fount of power and save his race from destruction.[48]

Midnight

Midnight This section concerns content related to Midnight.

The forces of the Void invaded Azeroth, intent on claiming the Sunwell and plunging the world into darkness and fear.[49] As Xal'atath invaded Quel'Danas, Liadrin was preparing for the battle and praying at the Sunwell as Lor'themar interrupted her and told her to fight with him against the forces of the Void. During the fight, when Xal'atath made an appearance, Liadrin went back to the Sunwell site and started praying again, begging the Light for help. At that moment, the Vanguard of the Light suddenly teleported through the Sunwell to Liadrin, fortifying the blood elves in the defense against the Void forces.[50]

In the RPG

Icon-RPG.png This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Before Kael left shattered Quel'Thalas, he managed to salvage the skull of his father, Anasterian, from the ruins of Quel'Thalas. The skull is among the artifacts that Alexstrasza believes would be needed to restore the Sunwell.[51]

Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, the immensely powerful red dragon aspect, believes the Sunwell can be rejuvenated. She is involved with other affairs in Grim Batol, however, and doesn't have time to do it. To recreate the Sunwell, she believes various items must be gathered from around the world: a vial of Well of Eternity water from Kalimdor; three crushed gems from Pandaria; a titan-made chalice held by the goblin trade princes in Undermine; and the skull of Anasterian Sunstrider, the last King of Quel'Thalas, which the blood elves took to Outland. Also needed are at least 300 living high elves. Gathering them together would require rounding up refugees from Zul'Aman, scouring the world for the few high elves left in various cities and/or forcing blood elves to repent.[51]

Notes

Speculation

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This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

During the Second War, the Sunwell itself proved a huge advantage to Silvermoon and Quel'Thalas. The Sunwell directly empowered its citizens, its great power tied to Quel'Thalas and her people, and ensured that none of the invading red dragons could so much as touch the capital. These defenses were only bypassed by Arthas, who had gained the loyalty of a great traitor in the upper echelons of Silvermoon, a turn of events which ultimately ended in the Sunwell's destruction. However, with the Sunwell restored, it is unclear as to whether Silvermoon once again possesses these great defenses.

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See also

References

 
  1. ^ World of Warcraft: Game Manual, pg. 158: "Arthas submerged Kel’Thuzad’s remains within the holy waters of the Sunwell. Although the potent waters of Eternity were fouled by this act..."
  2. ^ Blood of the Highborne: "...the Sunwell: the magnificent heart of their society, a nurturing source of mystical energies, and a seemingly inexhaustible fount of arcane power."
  3. ^ Ultimate Visual Guide, Updated and Expanded, pg. 156
  4. ^ Blood Elf on the Official Website - "the draenei prophet Velen purified the Sunwell with the Light-infused heart of a fallen naaru, transforming the fount into a source of both holy and arcane energies."
  5. ^ The Art of Wrath of the Lich King - "Now empowered with the Light, the Sunwell is a beacon of hope for Azeroth."
  6. ^ Chris Metzen & Micky Neilson interview with Blizzplanet - "M'uru was kind of transformed back into his purest self, purest light, that Velen used to reignite the Sunwell as a fountain of Holy power, as much as it is arcane."
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Blood of the Highborne
  8. ^ a b Races of World of Warcraft - Blood Elf
  9. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 159
  10. ^ In the Shadow of the Sun
  11. ^ a b c World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 120 - 121
  12. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 58
  13. ^ The Warcraft Encyclopedia/Kael'thas Sunstrider
  14. ^ Christopher Davis on Twitter (2014-02-04).
  15. ^ A Thousand Years of War, pg. 4
  16. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 63
  17. ^ Tides of Darkness, chapter 11
  18. ^ H IconSmall BloodElf Male.pngIconSmall BloodElf Female.png [1-10] A Fistful of Slivers
  19. ^ World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Game Manual, pg. 8-9: Winds of Change: From Dark Horizons to a Beacon of Hope in the World of Warcraft
  20. ^ a b Ask CDev - Round 1
  21. ^ Alex Afrasiabi on Twitter: "technically they can take it but Liadrin has moved them away from that type of abuse of the Light."
  22. ^ BlizzCon 2016: @16m55s Q&A, RE: The Sunwell/Blood Elf paladins
  23. ^ a b Tides of Darkness, chapter 15
  24. ^ The Warcraft Encyclopedia: High Elves and Blood Elves
  25. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 164
  26. ^ Tides of Darkness, pg. 228
  27. ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 17
  28. ^ The Warcraft Encyclopedia/High Elves
  29. ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 18
  30. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 63 - 64
  31. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 88
  32. ^ Fury of the Sunwell trailer for patch 2.4
  33. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 103
  34. ^ Archived page
  35. ^ The Warcraft Encyclopedia/Blood Elves
  36. ^ Burning Crusade Behind The Scenes DVD - Blood Elves (5:02)
  37. ^ The Sunwell Trilogy
  38. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 104
  39. ^ N [70 Daily] Erratic Behavior
  40. ^ N [70 Daily] Intercepting the Mana Cells
  41. ^ World of Warcraft: The Dragonflight Codex, pg. 72
  42. ^ a b World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 159
  43. ^ H [15-35] What's in the Box?
  44. ^ B [25-30] The Purification of Quel'Delar
  45. ^ Campaign Holy Ground: The Sunwell
  46. ^ N Priest [10-45] Awakening the Light
  47. ^ H [40-80] Remember the Sunwell
  48. ^ H IconSmall BloodElf Male.pngIconSmall BloodElf Female.png [50-80] The Fall of the Sunwell
  49. ^ World of Warcraft: Midnight
  50. ^ Intercession
  51. ^ a b Lands of Conflict, pg. 115
  52. ^ N Hunter [10-45] Rendezvous with the Courier
  53. ^ Tales of the Hunt#Thas'dorah, Legacy of the Windrunners
  54. ^ Well Watcher Solanian
  55. ^ Infiltrating the Black Temple#Notes
  56. ^ Blood of the Highborne, chapter 3

External links

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