Lightforged draenei

This article is about the Lightforged draenei lore. For the playable race, see Lightforged draenei (playable). For their alternate counterpart, see Lightbound.

Lightforged draenei
Faction/Affiliation	Alliance, Army of the Light, Lightbound, Purified, Kirin Tor, Ebon Blade, Blacktalon, Timewalkers
Character classes	Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior Archmage, Artificer, Battlemage, Blademaster, Sharpshooter, Vindicator
Racial capital	The Vindicaar
Formerly	The Xenedar (crashed)
Racial leader(s)	Captain Fareeya
Formerly	Xe'ra †
Racial mount	Elekk Talbuk
Homeworld	Argus
Area(s)	Azeroth, Twisting Nether, Argus
Language(s)	Draenei, Eredun, Common

“Give me a hundred Lightforged. Barring that, a thousand regular troops.”

— Archmage Y'mera

Lightforged draenei are a large faction of draenei who serve the Army of the Light and the Alliance. For untold millennia, they waged war against the Burning Legion throughout the Twisting Nether under the lead of the Prime naaru Xe'ra. The draenei most committed to their long crusade would undergo a ritual to become Lightforged, infusing their bodies with the very essence of the Holy Light. After finally achieving victory on Argus, the Lightforged draenei have undertaken a new mission under the command of High Exarch Turalyon and Captain Fareeya: protecting Azeroth from rising threats, and helping their kin from the Alliance push back against Horde aggression. They became an allied race and pledged their loyalty to King Anduin Wrynn.

They were introduced in Legion.

History

Main article: Army of the Light

Originally part of the draenei who boarded the Genedar and left Argus, the survivors split into two different ships and went their separate ways. Among them, the draenei's most elite warriors followed Xe'ra aboard the Xenedar to wage war on the Burning Legion. The most committed to their long crusade would undergo a ritual to become Lightforged, infusing their bodies with the very essence of the Holy Light.

For millennia, the Army of the Light waged battles, skirmishes, and sabotage against the Burning Legion. They all knew they might not survive their final assault on Argus. They engaged in tactical guerrilla strikes on the world of Argus using their warships. While outnumbered, they continued to fight with cunning, striking at points of opportunity quickly and moving on.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

Lightforged troops guarding the crashed Xenedar.

By the time of the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the Lightforged draenei were led by the Prime naaru Xe'ra and High Exarch Turalyon. They also had several champions, including Grand Vindicator Sorvos (paladin), Baraat the Longshot (hunter), Archmage Y'mera (mage), and Blademaster Telaamon (blademaster) under the command of Captain Fareeya.

When Balnazzar and his forces attacked the Conclave and Knights of the Silver Hand at Netherlight Temple, the nathrezim opened countless portals to summon in more demons and finish them off, until Lothraxion and the Army of the Light arrived and helped the forces of Azeroth to defeat Balnazzar.

Having battled the Burning Legion for thousands of years, the Army of the Light united with the heroes of Azeroth during their Argus Campaign. Despite the Xenedar being shot down, the Lightforged rallied under their champions and fought demons across Krokuun and the Antoran Wastes. The Army later laid siege to Antorus, the Burning Throne, hoping to end the Burning Crusade once and for all. Their forces battled the Legion's endless armies while the heroes and leaders destroyed the Legion's commanders, war machines, and access to reinforcements. They ultimately witnessed Sargeras' imprisonment at the Seat of the Pantheon, their grand mission finally accomplished.

Battle for Azeroth

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

Following the end of the Burning Crusade, High Exarch Turalyon advocated for the inclusion of the Lightforged draenei into the Alliance, as he believed upholding its ideals would be a worthy cause for the Army of the Light's services. With the endorsement of High King Anduin Wrynn, Turalyon and a fellow Alliance champion headed to the Vindicaar to address his troops. Since Captain Fareeya was in the middle of recruiting more Lightforged, he allowed the Alliance champion to bear witness to the process of becoming Lightforged by undergoing the trials as T'paartos' second. After successfully completing the trials in the Forge of Aeons, Turalyon officially inducted T'paartos as a member of the Lightforged, and Fareeya announced that from this day forward, the Army of the Light fights for the Alliance. He then returned to King Anduin to give the Lightforged draenei's official pledge of loyalty to the Alliance. Captain Fareeya later tasked new Lightforged draenei to go forth into Azeroth and fulfill their new mandate: spread the Light's justice and uphold the ideals of the Alliance.

During the Faction Assault on Drustvar, the Lightforged aided the Alliance in defending the region from the Horde as members of the Purified, an Alliance contingent of human, draenei, dwarf, and Lightforged draenei soldiers empowered by the Light.

The Lightforged also joined the ranks of the 7th Legion, composed of the Alliance's most seasoned veteran fighters, and fought in the Faction Assaults and during the battle at the Gates of Orgrimmar.

Shadowlands

This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.

Under the Lich King Bolvar Fordragon's command, the Four Horsemen acquired fallen champions of both the Horde and Alliance through the battlefields and graveyards of Azeroth, including the Lightforged draenei. Thus, the Knights of the Ebon Blade welcomed a new generation of death knights in preparation for times ahead. They were later sent by Highlord Darion Mograine to Stormwind, in order to join the Alliance once more and help protect the world.

Dragonflight

This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

With the return of the Dragon Isles, several Lightforged draenei, including Zuraan and Zuronar, joined the Dragonscale Expedition. Melinor joined the ranks of the Timewalkers in order to help the bronze dragonflight in their charge of protecting the timeways. Yries Lightfingers joined the Blacktalon to aid Wrathion claim the title of Earth-Warder. At some point, Valunei was recruited by Travard and Watcher Koranos as the Exemplar of Compassion in the reformed Tyr's Guard.

The first known Lightforged draenei warlock was Ph'el Oman, who had become disillusioned with the Light after constant losses. He sought the strength of fel magic, not in opposition to the Light, but alongside it in combination. He swore to spread his newfound power along with the other survivors of Lord Banehollow's treachery, hoping one day to teach other Lightforged how to be warlocks.

Even after the war against the Primalists, the Army of the Light continued to fight the Burning Legion on Argus, and the Penitents have provided them aid. Various members of the Army attended the Tishamaat celebrations in the Exodar, among them Captain Fareeya expressed that though despite all the Lightforged had gained in their fight against the Legion, they had lost so much more. While reconnecting with the non-Lightforged draenei would be difficult, many of the Lightforged still wanted to do so.

Alternate Draenor

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

Main article: Lightbound#History

After Archimonde's fall on alternate Draenor, the orcs and draenei worked together to drive the Burning Legion from Draenor. During this time, more naaru arrived on Draenor and, without demons to fight, the draenei became fixated upon the Light. At some point, Draenor began to deteriorate for unknown reasons. The Lightbound and the Mag'har blamed each other. Having received visions from the Light Mother, the High Exarch Yrel knew that the Army of the Light would bring order to countless worlds in the Great Dark Beyond.

The naaru reforged the draenei in the Light, becoming the Lightbound, then compelled them to spread their influence among the orcs in a more antagonistic organization, seeking to spread the Light's influence across the planet; by force if necessary. A few orcs converted to the Light willingly, but others had the Light forced upon them. Some orcs even sided with the draenei against their own kin. War followed, until the two sides found themselves in a stalemate in Gorgrond, where the Lightbound refused to attack Hellsreach Citadel.

While the Mag'har were dealing with Kor'gall, Greatson of Kor'gall and his followers, Lightbound forces led by Exarch Orelis captured Evermorn Hold and used it as a staging ground for an attack against Beastwatch. As the Mag'har celebrated their victory after repelling the assault, High Exarch Yrel and her entire army arrived on the field. With her vastly superior numbers, the High Exarch offered Hellscream and the Mag'har one last chance to embrace the Light by joining the Lightbound. However, Grommash refused her offer and stayed behind with Lantresor of the Blade to push back the Lightbound while the Mag'har fled to Azeroth.

Appearance

Lightforged draenei in heritage armor.

Lightforged draenei possess an alabaster-marble colored skin and white hair. In contrast with other draenei, the Lightforged have bright, golden eyes, and their bodies are marked with glowing and golden tattoos. Their hooves are also ornamented with gold, and their Mark of the Naaru is a different, golden sigil.

Culture

Main article: Draenei#Culture

Notable

The Army's champions aboard the Vindicaar. (From left to right: Telaamon, Sorvos, Baraat, Fareeya, and Y'mera.)

Name	Role(s)	Race	Status
Fareeya	The Crescent Glaive. Turalyon's chief lieutenant.	Army of the Light	Alive
Sorvos	Grand Vindicator of the Army of the Light.	Army of the Light	Alive
Telaamon	General and blademaster.	Army of the Light	Deceased
Baraat the Longshot	Fareeya's lieutenant and hunter.	Army of the Light	Alive
Enaara	Grand Lector and zealous priestess.	Army of the Light	Alive
Y'mera	Archmage, former member of the Augari.	Army of the Light	Alive
T'paartos	Trainee of the Army of the Light	Army of the Light	Alive
Yries Lightfingers	One of Turalyon's loyal lieutenants.	Blacktalon	Alive
Melinor	Wrathion's agent at the Obsidian Throne.	Timewalkers	Alive

Notes and trivia

• While a draenei is being infused with the essence of the Light to become Lightforged, they see their past and glimpses of their future.
• When they die, their souls travel to the Shadowlands.
• Captain Fareeya is the first Lightforged draenei seen by most players.
• Lightforged draenei have non-Lightforged children, as seen in the Lightforged draenei starting zone version of the Vindicaar.
• The idea of people being depicted with their eyes glowing golden with the Light is an old one, starting with the paladins of the Second War as well as some depictions of Turalyon and Lady Liadrin.
  • The paladin on the Divine Favor TCG card had glowing eyes too.
• Lightforged draenei retain many draenei themes. See Draenei#Notes and trivia for draenei cultural inspirations.
  • There seems to be more Greek-derived names among the Lightforged Draenei, such as Telaamon (Telamon) and Xe'ra (xeros, ξηρός) or Desi-derived, such as Baraat (Baraat), than the more Semitic and Semitic-derived names of the Draenei.
• The line "give me a hundred Lightforged. Barring that, a thousand regular troops" is taken verbatim from Warhammer 40,000, only with Lightforged replacing "Space Marines."

Gallery

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  Imperial Juggernauts introduced in 7.0 (bodies fully covered by armor).
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  Lightforged draenei male.
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  Lightforged draenei female.
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  Lightforged Felcrusher
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  Lightforged Ruinstrider
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  Proud Defender in Hearthstone.
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  Lightforged Crusader in Hearthstone.
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  Lightforged Zealot in Hearthstone.
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  Archivist Oshi in Hearthstone.

Crest

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  Lightforged draenei crest.
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  Lightforged draenei crest.
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  The Lightforged draenei banner.

Fan art

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  Lightforged draenei paladin
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  High Vindicator Velaana
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  Lightforged
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  Lightforged with wings
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  "Light and Night" by Dmitry Prozorov.