Draenei

Draenei
Faction/Affiliation	Exodar (Alliance), Aldor (Sha'tar), Nethersent, Argent Crusade, Earthen Ring, Kirin Tor, Conclave, Independent; Alternate Draenor:; Council of Exarchs, Lightbound, Sargerei (Burning Legion)
Character classes	Death knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior; Anchorite, Crystalsmith, Death priest, Knight, Necromancer, Peacekeepers, Vindicator
Racial capital	The Exodar; Shattrath City; Alternate Draenor:; Karabor
Racial leader(s)	Prophet Velen; High Priestess Ishanah; Alternate Draenor:; High Exarch Yrel; Council of Exarchs
Racial mount	Elekk; Talbuk; Nether ray; Faerie dragon
Homeworld	Argus
Area(s)	Azeroth, Nashabor, Outland, Alternate Draenor
Language(s)	Draenei, Eredun, Common, Orcish

This article is about the draenei lore. For the playable race, see Draenei (playable). For the race in general, see Eredar. For the language, see draenei (language). For the other related groups see Man'ari, Lightforged draenei, Broken, Lost One.

“In moments of great strife, I gaze into the heavens and see just how far we have already come.”

— Prophet Velen^[1]

The draenei (/ˈdɹænɑɪ/ DRAN-eye) (meaning Exiled Ones in their own tongue) are a faction of uncorrupted eredar who fled their homeworld of Argus to escape the corruption of the demonic Burning Legion. Led by the Prophet Velen and guided by the divine naaru, they traveled throughout the Great Dark Beyond for millennia, settling on numerous worlds they had to flee each time the demons found them. They eventually landed on a planet they would come to call Draenor, or "Exiles' Refuge", where they lived for centuries in relative peace with the native orcs. When agents of the Legion found them, however, the orcs were corrupted by the blood-curse of Mannoroth and formed the original Orcish Horde, which slaughtered the draenei en masse and driven into hiding to escape the wrath of Kil'jaeden.

Decades later, the survivors escaped the ravaged world now known as the Outland aboard the Exodar, a vessel of the naaru fortress Tempest Keep, but crashed upon the world of Azeroth; more specifically, on the Azuremyst Isles off the western coast of Kalimdor. Inspired by tales of the heroic Alliance that stood against the might of the Legion during the Third War, the draenei pledged their allegiance and led the charge during the invasion of Outland.^[2] Following the defeat of Kil'jaeden at the Sunwell Plateau, some draenei were sent back to revitalize their former civilization on Outland. However, the majority vowed to stay and uphold their sacred commitment to the Alliance, as Velen predicted a great war between the Darkness and the Light was fast approaching, and that Azeroth would be its principal battleground.^[3]

In the wake of the Legion's defeat on Argus, marking the end of the Burning Crusade and its third invasion of Azeroth, the draenei now seek a new destiny in the blessed Light. Years later, Velen organized the first Tishamaat since their escape from Argus, and declared his intention for the draenei to build a new city for themselves on Azeroth so that they would no longer be scattered exiles.^[4]

The draenei, as they are known today, were first introduced with The Burning Crusade, though corrupted draenei — later identified as Lost Ones and Broken — were seen as early as Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. The draenei of alternate Draenor also play a significant role in the Warlords of Draenor expansion.

History

Life on Argus

Main article: Eredar

Icon of Argus

Around 25,000 years ago, the eredar race arose on the planet of Argus.^[5] They were extremely intelligent and had a natural affinity for magic in all of its forms. Using their gifts, they developed a vast and wondrous society, in which art, science, magic, and technology were all as one.^[6] They were aided in this development by an ancient artifact known as the Ata'mal crystal, a triangular crystal whose origin was a mystery to the eredar, though their legends suggested it had been a gift bestowed upon them in ancient times.^[7]

At the height of their society, 13,000 years ago,^[8] the eredar's three most prominent leaders, Kil'jaeden, Archimonde, and Velen, were approached by Sargeras. The Fallen Titan claimed he was impressed by their work and wanted to supply them with even more power and knowledge in exchange for their loyalty. While Kil'jaeden and Archimonde readily accepted the deal, Velen received a vision from the Ata'mal crystal, in which his people accepted the pact and were transformed into demons. Upon seeing the Burning Legion in all its terrible might and witnessing the destruction it would wreak upon all of creation, Velen warned Kil'jaeden and Archimonde, but they dismissed his concerns and proceeded to profess loyalty to Sargeras. Together, the latter transformed a majority of their people into the man'ari eredar.^[9]

A draenei shrine in Shadowmoon Valley, detailing the corruption of the eredar and the flight from Argus.

When Velen searched for a way to flee Argus with his followers, the voice of K'ure reached him through the Ata'mal crystal, revealing itself to be one of the naaru, a race of holy sapient energy beings bent on stopping the Legion. K'ure then instructed Velen to use the artifact as a beacon for the naaru to find them. On the appointed day at the appointed place, the loyal eredar present numbered only in the hundreds, while an army of man'ari and demons pursued them. Once an old friend of Velen, Talgath had been seduced by Sargeras' tantalizing offer and eventually betrayed his cohorts to the demons.^[10] With Kil'jaeden and Archimonde hot on their heels, they barely escaped from Argus in the naaru ship Genedar. While the naaru L'ura sacrificed her well-being by staying behind to delay their pursuers and buy the survivors more time,^[11] the Ata'mal crystal was shattered into seven shards in their escape. Still on Argus, Kil'jaeden was furious with Talgath's failure and what he felt was Velen's betrayal, and the demon vowed to hunt Velen and the rest of his followers to the ends of the cosmos if need be.^[12]

Naming themselves the "draenei", or "exiled ones" in the Eredun language, they hid among many worlds and explored much of the cosmos in their quest to find safe harbor. Still, a hell-bent Kil'jaeden would not give up his pursuit; deciding on mercy for Talgath, he sent his new agent to hunt them down. Meanwhile, the enigmatic naaru race blessed the draenei with Light-given knowledge and power. The naaru explained that there were other forces in the cosmos that would stand against the Burning Legion. One day, the naaru would forge them into a single unstoppable Army of the Light. Deeply affected by the naaru's words, the draenei vowed to honor the Light and uphold the naaru's altruistic ideals.

In the following years, the draenei temporarily visited dozens of worlds aboard the Genedar,^[13] but not all of them were aboard the ship,^[14] as the Xenedar and those draenei who would later become Lightforged split off some time after they fled Argus.^[15] Over the long years of the dranei's flight from the Burning Legion, the naaru continued helping them, sometimes at the cost of their very lives. When the draenei found the naaru Saa'ra that had turned to the Void, the draenei wanted to repay their kindness and built the Netherlight Temple, a prison to contain and study the fallen naaru. It served as a place to commune with the naaru and ponder the nature of the Twisting Nether.^[16]

Nethersent refugees

Main article: Nethersent

On one of the worlds the draenei settled, when the demons found them once more, many couldn't return to the dimensional ship in time and were left behind. As the felfire cannons forced the Genedar to escape,^[17] the ones left behind looked at how it drifted into the sky until it was nothing more than a glimmering dot. Since then, they have been surviving alone across the Great Dark Beyond, until they settled on the world of Nashabor.^[18] In time, they made unlikely allies in Legion defectors who began to live among them in small number, while they largely rejected the forces that began their great flight in the first place, be they the fel, Void, or Light.^[19]

Refuge on Draenor

The Genedar crash-lands on Draenor.

More than 200 years before the First War,^[20]^[21]^[22]^[23] Velen and his draenei settled upon a remote and peaceful world that seemed an ideal refuge. They named it Draenor,^[24]^[25] and there they quietly cultivated their society once again. Ever wary of being discovered again by Kil'jaeden's forces, Velen and his mystics kept their magic hidden.^[5]

As Velen realized that with K'ara, K'ure, and D'ore unavailable to guide them and his visions of the future having become unreliable, his judgment was no longer without fault, and it would be disastrous if he was the only leader of his people. The Prophet thus formed the Council of Exarchs, which would oversee different aspects of draenei culture. Exarch Naielle became the leader of the newly forged Rangari, gathering valuable intelligence about the lay of the land in order to use it for their advantage. Exarch Hataaru was charged with guiding the Artificers in building armor, weapons, and settlements. Exarch Akama was placed in charge of the draenei Vindicators, defending the draenei from the dark forces that lurked in their new home. Exarch Othaar became the leader of the Sha'tari, an order dedicated to studying the naaru D'ore and hopefully learn enough to communicate with the other naaru and draenei beyond Draenor.^[14] The Auchenai were a later addition, after Exarch Maladaar - at the time a member of the Sha'tari - discovered that D'ore's corpse was attracting the souls of draenei who died in the crash, allowing them to commune with them. Auchindoun was constructed, and the Auchenai established to protect the dead.^[26]

Around 195 BDP, Shattrath City ("Dwelling of Light" in the draenei language)^[27] was founded on the former location of the great ogre city of Goria, destroyed by the elementals at the beseeching of the orcs two centuries before.^[28] In 100 BDP, the ogre Imperator Hok'lon led a force to Shattrath to reclaim the ruins of Goria, and although they vastly outnumbered the draenei, the city's defenses held with ease. When an elite force of draenei warriors, including Akama, Maraad, and Nobundo, assassinated the ogre imperator and his generals, the ogre army broke and never tried a frontal attack on the draenei again.^[14]

After the draenei discovered that the crash of the Genedar had caused serious harm to the world, unleashing a mix of arcane, Light, and Void energies that were warping the local flora and fauna, Velen decided that it was their responsibility to fix what they had broken. After twenty years, they were able to repair the damage done to Draenor, and while this expansion brought the draenei into contact with other races, such as the orcs and ogres, the Prophet made it clear to the exarchs that he expected his people to avoid conflict with native creatures.^[26]

The arrival of the draenei had also changed their orcish neighbors' society. With the crash of the Genedar ship in Nagrand, the orcs had adopted the new crystal mountain as Oshu'gun, "Mountain of Spirits". The orcs started holding their Kosh'harg festivals at the foot of Oshu'gun, communing there with their dead ancestors' spirits. The draenei themselves were peaceful toward the orcs; coming now and then to each clan, ready to trade their carefully crafted tools and weapons and decorative pieces of carved stone in exchange for the thick pelts of the forest animals, brightly woven blankets, and raw materials the orcs culled from land and stone. For the orcs, the relationship was a curiosity, an occasion of interest in the clans, but the exchanges only lasted a few hours. The draenei did not invite closeness, and no clan leader had ever asked them to stay and share their hospitality. Relationships were cordial but aloof, and everyone involved seemed to want it that way.^[29]^[5]

The Siege of Shattrath as seen in Chronicle Volume 2.

However, no amount of preparation could keep the draenei hidden forever. Eventually, Talgath—after millennia of pursuit—stumbled upon Draenor sensing the sweet minting essence of eredar magic,^[30]^[31] and reported back to Kil'jaeden. The Deceiver, however, ordered him to investigate this world. After confirming the presence of the draenei, the Deceiver asked for information regarding the other inhabitants of that world, particularly the orcs. The man'ari lord decided to "punish" the exiles: he wanted them dead, but broken and humiliated.^[32] Through his orc protégé Gul'dan, he quickly succeeded in corrupting the shamanistic orcs. Smoothly manipulated from a state of wary acceptance into blind rage and bloodlust, the orcs attacked the draenei. This bloody conflict lasted nearly eight years, but the orcs' triumph was unequivocal. The orcs killed over eighty percent of the draenei race,^[5] approximately nine of every ten individuals.^[33]

After the fall of Shattrath City, many vindicators, priests, and Rangari fled to Auchindoun, where Exarch Maladaar organized the military defenses against Teron'gor and the Shadow Council. Facing defeat, the orc warlock and his followers pooled their powers together and reached beyond the veil of reality, but instead of a powerful demon, they found something else: Murmur. This otherworldly elemental creature was pulled to Draenor from a distant corner of the universe, and the shockwave on its arrival ripped the earth asunder, blasting Auchindoun apart.^[34] While Maladaar and a handful of his draenei used their magics to shield themselves from the blast, many died in the disaster, and they no longer had the numbers to resist the warlocks who bound them in chains.^[35]

Kil'jaeden's revenge was complete, or so he thought — Velen and a handful of untransformed draenei have survived the destruction of their cities by the orcs and fled to one of the marshes on the coast of the Zangar Sea; presumably it was either the Zangar Shore or Zangarra, as they were the closest to Shattrath. The prophet soon ordered his artificers to reinforce Telredor's defenses with a network of arkonite crystals that shrouded the temple's presence from the orcs.^[36] In time, draenei who had fought the Horde and survived found that they had been affected by the fel energies wielded so freely by the orc warlocks, and both anchorites and vindicators alike, such as Akama and Nobundo, immediately found their link to the Light had been broken. They have since mutated into lesser forms, resulting in a series of subspecies.^[37]

Escape from Outland

The Aldor Rise in Shattrath City.

During the invasion of Draenor in 8 ADP, the scattered and desperate draenei saw the Sons of Lothar drive back the Horde of Draenor and destroy the Dark Portal. These acts gave them hope, and they began plans to send some of their people on a diplomatic mission, preluding their move to Azeroth decades later.^[38] Nonetheless, the draenei who had survived Draenor's destruction could do little to aid the Alliance in these battles, as the Legion went to tremendous lengths to exterminate them. Since the demons were rewarded by Kil'jaeden for each draenei head they collected, Prophet Velen kept his followers hidden in small, isolated enclaves so that if one was discovered, it would not mean doom for his entire people.^[39]

For over a decade, Velen had done whatever he could to keep the draenei hidden in settlements scattered across Outland, but despite his efforts, he feared that the demons would finish what they'd started all those years ago and slaughter what remained of his people. When he and Khadgar reached out to the naaru independently, both seeking aid against the dark forces amassing on Outland, the Army of the Light heard their pleas but couldn't spare soldiers to protect the broken world. Instead A'dal, M'uru, and O'ros volunteered to help and arrived with Tempest Keep. Upon sensing different enclaves of draenei scattered across the wastelands, A'dal searched for a place to rally the mortal factions of Outland, and eventually chose Shattrath City after sensing the Aldor's holy rituals performed there.^[40]

When A'dal proposed commandeering the Exodar dimensional ship to find allies, Velen immediately volunteered to make the perilous journey, as he felt it was his duty to do something to protect what remained of his people from the Legion. With the naaru's blessing, the draenei rallied their forces to storm Tempest Keep, and though they ventured to the Netherstorm in secret, they could not elude Kil'jaeden's ever-watchful eyes. What Velen didn't know was that the demonlord had deliberately let them go. As much as he relished the prospect of killing them, the Deceiver had put aside his lust for blood, not wanting it to compromise his master's true goal: to weaken the Azerothian forces in order to better conquer their world. While it was dangerous to let the draenei reach Azeroth and potentially join forces with the world's nations, Kil'jaeden believed the possible benefits of such a journey outweighed the risks, as the tales of the Legion's presence and Illidan's misdeeds on Outland would only urge the Alliance and Horde to take action.^[41]

Unaware that the demon lord was watching them, Velen and his people concentrated their assault on the wing containing O'ros, smashed through the Sunfury blood elves' defenses, and suddenly departed with a dimensional ship in an explosion of magic. However, a handful of blood elves had fought their way into the Exodar and managed to sabotage it as they approached Azeroth.^[42]

The Burning Crusade

This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

Main article: Exodar (nation)

The Exodar after the crash on Azeroth.

When the draenei tried to planeshift, their sabotaged engine went haywire, and the Exodar ended up hurtling out of control through the Twisting Nether until it crash-landed on a chain of islands, the Azuremyst Isles, off the western coast of Kalimdor. While they were of course concerned about their fellow survivors,^[43] they were just as concerned with what they'd done to the land and the creatures on it.^[44] As the surviving draenei salvaged what they could of their ship and tried to help what was left of their people, they began exploring this new world. Eventually, they came to discover that Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider's blood elves, known as the Sunfury, had followed them to Azeroth to murder them,^[45] enslave O'ros,^[46] and steal the Exodar.^[47] After fending off the blood elven incursions,^[48]^[49] the draenei rescued an injured night elf priestess who thought the draenei to be their demonic eredar kin.^[50]

Inspired by stories of the Alliance's valor and its victories against the Burning Legion, the draenei sought out the faction and pledged their allegiance to it.^[51] Prophet Velen had long foreseen a bond between his people and the noble Alliance, a prophecy that came to pass when the draenei made first contact with the inhabitants of Odesyus' Landing.^[52]^[53] Together, the draenei and their new allies uncovered a conspiracy aimed at undermining both peoples, orchestrated by the Sunfury, the Venture Company, and their traitorous agents, including Engineer "Spark" Overgrind^[54]^[55] and Sironas.^[56] Further investigation revealed that the traitor eredar Sironas had been hiding among the draenei and was secretly leading a group of blood elves known as the Sunhawks. Under her command, the Sunhawks abducted draenei survivors and subjected them to torture^[57] in an effort to break their will and coerce them into embracing the path of the man'ari eredar.^[56]

After securing Blood Watch, the draenei of the Exodar recognized they would require allies and resources to fend off future threats. Jaina Proudmoore readily offered her help to the draenei,^[58] and Anchorite Paetheus sent draenei adventurers to Auberdine, the closest Alliance settlement, to propose cooperation in the fight against their common foes.^[59]^[60] They have also sent Emissary Valustraa to Darnassus and Emissary Taluun to Stormwind City to maintain diplomatic ties with their new allies and direct their adventurers to support their allies in their troubled lands. Eventually, the Alliance destroyed the Sun Gate^[61] and defeated Sironas and her Sunhawks, which consequently prevented Prince Kael'thas from invading Kalimdor^[62] and corrupting the draenei into demons.^[63]

A draenei fighting a Blood Knight at the Dark Portal.

Not long afterward, Velen and his refugees played a key role in urging the Alliance to invade Outland and disrupt the Legion's nefarious activities. Armed with their unshakable faith in the Light, the draenei ventured to their embattled former home as steadfast members of the Alliance and defeated their ancient demonic rivals. The return to Outland offered many draenei a chance to reconnect with their brethren who had been left behind. Among those who remained behind, the Omenai decided to stay at the Temple of Telhamat in order to reestablish a presence at their holy places across the broken world. Their leader Amaan the Wise notably sent the adventurers to the Pools of Aggonar, in order to cleanse it of the demons that infected these waters once sacred to the draenei.^[64]^[65] After their success, he announced that they could finally begin their work to purify the pools.^[66]

In time, the Void energies emanating from D'ore turned mad the Auchenai, who no longer believed that the dead should be left alone to rest. Exarch Maladaar was eventually driven mad by the loss of everyone and everything he had ever loved.^[67]^[68] Once he turned to necromancy, he created Shirrak the Dead Watcher to guard over the fallen draenei spirits who wander the Auchenai Crypts.^[69] The heroes were eventually sent by Greatfather Aldrimus to kill the mad exarch and his abominations, and after his death, D'ore appeared to redeem his soul^[70]

During the Battle for Quel'Danas, the Aldor and Scryers chose to put aside their differences and unite together to form the Shattered Sun Offensive, aiming to defeat Prince Kael'thas and end the threat posed by the Burning Legion on the Isle of Quel'Danas.^[71] After the heroes defeated Kil'jaeden, the corruptive energies once more fouled the Sunwell's waters and threatened to spread through Quel'Thalas, until Prophet Velen, who had come to pay his respects to M'uru, recovered the naaru's heart and used it to purify the fount of power.^[72]

While some of Velen's race chose to rebuild their society in the shattered land, the majority of draenei remained on Azeroth, vowing to uphold their commitment to the Alliance.^[73]

Wrath of the Lich King

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

At the start of the war against the Lich King in 27 ADP, a draenei delegation led by Harbinger Vurenn was dispatched to Valiance Keep to coordinate draenei involvement across Northrend. However, Counselor Talbot and General Arlos proved reluctant to accept their assistance. Talbot argued that the Alliance forces stationed there were unprepared to fight alongside such unconventional allies, and as a result, the general confined the delegation to an advisory role, effectively preventing the deployment of draenei battalions.^[74] Growing suspicious that their attempts at cooperation were being deliberately obstructed,^[75] Vurenn and Vindicator Yaala launched a secret investigation.^[76] Their efforts ultimately led the Alliance heroes to uncover and eliminate Cult of the Damned agents who had infiltrated the keep.^[77]

Many dranei eventually joined the ranks of the Argent Crusade to defeat the Lich King, such as Commander Falstaav and Crusader Olakin Sainrith.

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Art of Velen in the Prophet's Lesson.

Following the invasion of Gilneas in 28 ADP, Prophet Velen appeared at an Alliance meeting held in Darnassus, despite not having been formally invited. There, High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind explained that the draenei had been presumed neutral following the defeat of Kil'jaeden at the Sunwell Plateau. Velen calmly rejected this assumption, reaffirming the draenei's commitment to the Alliance and declaring that his people would remain on Azeroth for as long as they were needed.^[78] After the conflict, High Priestess Ishanah took Velen's place as the draenei representative at Alliance meetings and cast the draenei vote in favor of admitting the kingdom of Gilneas into the Alliance.^[79]

In the aftermath of the Shattering, the Hand of Argus convened to deliberate the draenei's future, particularly in light of the ongoing repairs to the Exodar. The council ultimately concluded that the draenei should depart Azeroth to rebuild their second home on Outland and aid the remaining Lost Ones. The Triumvirate of the Hand concurred, resolving that, unless Velen intervened, the Exodar would depart for old Draenor within a week. During this time, tensions arose as Alliance refugees from across the sea arrived on Azuremyst Isle seeking the protection of Velen and the draenei. Hostilities soon erupted when fear and paranoia drove some refugees to denounce the vindicators as "demons", escalating into violence. After receiving a prophetic vision foretelling an impending war between light and shadow, Velen emerged to calm the unrest and restore peace. He then commanded his people to remain on Azeroth, to venture forth and help heal the world in the wake of the Cataclysm, and to prepare its peoples to stand united in the conflict yet to come.^[80]

Among those who ventured forth to aid Azeroth, a group of draenei led by Ambassador Rualeth established a presence in the Hinterlands. There, Anchorite Traska and several others settled among the Highvale high elves at Quel'Danil Lodge, where they trained in the ways of the Light and found solace in the region's tranquil beauty.^[81] In Ashenvale, Vindicator Vedaar and the Hand of Argus eradicated the last remaining forces of the Burning Legion across Felfire Hill, Demon Fall Canyon, and Demon Fall Ridge.^[82] Meanwhile, in the Swamp of Sorrows, Anchorite Avuun continued a long-standing effort to cure the affliction of the Broken.^[83] Firm in his belief that redemption remained possible, he sought a means to restore the Lost Ones and purge the corrupting fel energies that had consumed them.^[84]

Warlords of Draenor

This section concerns content related to Warlords of Draenor.

Please add any available information to this section.

During the war in Draenor in 31 ADP, Vindicator Maraad commanded the Alliance forces as they stood against the Ironmarch invasion in the Blasted Lands,^[85] and eventually led them into the alternate Draenor. After the Assault on the Dark Portal, the Alliance adventurers traveled with draenei refugees to Shadowmoon Valley, where they met the alternate version of Prophet Velen.^[86] Under the leadership of the Council of Exarchs, the draenei of the alternate timeline became a major support of the Alliance in their battle against the Iron Horde, allowing them to build the garrison of Lunarfall in Shadowmoon Valley.^[87] During the course of the conflict, the Iron Horde notably threatened draenei cities such as Karabor and Shattrath City.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

The Light's Chosen protecting the draenei citizens with a holy shield during the Battle for the Exodar.

In the lead-up to the Battle for Broken Shore in 32 ADP, Voraatios the Benedictive drew upon Light-Infused Crystals from the Exodar to empower the weapons of Alliance champions in preparation for the coming conflict.^[88] The draenei fought alongside the Alliance during the battle, dispatching Exodar Vindicators to reinforce their allies, but were ultimately forced to retreat in the face of the Legion's overwhelming might.^[89] In the aftermath, many draenei joined the various class orders to continue the fight against the demons.

During the Battle for the Exodar, draenei civilians withdrew into the Vault of Lights, where they were protected beneath a holy barrier conjured by Velen and the Light's Chosen.^[90] With assistance from Archmage Khadgar and his champions, the defenders severed the Legion's reinforcements by destroying their fel portals.^[91] Meanwhile, High General Rakeesh was slain after destroying the naaru O'ros, the sole being capable of interpreting the Light's Heart.^[92]

With the Legion driven back, Velen ordered Grand Artificer Romuul to ready their vessel, announcing that the draenei would finally return home.^[90] In time, the draenei mustered a formidable force^[93] and issued a call to arms to the Armies of Legionfall for a final counter-offensive. Both the Alliance and Horde answered the call,^[94] assembling aboard the Vindicaar to unite with the Army of the Light.^[95]^[96] The draenei took part in the Argus Campaign, during which they were reunited with long-lost kin, the Lightforged draenei and the abandoned draenei who became the krokul of the Argussian Reach. Following the imprisonment of Sargeras by the Pantheon of Order, bringing an end to the Burning Crusade,^[97] the draenei returned to Azeroth alongside its defenders to celebrate a hard-won victory. It was later revealed, however, that the campaign had taken a severe toll on their people.^[98]

After the Azerothian victory, the Nethersent draenei stumbled upon fel-scarred kin seeking redemption in greater number than ever before, and they regret that they were not able to help on Argus.^[18]

Battle for Azeroth

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

High Exarch Yrel and her Lightbound armies in Gorgrond.

In the wake of the Argus Campaign, as High King Anduin Wrynn prepared a diplomatic tour of the Alliance's nations, he asked Velen what the kingdom of Stormwind might offer the draenei in gratitude for their sacrifices against the Burning Legion. The prophet replied that the king's concern alone was sufficient, and that his presence among the draenei would bring comfort beyond what he yet understood.^[99] After Magni Bronzebeard revealed that Azeroth had been grievously wounded by Sargeras, Velen informed his people of the world's plight, while Anduin surmised that the draenei were already doing all they could to aid it.^[100]

In Year 33 ADP, the draenei were formally reunited with the Lightforged draenei following the Army of the Light's entry into the Alliance.^[101] However, their strength and resources had been badly diminished by the war on Argus, limiting their ability to assist their kaldorei allies during the War of the Thorns. While Velen sought to aid night elf refugees in Stormwind City, and several draenei volunteered to fight alongside them, the bulk of their forces could not be spared. Although High King Anduin Wrynn feared the Horde might next strike the Azuremyst Isles, the Horde Army instead focused its efforts on the conquest of Darnassus.^[102] After the Burning of Teldrassil, some night elf survivors were evacuated to Azuremyst Isle^[103] under draenei protection. The draenei continued to support the Alliance throughout the Fourth War, notably at the Battle for Lordaeron and the Battle at the Gates of Orgrimmar.

On alternate Draenor, decades passed after the defeat of Archimonde, during which the orcs and draenei succeeded in driving the Legion from their world. With no demons left to oppose, the draenei began consolidating the influence of the Light across their timeline. Guided by High Exarch Yrel's visions of the Light Mother, they launched a crusade to convert the planet's population to the Light—by force if necessary.^[104] Over time, Yrel gathered a fanatical following known as the Lightbound. Though they achieved significant success in suppressing resistance, the Mag'har Clans ultimately escaped to the main timeline.^[105]

Dragonflight

This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

Prophet Velen unveiling plans for a new draenei city during the first Azerothian Tishamaat.

In Year 40 ADP, Chieftain Hatuun summoned Velen to Argus, where he formally introduced the prophet to the man'ari eredar Arzal'kal. Though their initial meeting was tense, Arzal'kal was allowed to prove his sincerity when he and his allies recovered the Brilliant Star, a shard of the Ata'mal crystal, from a cult led by Speaker Nalridun. In gratitude, Velen chose to invite the Penitents to stand alongside the draenei.^[106] While man'ari adventurers eventually traveled to Azeroth, most Penitents remained on Argus, unwilling to risk unsettling the draenei with their presence.^[107]

After the war against the Primalists, Prophet Velen decided to hold an old eredar holiday, the Tishamaat, which had not been held since the days of Argus.^[107] In the Exodar, draenei from all over Azeroth and Outland were invited, but also Lightforged draenei, Broken, Lost Ones, the Krokul of Argus, and even the Penitents. At the celebration, Velen reflected that the eredar had lived shattered for too long and that it was time for them to be reunited in hope and faith,^[108] then declared that their people must let go of the past in order to grasp their future. He further stated that they no longer needed to live scattered, that they would build a new city on the ashes of their exile, and declared that they would finally be home. The prophet then personally thanked the champion for helping their people reforge as one, declared them a paragon of their people, and finally rewarded them with a sacred vestment of precious materials from their homeworld.^[109]

The War Within

This section concerns content related to The War Within.

During the war in Khaz Algar in 42 ADP, draenei reinforcements were part of the Alliance forces that traveled to Khaz Algar under the command of Lord Commander Turalyon.^[110]

Midnight

This section concerns content related to Midnight.

When Xal'atath and the Devouring Host invaded the Isle of Quel'Danas, many draenei paladins and priests were summoned by the Light to defend the Sunwell, fighting against the forces of the Void as part of the Vanguard of the Light.^[111]

At some point, the domanaar Snaerius opened portals in the sky of Nashabor, abducting Nethersent people to force them to fight and die in the arenas of the Voidstorm.^[18] With the help of the adventurers, Tul'amar, Twice-Exiled and Juras the Nethersent managed to rescue their people, then used the Lodestar of the Great Dark to return to their home. Only Tul'amar stayed behind, making sure everyone had been saved, but also to destroy the dark relic and protect her world.^[17]

Appearance

Children, adults, and elder draenei in Lords of War.

Draenei are bipedal ungulates, whose females are on average 7'1" tall while males tend to reach 7'5" in height.^[112] Their skin tone is generally blue but can range from white^[113] to dark violet. Their blood is also blue.^[114] Draenei possess hooves and a tail, which tends to be thinner on females and which can be reinforced with plates on males. Tail lengths vary in both males and females though they are often on the longer side. They can also have horns or forehead plates on their heads. While males have tendrils growing out from their chin and neck, female tendrils are thinner and grow from behind their ears. According to Beezil Linkspanner, draenei females are obsessed with the way their horns look and find ways to reduce "horn shedding or something".^[115] Some artwork depicts them with fangs.^[116] In-game, draenei can choose from a diverse selection of hair colors, including gray, white, dark blue, brown, green, and purple.

Their eyes glow many shades of blue or purple. Lightforged draenei eyes glow yellow. When draenei die, the glow fades away.^[117] Draenei also bear the Gift of the Naaru, a blessing bestowed by the naaru upon all draenei which manifests in the form of a glowing blue or yellow rune on their forehead.^[118] All draenei can tap into this gift to heal themselves or injured allies.^[119] Playable Lightforged draenei have several runes they can choose from, all of which are golden.

Any draenei that allows themselves to become corrupted can become a man'ari eredar, transforming from humanoid to demon. Two recent examples are Levixus, an eredar who was born as a draenei, and Exarch Othaar, who became a man'ari and took the name Socrethar when he swore himself to the Burning Legion. The poison of the deathweb spiders in Talador was shown to be able to transform a draenei into a man'ari.^[120]

Culture

“By their very being, the draenei lend their inner strength to their allies.”

— Tomadae the Magnificent

The Heritage of the Draenei armor set.

The draenei culture is centered around two things: the Light and Arcane magic. The first is the result of their unique relationship with the naaru, while the second is the path that the eredar have always followed. As a result, draenei usually choose religious professions, such as priests or paladins, or magical ones, such as mages and sorcerers. The Auchenai death priests have even mastered the art of talking to the dead, while a few chose the path of the shaman under the guidance of Farseer Nobundo, although for some draenei, the shamanistic teachings of the Broken were considered as heretical and a blasphemy against the Light.^[121]^[122]

As a people, the followers of Prophet Velen have devoted themselves to preparing for the day when they will join the Army of the Light, when they will finally take the fight back to the Burning Legion and atone for the sins of their man'ari brethren. In spite of this overarching goal, the draenei still lead personal lives and pursue their own interests, just as other races do.

There could be no worse insult than to remind the draenei of their kinship to the eredar of the Legion.^[80]

Draenei do not often have children because they are so long-lived.^[123] Draenei children on Draenor are taught to keep a wide berth of shallow waters due to riverbeasts.^[124]

The draenei favor graceful crystalline weapons and sculptured armor.^[125]

The draenei do not mistreat or beat their prisoners, even during interrogation. However, they can call on the Broken, as these latter have no issues with violence.^[126]

The draenei built Auchindoun to protect and shield the souls of their dead from their eternal enemies: the Burning Legion, who hunger eternally for draenei spirits.^[127]

Back on Argus, the eredar held a yearly sacrament known as the Tishamaat. It is a time to reflect on the burdens of your past, learn from them, and commit to a path forward. Due to the draenei's need to focus on fleeing from the Legion and surviving, it had not been celebrated in many years, but the draenei started observing it again shortly after the war against the Primalists.^[128]

Language

Draenei is the name of the official language used by all types of draenei from Outland or Azeroth,^[129] including Lightforged draenei, Broken, Lost Ones and uncorrupted draenei. It is likely most of the language is derived from the original dialect of Eredun. In The Burning Crusade, they also speak Common. Many high-ranking draenei who have been in contact with orcs before their corruption also know Orcish. Before the slaughter of the draenei on Draenor, there were orcs who learned Draenei to facilitate trade between the two races;^[130] the reverse could also be plausible.

Although the majority do not, some draenei have surnames, such as H'partho Ardoros, Olivia Jayne, Jake Patton, and Olakin Sainrith among others.

Faith

“We who are exiled must forever keep our faith.”

— Jewelcrafter Zanaz

A draenei paladin praying the Holy Light.

The draenei faith is centered around the Holy Light of Creation.^[131]

They were introduced to the Light by the naaru while sailing across the cosmos aboard Oshu'gun. Fleeing from the Burning Legion that consumed their original home, Argus, the enigmatic holy beings taught them the ways of the Light, though they already had a certain experience with it through Velen and T'uure. The naaru explained that there were other forces in the cosmos that would stand against the Legion, and that one day they would forge them into a single unstoppable Army of the Light,^[132] a grand Light-based coalition of all manner of races and one of Velen's ultimate goals.^[80] Deeply affected by the naaru's words, the draenei vowed to honor the Light and uphold the naaru's altruistic ideals.

The naaru blessed the draenei with Light-given knowledge and power, bestowed a blessing named the Gift of the Naaru upon them to signify their new connection to the Light. Thus, the Prophet's sigil being visible at all times.^[133] And to this day, the power of the Light is embedded in the draenei so deeply that all of them can call upon their gift, using its power to heal themselves and others.^[134] Lightforged draenei for example, infuse their bodies with the essence of the Light.^[135] Draenei often serve the Light as either vindicators^[136] or anchorites.^[137] the most common profession choices for the draenei.

They thus have their own religious institutions and holy places of worship, such as chapels and temples,^[138]^[139] although some of them may be present in the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City alongside other priests.^[140] Their priesthoods include the Order of Light in the Exodar, as well as the Omenai in the Temple of Telhamat, who remained on Outland to reestablish a presence at their holy places.^[141] There is also the Aldor, an ancient order of priests once led by Velen,^[142] calling themselves the "keepers of the Light" and in charge with the safeguarding of the draenei holy sites and altars.^[143] The Hand of Argus is an organization of paladins and vindicators serving as the primary military and police force of the Exodar. The Light's Chosen are an elite order of draenei paladins commanded by the prophet.

While worshiping the Holy Light as a concept, the draenei still do recognize individual naaru for their religious blessings. They used to leave bowls of sweet fruits as offerings for the naaru in the Temple of Karabor,^[144] with pilgrims being guided on their long path by various shrines alongside the roads to Shadowmoon Valley.

Technology

Main article: Artificer

The draenei engineers are known as the Artificers. They excelled in working with arkonite crystals. However, the technology available now is only a shadow of what the draenei had on Argus.^[6]

The draenei have learned to shape crystals for all kinds of purposes ranging from power containment to data storage.^[145] Such artisans are known as crystalsmiths. The purple crystals often associated with draenei that decorate their buildings, weapons, and armor are known as arkonite crystals and are used to power everyday draenei society.^[146] On Draenor, arkonite pylons were used to generate power for the tombs outside Auchindoun, though they were sometimes repurposed to power small towns in emergencies.^[147] Arkonite is a powerful source of arcane energy.^[148] Before Draenor's destruction, it was primarily mined across Talador with additional mines in Shadowmoon Valley and Tanaan Jungle. The draenei at the Temple of Sha'naar would often mine the mountains of Tanaan for perfect crystals to power their arcane devices^[149] and channel their magics.^[150] Luminescent Heartglobes are installed atop poles by draenei civil engineers to provide well-lit paths and common areas.^[151]

The greatest draenei warriors' souls may be called upon for one final service as they stand on the precipice of the afterlife: inhabiting one of the armored vigilants that serve as the eternal protectors of Auchindoun and the draenei civilization on Draenor.^[152]

Contrary to popular belief, the dimensional ships used by the draenei, such as Tempest Keep and its satellites, were not created by the draenei themselves. They are actually an example of naaru technology.

Hologems are small draenic gemstones used to store teleportation spells and communicate across long distances.^[153]

Mounts

A Shattrath City Peacekeeper on his elekk.

Draenei mainly use Draenic elekk as mounts. Patient and strong, the creatures exemplify the draenei attitude towards the hardships of life.^[154] Some legends say the draenei first befriended the elekk after one of the beasts saved an injured scout from a pack of vicious podlings.^[155] The draenei perfected elekk husbandry long ago, adorning the creatures with Light-infused crystals to make them more docile.^[156] Exodar Elekk are elekk which have been anointed by O'ros, the naaru who journeyed from Draenor to Azeroth with Velen and his followers.^[157]

In addition to elekk, many draenei on Draenor have been shown to ride enormous faerie dragons, and Azerothian draenei commonly use hippogryphs to travel quickly through the air.

The draenei have long relied on the swift breezestrider, the swiftest of all talbuk breeds, to relay messengers and their missives safely to their destinations.^[158]

Cuisine

All draenei settlements make excellent cheese, but only the Telmor-Aruuna farming region of Talador can lay claim to the original recipe.^[159]

Talbuks are the favored food of the draenei.^[160]

Government

Main article: Council of Exarchs

The Council of Exarchs on Alternate Draenor.

Prior the arrival of Sargeras and the Burning Legion on Argus, the eredar were led by the Triumvirate, composed of Velen, Kil'jaeden and Archimonde. They ruled from the gleaming halls of the Seat of the Triumvirate in the city of Eredath and were counseled by the Council to the Triumvirate.

Though the draenei rely on Velen's leadership and guidance, the administration of the Exiled Ones' society on Draenor was run by the Council of Exarchs. This body, also called the "Hand of the Prophet" or the "Exarch Council", was formed by the heads of various fields of draenei society and they voted on bureaucratic matters. The Exarch Council consisted of:

The Sha'tari Proconsul, representing the Sha'tari.
The Rangari Prime, representing the Rangari.
The Chief Artificer, representing the artificers.
The High Vindicator, representing the vindicators.
The Speaker for the Dead, representing the Auchenai.

Following the genocide of the draenei, the Council appears to have become obsolete. The Triumvirate of the Hand may be some form of replacement for it to at least some extent.

The draenei of Shadowmoon Valley were also ruled by prelate administrators.

Factions

The Exodar Banner on Azeroth.

Main timeline

Name	Leader	Role(s)	Status
Exodar (nation)	Prophet Velen	The Azerothian draenei nation allied to the Alliance.	Active
Hand of Argus	Triumvirate of the Hand	The primary military and police force of the Exodar draenei.	Active
Defenders of Blood Watch	Knight-Defender Zunade	A sub-group of the Hand of Argus stationed at Blood Watch.	Active
Auchenai	Exarch Maladaar	The "death priests" and guardians of the grave-city of Auchindoun.	Active
Rangari	Exarch Naielle	The scouts, hunters, and rogues of the draenei society.	Active
Vindicators	Unknown	Wielders of the Light defending the draenei from the dark forces.	Unknown
Artificers	Grand Artificer Romuul	The engineers and architects of the draenei society.	Active
Order of Light	Unknown	A priesthood based at the Anchorites' Sanctum in the Exodar.	Active
Omenai	Amaan the Wise	A religious order reestablishing the draenei holy places on Outland.	Active
Light's Chosen	Prophet Velen	An elite order of paladins acting as protectors of the prophet.	Active
Augari	Unknown	An order of draenei mages that date back to the eredar of Argus.	Active
Penitents	Arzaal	A group of man'ari eredar wishing redemption for their past sins.	Active
Sha'tari	Exarch Othaar	An order of researchers tasked to study the remains of D'ore.	Defunct
Aldor	High Priestess Ishanah	An ancient order of priests affiliated to the Sha'tar in Shattrath.	Active
Nethersent	Unknown	Draenei survivors who found refuge on the world of Nashabor.	Active

Alternate Draenor

Name	Leader	Role(s)	Status
Council of Exarchs	Prophet Velen^†	The draenei ruling council in Elodor.	Active
Rangari	Exarch Naielle	A group of scouts and rangers.	Active
Sha'tari Defense	Exarch Akama	The defenders of Shattrath City.	Active
Auchenai	Exarch Maladaar	The guardians of the dead in Auchindoun.	Active
Artificers	Exarch Hataaru^†	The engineers of draenei society.	Active
Vindicators	Exarch Akama	The defenders of draenei society.	Active
Hand of the Prophet	Exarch Yrel	The main Alliance force in Tanaan Jungle.	Unknown
Lightbound	High Exarch Yrel	An army in service of the Light Mother.	Active

Notable draenei

Vindicator Maraad art by Eric Braddock.

Main universe

Name	Role	Affiliation	Status	Location
Velen	Prophet of the Naaru and leader of the draenei.	Exodar, Light's Chosen, Conclave	Alive	Various
Akama	Elder Sage and chieftain of the Ashtongue Broken.	Ashtongue tribe, Illidari	Alive	Various
Romuul	Grand Artificer of the draenei on Azeroth.	Artificer, Exodar	Alive	Various
Boros	First of the Triumvirate of the Hand and a leader of the Silver Hand.	Hand of Argus, Exodar, Silver Hand	Alive	Various
Askara	Former wielder of T'uure, Beacon of the Naaru.	Unknown	Deceased	Unknown
Iridi	Priestess who aided Kalecgos and Krasus in defeating Dargonax.	Alliance	Deceased	Buried in Outland
Amaan	Seer and leader of the Omenai.	Omenai, Exodar	Alive	Various
Ishanah	High Priestess of the Aldor, Champion of the Conclave.	Aldor, Sha'tar, Conclave	Alive	Various
Maladaar	Exarch and leader of the Auchenai.	Auchenai (formerly in the Council of Exarchs)	Active	Various
Maraad	Uncle of Garona Halforcen and vindicator of the Hand of Argus.	Hand of Argus, Valiance Expedition	Deceased	Various
Nobundo	First of the draenei shaman, Champion of the Earthen Ring.	Exodar, Earthen Ring	Alive	Various

Alternate universe

Name	Role	Affiliation	Status	Location
Velen	Leader of the draenei, ruler of Karabor and Prophet of the Naaru.	Council of Exarchs, Hand of the Prophet, Alliance	Deceased	Karabor, Shadowmoon Valley
Akama	Exarch and High Vindicator in the Council of Exarchs.	Vindicators, Council of Exarchs	Alive	Various Locations
Hataaru	Exarch and Chief Artificer in the Council of Exarchs.	Artificers, Council of Exarchs	Deceased	Elodor Fields, Shadowmoon Valley
Maladaar	Exarch and Speaker for the Dead in the Council of Exarchs.	Auchenai, Council of Exarchs	Alive	Various Locations
Naielle	Exarch and Rangari Prime in the Council of Exarchs.	Rangari, Council of Exarchs	Alive	Various Locations
Socrethar	Leader of the Sargerei, former Sha'tari Proconsul in the Council of Exarchs.	Sargerei, Shadow Council, Burning Legion	Deceased	Various Locations
Yrel	High Exarch of the Lightbound, formerly exarch in the Council of Exarchs.	Lightbound, Council of Exarchs, Hand of the Prophet	Alive	Various Locations

Sub-species

Broken — Draenei who have been mutated and cut off from the Holy Light as a result of the red mist unleashed upon Shattrath City by the Old Horde.
Lost Ones — Draenei who have mutated and devolved even further, becoming primitive and highly aggressive. Most are found in Outland (primarily in Zangarmarsh and Nagrand), though one group also made their way to the Swamp of Sorrows.

Design and retcon

Draenei models prior to the player character revamp in Warlords of Draenor.

The developers had serious villains like Archimonde and Kil'jaeden from the race called the eredar — big giant demons leading the Burning Legion. As the developers were searching for a new Alliance race, the eredar concept led to a decision that it would be great to have a lawful good version of them. One of the difficulties with the draenei was that they couldn't summarize them in one informative speech.^[118] The draenei were much harder to design than worgen because it was harder to define what kind of race they were. Everyone understood the worgen were supposed to have an Eastern European Gothic look.^[161] With the draenei, they wanted to create a very heroic theme for them leading to the "superman-poses" the draenei model has today.^[118] The draenei's poses and animation sets were particularly influenced by Alex Ross' renditions of Superman in the comic series Kingdom Come and Justice.^[162] When creating the draenei, the developers wanted them to be very "otherworldly" with their blue skin, interesting proportions, height, horns, and the runes on their head. They also decided very early during the designing process that the draenei theme would be defined by crystals. A lot of crystal energy and crystal-related architecture was added to their concept. Even their armor, clothes, items, and weapons have those crystals on them to make a connection between the items you get and the race those items are from.^[118]

The addition of the draenei as a playable race and their backstory in relation to the eredar led to a lot of controversy since their history contradicted Sargeras' downfall as described in the Warcraft III manual. The inclusion of certain sci-fi elements into the setting also led to concerns.

Chris Metzen replied: "The obvious lore contradiction with Sargeras and his encounter with the eredar was clearly documented in the Warcraft III manual. I wrote those bits about four years ago, and to be totally honest, I simply forgot. [...] At this point, even though the NEW lore directly counters the Warcraft III manual, we're still going to run with it. There are a lot of reasons for this, not the least of which is that I think it's far stronger than what I crafted back in the day. The eredar were not necessarily all evil. Sargeras did come to them and tempt them with power. They did NOT make Sargeras crazy. This gives the eredar more dimensionality and roots the draenei to a key moment in Burning Legion history. [...] I remember people getting really upset about dwarves with guns, steam-tech, Gnomeregan as a hi-tech city – many people had a hard time rolling with those technologies in a fantasy setting. But I ask you all – can you imagine WoW without those elements now? To be clear, we're not talking about having the Millennium Falcon cruising around the Twisting Nether (I'm certain there would be some legal issues there, to say the least). The draenei ‘nether-ship' you've been hearing about is far more than it seems. It's part of a larger dimension-traveling fortress called Tempest Keep that essentially teleports through alternate realities. It doesn't bank and roll or shoot proton torpedoes (not yet, anyway)."^[163]

In a 2009 interview, then-game director Tom Chilton stated that one of the things Blizzard learned from the draenei is that it's important to seed races in the world and introduce them to players before making them playable. He explained: "It was harder for players to 'get' the draenei thing because they kind of came out of nowhere. They'd been referred to in previous Warcraft games but nobody had really ever seen or dealt with them. So it was a little harder to do, whereas with blood elves it was a lot easier. What we learned from that is we do wherever possible want to seed that potential, even if it's in a small way."^[164]

Timeframe of arrival

Warcraft II stated that the draenei had been present on Draenor since nearly five thousand years.^[165] The TBC flash site said Auchindoun had been used by the draenei for thousands of years,^[166] while Ramdor the Mad suggests that the Auchenai have been caring for the dead for 500 odd years.^[167] Rise of the Horde said the draenei arrived on Draenor when Oshu'gun crashed 200 years ago.^[168] According to Durotan, "... at least ten generations of orcs had lived and died since the draenei had arrived." And "It was over two hundred summers ago that your people came here."^[169] In-game, K'ure said they crashed "many hundreds of years ago"^[170] and D'ore said it was "nearly a thousand years" ago.^[171] Beyond the Dark Portal described Auchindoun as well over a hundred summers old.^[172] Following the announcement of Warlords of Draenor in 2013, Dave Kosak clarified that Blizzard will be moving forward with the 200-300 year timeframe of Oshu'gun's crash.^[173] Chronicle Volume 2 confirms that the draenei arrived on Draenor 200 years before the Dark Portal.

In the RPG

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

The draenei lived alongside orcs for countless generations on the planet Draenor. When that world exploded and crumbled into what is now known as Outland, most of the draenei perished. A few managed to survive the cataclysm, however. When the Dark Portal was reopened into Azeroth, a small number of draenei traveled through, scarred by the ordeal of their world's destruction. These ragged wretches now call themselves the "Lost Ones," in mourning of their former world. Though otherwise a peaceful, private race, the draenei carry an intense hatred for all orcs and will slay them whenever the opportunity arises. Their home on Azeroth lies within the Swamp of Sorrows, though some have begun to travel beyond the Swamp's borders in recent times. Scattered tribes of draenei are rumored to wander still the devastated fields of Outland, the last remnants of Draenor that still float within the Twisting Nether.^[174]

Having lost their home ages ago, the draenei struggle to reclaim their former lives - an impossibility, since their home no longer exists. Still, without the attempt, they would wither and die. Another factor that keeps the draenei alive is revenge against the orcs who once lived among them. They will take any risk to see an orc killed. If they can wipe out the entire race, so much the better. The draenei avoid combat unless the enemy in question is an orc. Then the normally peaceful draenei lash out in a fury, doing everything in their power to destroy their hated enemy.^[174] They established a colony in the Swamp of Sorrows called the Fallow Sanctuary. They became vicious draenei and sequester themselves from outsiders, called themselves "lost ones".^[175]

In the TCG

This section contains information from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game and is considered non-canon.

In the Trading Card Game, draenei have blue eyes, but some have been seen with a glowing purple hue,^[176]^[177]^[178]^[179]^[180]^[181]^[182]^[183] and a glowing green.^[184]^[185]^[186]^[187]^[188]^[189] There's no pattern or correlation between magic types being used and eye color, and both green and purple hues seem to be a naturally occurring eye color.

Some have also been seen with glowing yellow eyes,^[190]^[191] with both of these examples being priests. As with some blood elves and humans, this was thought to only occur when channeling powerful Light spells, though a draenei shaman has also been seen with yellow eyes. It's possible it is also related to magic, as he's depicted casting a spell in his artwork.^[192] If this is the case, yellow would just be a temporary eye color for normal draenei.

Notes and trivia

Argi, a companion that resembles a mix between a draenei and a goat.

Draenei innkeepers are called "caregivers".
Draenei tails are a potent necromantic ingredient when ground finely.^[193]
The longer tail option that was added for female draenei in Shadowlands existed in the game files since the release of Warlords of Draenor.
- There also exists a longer-tailed option for female Lightforged draenei within the files, but it isn't currently available in-game.^[194]
Many players refer to draenei with terms such as "space goat" and "squid face", referring to their lower legs and facial tentacles respectively.
- The [Argi] pet is likely a parody of the former term.
The draenei are visually similar to the Protoss of Blizzard's StarCraft series. Both races have blue skin, blue-tinted blood, and unguligrade legs. This is played with in Heroes of the Storm, in which Artanis has a skin that depicts him as a draenei.

Inspirations

Draenei borrow from a wide variety of sources, such as Abrahamic religions, Roman history, Greek motifs, Western Asian, or Eastern European cultural themes.
- They tend to speak with an Eastern European, Indian, or Arabian accent.
- Some of the musical compositions used for the draenei resemble Desi music and feature nigunim.^[195]
- Velen's title and role as The Prophet seems inspired by that of Muhammad or Moses.
- The name "Velen" is near identical in pronunciation to "Belen", which is how Bethlehem is rendered in various Romance languages; likewise many Draenei NPCs have names that are often derivatives of Semitic or South Asian names or words such as the song "Malach" from WoD which may come from the Hebrew word malak meaning "messenger".
- The names of the ships Genedar and Exodar are inspired from the books of Genesis and Exodus.
- Likewise the fleeing from Argus and later Draenor can both be considered based on The Exodus.
- The eredar society's Triumvirate may be a reference to the Roman Imperial Triumvirate.
- Given Velen became a sort of religious leader, as well as the fact that Velen and Kil'jaeden were the Second Duumvirate, parallels can be seen with the Second Triumvirate as one of the members was exiled by the others but allowed to be the Pontifix Maximus, a precursor role to the Pope.
- Much of draenei architecture, especially in alternate Draenor, use Art Nouveau that was heavily used for Burning Crusade's aesthetics.
- The way the Temple of Karabor is sacred to the draenei and was a pillar of their religious society, resembles the ancient Hebrew's relationship to the Temple in Jerusalem or the Muslims' relationship with the Kaaba in Mecca.
- These themes are reinforced with the fact that goats are originally from western Asia and eastern Europe, and thus the cultures in those areas are the ones that most heavily depend on and feature goats.
- The use of elephant-like animals for battle is derived from war elephants, famously used in India.
- The draenei people's identity as an "exiled people" which are littered with instances of difficulty and struggle is similar to that of the Jewish and Romani diasporas.