Druid races

A night elf druid in the Trading Card Game.

This article lists the races that are able to become druids, along with the lore behind each.

Alliance

Bella Wilder, a worgen druid.

Night elf

Night elven druidic traditions extend back further than most races have existed. The demigod Cenarius taught the druidic arts to the kaldorei early in their history, and the most devout of night elf druids honor and pass on his original teachings. A few were there when Cenarius provided his tutelage and learned directly from the demigod. Some even becoming so transformed by his teachings that they instead chose to join the demigod in the protection of his realm. Those were no longer elves, but woodland guardians physically altered forever. But of all these followers, none of them truly followed the path Cenarius had for them until Malfurion Stormrage. The young prodigy revealed himself to be the first with the possible aptitude and will to truly understand how to wield the forces inherent in all nature, to become the first real mortal druid on Azeroth. Others such as Valewalker Farodin had dabbled in nature magic before, but without being true druids themselves.

Before the Great Sundering, golden eyes were extremely rare among the night elves, and thus came to be regarded as a sign of future greatness. In truth, golden eyes are a sign of strong druidic potential, and yet, innate druidic power does not necessarily lead to becoming a druid, and lacking that innate power does not preclude becoming a druid.

Worgen

In the early days of humanity and its civilization, many tribes of humans had primitive belief systems that incorporated simple nature magic. However, the rise of organized religion such as the Holy Light and the potent arcane magics introduced by the high elves quickly supplanted such traditions. Gilneas, due to its relative isolation, has retained a degree of their ancient culture in the contemporary era. The religious leaders of what was in Gilneas referred to as the "old ways" eventually became "harvest-witches"; those who used their nature powers to augment Gilneas’ agricultural output during and following its period of industrialization. Due to the presence of harvest-witches in their culture, when Gilneans learned about night elf druids they became fascinated by them and their exotic connotations, to the point where many started referring to harvest witches as "druids", though this was quite far from the truth, as few Gilneans had any idea what a druid actually was. Harvest-witches have a limited control over nature, especially plant life, and the powers of harvest witches bear a coincidental resemblance to the low-level abilities of actual druids. Harvest witches who contracted the worgen curse (which was druidic in origin) found that their powers were somewhat amplified, and after making first contact with the night elves cursed harvest witches were offered induction into the Cenarion Circle for both study and training.

Kul Tiran

The vrykul living on Kul Tiras, known as the Drust, began practicing druidism in ancient times. When Ulfar broke away from Gorak Tul during the Drust-human war, he took his druids with him and established the Thornspeakers, an order of peaceful druids who would take in any who wished to learn. Similar to other archdruids, Ulfar endured over the centuries, with many Kul Tirans coming to join the order and learn under him as well.

Horde

Dorn the Tranquil, a tauren druid.

Tauren

According to the tauren lore, Cenarius instructed them first in druidism, as recounted in their myth, Forestlord and the First Druids, however, it was in fact Malfurion Stormrage who became the first mortal druid of Azeroth. Xarantaur was notably among the first tauren druids to be tutored by Cenarius, over ten thousand years ago. During the Third War, Hamuul Runetotem befriended Malfurion who taught him many secrets of the wild and blessed him with the touch of nature. Since then, Hamuul has become an honored member of the Cenarion Circle and is recognized as the first tauren druid in nearly twenty generations. Against Archdruid Fandral Staghelm's wishes, Remulos later welcomed the tauren into the Circle and taught them many closely guarded secrets.

Troll

For most of their history trolls didn't practice actual druidism, instead the haruspices were the ones who used nature magic, and gave their people divine guidance through communion with animals and giving them up to the spirits when needed.

It was rumored that, long ago, a tribe of troll druids once called the Echo Isles home, however, Zen'tabra later revealed that it was a myth made up to confuse Zalazane. In reality, when the Darkspear tribe was powerless to stop Zalazane, their Vol'jin gave the order to flee the Echo Isles to prevent more of his people from being controlled. Many trolls, including the loa priests and witch doctors, felt they had failed their people and took towards the untamed jungles of the southern islands. It was there that Zen'tabra had a vision of the Emerald Dream where she spoke to the ancient raptor loa, Gonk. He tasked her and her people to save the life on the isles and revealed a new way to connect with all the spirits of nature, instead of serving just one at a time. Since then the once witch doctors were taught directly from the Dream and the spirits themselves. And although the spirits are not keen on teaching more of her kind, they will help so long as the Echo Isles continue to flourish with life.

Highmountain tauren

Very little is known about the origin of Highmountain tauren druids, only that they transformed the vrykul Vydhar into a tree many ages ago, his wisdom made eternal. During the War of the Ancients, Huln Highmountain received a blessing from Cenarius, so that his people would forever have the demigod's favor, granting them the Horns of Eche'ro: moose-like antlers.

Zandalari troll

Since the trolls of Zandalar have regular face-to-face contact with their loa, druids are relatively common among the Zandalari. Similar to the Darkspear, their power of nature and shapeshifting comes from Gonk, the Loa of Shapes, though he allows them to follow the teachings of other loa as well, such as Pa'ku, while still retaining their power. This progressive movement, championed in voice by Wardruid Loti, leader of the Raptari, aided in the resurgence of druidism as a cultural mainstay of Zandalar. There is also a sect of Zandalari druids who worship a being who is not a loa (heavily implied to be Elune) named the Lun'alai who never leave their [Moonkin Form].

Other races

Lost One

Some tribes of Lost Ones are known to practice druidism, such as the Feralfen tribe in Zangarmarsh.

Arakkoa

While the Adherents of Rukhmar on alternate Draenor may appear to use the Light, they actually use a form of solar magic more comparable to the nature magic used by druids.

Green dragon

The enchanted, ethereal green dragons live only to serve the forces of nature and uphold the balance between mortal creatures and the ever-evolving world. They are the guardians of the Emerald Dream, the ethereal dreamworld that all life is tied to, and from where the green flight watches over nature. The green dragons and mortal druids work closely together within the dream where they can control the ebb and flow of nature and influence the evolutionary path it takes. They are close allies with the night elven druids, and one of them, Theramus, is known to have become a druid.

In the RPG

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

Night elf druids

The iconic night elf druid is a spiritual creature with powers that tap into worlds beyond most mortal knowledge. Green energy plays around his feet, and he moves unhindered through secret forest paths. Night elf druids have always guarded their people against the Burning Legion, and over the ages they developed methods to strike past the demons’ defenses.

Night elf druids claim that they can still hear the voice of Cenarius, warning them when danger is imminent and giving them gentle urgings as to the best way to avoid attacks. Perhaps this voice is nature itself, protecting those who protect it. The night elf druid can drop into a deep slumber. While hibernating, he does not need to eat or drink, and he barely needs to breathe — others must be careful to determine that he still lives. When the druid enters hibernation, any poisons working within him are suspended, and he does not bleed. His breathing is so shallow that he does not suffer effects from inhaled toxins or other dangers, and he can survive for a year on the amount of air he would normally need in a day. He heals at twice the normal rate. When the night elf druid enters hibernation, he sets the conditions to awaken. He can choose a specific amount of time (“twenty-four hours”) or some other event, such as, “When the sun strikes my eyes” or “When I hear the call of the horn of Cenarius.”

Troll druids

After joining the Horde, the Darkspear trolls (or at least some) began to live in the future. As such they starting to pursue the path of druid, shaman, and witch doctor.

Furbolg druids

Furbolg leaders are shaman or druids — which furbolgs usually also call shaman, making little distinction between the two practices.

Centaur druids

Like all of Cenarius's children, centaur favor druidism over other divine arts. However, centaur druids are not in the least respectable. Rather than striving for a balance with nature, centaur druids control nature, using it to further their own ambitions. If an animal or plant refuses to subject itself to the centaur's rule, then the creature finds itself either enslaved or, more commonly, destroyed. It takes weeks for night elf or tauren druids to correct the damage a centaur druid inflicts on any territory it comes across.

Human druids

Druidism is more difficult for humans, because it involves quiet contemplation and a sense of one’s own inferiority compared to the needs of the whole; but some humans have the necessary concentration, consideration, and calm and have become exemplary wardens of the wild.

Trivia

• The now-retconned Warcraft II manual mentioned elven druids, however, they have not been referred to in any canon source since.