Haranir

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Haranir
Ney'leia.jpg
Ney'leia
Character classes Druid (presumed)[1]
Racial leader(s) File:IconSmall Orweyna.gif Orweyna
Homeworld Azeroth
Area(s) Khaz Algar (Western Azj-Kahet)

The haranir[2][3][4] (also spelled harronir)[5] are a reclusive humanoid race encountered in parts of Azj-Kahet, where they with great secrecy protect the great roots growing into the area. They physically resemble trolls or night elves—with tapered, bat-like ears, small tusks, and grayish-purple skin partially covered in dark fur and quills—wear clothing made out of leaves and thorns, and are able to shapeshift into bats.

Society

Orweyna performing a ritual with the great roots.

A deeply spiritual race connected to the earth,[5] the haranir understand the tapestry of life like no other and guard it with their lives.[6] All haranir encountered thus far practice nature magic[4] and can shapeshift into large, quilled bats, suggesting druidic abilities.[1] They can read the history of an ancient by reading the rings of wood in their roots.[6]

The haranir's traditions are "private and sacred",[7] and not meant for the ears of strangers.[8] They are bound by oaths which strictly forbid them from making their existence known to other races,[9] let alone interacting with or talking to them.[10][11] They are meant to stay unseen, keep to the brush, and hide in their "other forms" as much as possible.[11] They are not allowed to show their true forms[12] or interfere with the matters of other races, even for the purpose of protecting the great roots.[9][13][14] If they do move in the open, they must cover their tracks by "dealing" with anyone who sees them[15] and using special scythes to collect the traces of nature magic they leave behind so as not to reveal their existence.[11]

Even haranir individuals who are willing to speak to curious adventurers avoid going into detail about who they are or the significance of what they're doing, claiming that it is none of the outsiders' concern and that they are not at liberty to divulge information about the roots they protect.[9][11][13][16] The ancient Goehi says that the haranir are "worth more than you know" and that adventurers should "take care with them".[6]

History

A group of haranir.

The haranir are not native to Azj-Kahet, but Orweyna has led a small group of them to the region (against their better judgment).[17] She works to protect the area's roots by containing the spread of Black Blood and is willing to work with foreign adventurers, despite the disapproval of the rest of her people,[12][13] who for the most part do not believe that the blood is a threat to Azeroth since it has sat dormant for ages.[18] Orweyna has some kind of significant connection to the Radiant Song.[5][12] She summoned roots to help defend the Arathi airship Reckoning when it was ambushed by Kaheti webs upon entry to Azj-Kahet.[19] Adventurers sought her out in the hopes of finding allies in the hostile region, and she showed them the threat posed by Black Blood in the Breathing Pit (eliciting criticism from the other haranir for revealing herself to strangers),[12] before parting ways with them outside the City of Threads.[18]

A group of Arathi later took shelter in an empty haranir camp, Wildcamp Or'lay.[20] The camp's owners, Ney'leia and On'hiea, arrived shortly after and allowed the Arathi to stay, albeit while refusing to speak to them and ignoring their offer to share supplies. The Arathi were unsettled and took the haranir's silence as a sign of offense,[21][7] until Ney'leia clarified that it was only because the haranir were restricted by their oaths; Ney'leia only spoke to the strangers at all because of Orweyna's word.[8] The Arathi subsequently stayed in the camp and offered use of their transports as thanks instead.[21]

Other Arathi found Orweyna and Hannan setting up Wildcamp Ul'ar near the City of Threads and offered to help them with supplies.[3] Orweyna invited adventurers to join her and the reluctant Hannan in trying to disrupt the Kaheti's Black Blood harvesting operation in the Twitching Gorge.[13] In the process, she detected a dissonance in the Radiant Song and followed the corruption to its source in the hopes of cleansing it.[22] The area in question, the Maddening Deep, proved too tainted to save, forcing Orweyna and Hannan to return to the Wildcamp to regroup.[23]

Another haranir, Greenspeaker Na'layro, enlisted adventurers to intervene where he was forbidden to and protect the roots from an infestation of cave borers in the Wormlands. He made it clear that he did not want the other haranir to find out about his collaboration with outsiders.[9]

Known haranir

Orweyna.

Notes

Speculation

Questionmark-medium.png
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.

Elun'Ahir

The haranir never outright name the tree whose roots they protect, but it is almost certainly the legendary world tree Elun'Ahir, whose roots supposedly continued to flourish deep underground after its trunk was destroyed by Aman'Thul. This would make the haranir the "mysterious guardians [...] who dedicated their lives to protecting the roots" referred to in  [The Legend of Elun'Ahir].

Origin

Based on their appearance, the haranir may be descendants of a "missing link" between dark trolls and night elves, as most of their features seem to be midway between those of trolls and night elves. For example, their tusks are smaller than troll tusks but not as small as night elf fangs, and their eyebrows are longer than troll brows but not as long as elven ones. Orweyna's feet each possess four forward-facing toes and a single claw protruding from the heel, similar to a troll, though all other haranir have five forward-facing toes (though this was a model revision). The haranir also speak with troll-like accents, though not as thickly or noticeably as most trolls.

This explanation does not account for the haranir's quills, but it can be noted that the Shadowtooth clan of dark trolls worshipped Agamaggan,[24] the progenitor of the quilboar.

Gallery

References

 
  1. ^ a b N [78-80] Strange Bats
  2. ^ Lore Book: Friends in the Dark: "Orweyna asks for your help in cleaning things up--but it appears that the haranir, as her people are called, aren't happy with her efforts at diplomacy."
  3. ^ a b Where the Wild Things Camp
  4. ^ a b  [Hannan's Scythe]
  5. ^ a b c The Art of World of Warcraft: The War Within, pg. 200
  6. ^ a b c N [78-80] Rings of Memory
  7. ^ a b N [78-80] Tense Recovery
  8. ^ a b N [78-80] Open Communications
  9. ^ a b c d Greenspeaker Na'layro
  10. ^ N [78-80] Enemies Abound
  11. ^ a b c d N [78-80] Leave No Trace
  12. ^ a b c d N [78-80] Fear the Old Blood
  13. ^ a b c d N [78-80] Field Research
  14. ^ N [78-80] Boom or Blight
  15. ^ N [78-80] Harmonious Approach
  16. ^ Orweyna quotes
  17. ^ N [78-80] Song of Restoring
  18. ^ a b N [78-80] Alone in the Dark
  19. ^ N [75-78] The Rise of the Reckoning
  20. ^ N [78-80] Beneath the Roots
  21. ^ a b Ysabel Gleamgaard quotes
  22. ^ N [78-80] The Path of Dissonance
  23. ^ N [78-80] Discordant Measures
  24. ^ N [45] The Wild Gods
Sapient species native to Azeroth
Ancient guardian
Cenarian
Other
Troll/Elf
Troll
Elf
Other
Goblin/Pygmy
Gorloc
Unknown relation
This is a sub-template of Sapient Species
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