One Hundred

The One Hundred were a group of humans of the Empire of Arathor who were taught arcane magic by the high elves during the Troll Wars, becoming the first human magi in history. Their history was recorded in the Annals of the One Hundred.

History

Troll Wars

The One Hundred unleashing their powers on the Amani during the final battle of the Troll Wars.

Prior to the founding of Arathor, the human tribes practiced animistic beliefs, mainly crude forms of druidism and shamanism. The arcane magic of the high elves was legendary among humans, but they had never learned its secrets.

In 2,800 BDP, the Troll Wars began when the forest trolls of the Amani Empire attacked the high elf kingdom of Quel'Thalas. The outnumbered elves quickly lost ground. The desperate high elf king Anasterian Sunstrider decided to turn to the humans for help. Although the humans had no spellcasters, Arathor had a large population and Anasterian hoped that there were humans with magical talent who could become useful in combat if they were given training. He knew that teaching the arcane to humans could lead to disaster, but with his people facing extinction, he had little choice and sent ambassadors to Arathor's capital of Strom to speak to King Thoradin. Thoradin deeply distrusted sorcery but, after debating with his advisors, concluded that Arathor did not have the forces for an open fight with the trolls and that they would need magic to make an impact in the war. After some further negotiation, Thoradin and Anasterian agreed that the elves would teach the humans the arcane arts in exchange for Strom's military aid.

Elven magi quickly traveled to Strom and began tutoring a group of one hundred humans, chosen for their strong wills and noble spirits. The number one hundred was chosen because it was the bare minimum needed to defeat the Amani, and the students were taught no more than the very basics necessary for combat. Over the course of many months, the elves noticed that although the humans were innately clumsy in their spellcasting, they possessed a strong natural affinity for magic.

Once the One Hundred's training were complete, Arathor's forces gathered at Alterac Fortress and marched toward Quel'Thalas, while the human magi stayed behind in the fortress. The Arathi host attacked the Amani's southern flank and then retreated back to Alterac with the trolls in pursuit. A days-long battle ensued in the Alterac foothills, with the humans and high elves attacking the Amani on different fronts while the One Hundred stayed hidden inside the fortress. When the humans and elves were confident that they had worn down the Amani, they unleashed their secret weapon. The One Hundred emerged from the fortress and, alongside the high elven sorcerers, did something unprecedented. Instead of attacking individually, they pooled their power and unleashed a single devastating spell, creating a massive column of fire which tore down from the sky and engulfed the Amani army. The magical flames prevented the trolls from regenerating their wounds and burned both the trolls (including their ruler Jintha) and their loa allies from the inside out. The surviving trolls fled and were easily defeated, marking the end of both the battle and the Troll Wars.

After the war

Years after the Troll Wars, King Thoradin abdicated his throne and set out on a quest to find the origins of humanity. Two of the One Hundred, Antonius and Decindra, along with their apprentices, chose to accompany him. The party ultimately discovered the Tomb of Tyr in the Tirisfal Glades and broke the tomb's magical seals, which inadvertently resurrected the monster Zakajz who was buried within. Zakajz easily killed the magi and everyone else in the party, but with his last act Thoradin subdued it with Strom'kar.

In the years after Thoradin's reign, the original One Hundred expanded their powers and began teaching pupils in the ways of the arcane, dramatically increasing the number of spellcasters in Arathor over the course of a few decades. The original magi had always practiced their magic with responsibility and care, but now passed their knowledge onto a newer generation that had no concept of the rigors of war or the need for self-restraint. These younger magicians began practicing magic for their own gain rather than any responsibility toward their fellow humans. The protection of these magi made it possible for enterprising humans to expand into the wilderness of Lordaeron and create new settlements. However, as their powers grew, the magicians became increasingly conceited and isolated from the rest of society. The city-state of Dalaran eventually became a haven for Arathor's magi, whom the empire's citizens increasingly viewed with suspicion and prejudice.

Meryl Felstorm—a founding member of the Council of Tirisfal, the New Council, and the reformed Tirisgarde—was presumably one of the original One Hundred, since he participated in (and became undead during) the Troll Wars. This would make him the only one known member to still exist in the present day, more than 2,800 years later.

Known members

Meryl Felstorm.

• Antonius
• Decindra
• Kelsing
• Meryl Felstorm (presumed)

In the RPG

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

During the Troll Wars, the high elves approached the humans of Arathor for an alliance. Although the humans were willing, the elves believed that they needed magic to be useful in battle against the forest trolls and offered to teach them. Alternatively, it was the humans who required that the elves teach them magic. Either way, an agreement was reached. The high elves were astonished by the natural affinity for the arcane that their short-lived students displayed. Human mastery of the arcane was instrumental in vanquishing the troll empire. After the trolls' defeat, the humans sent their brightest students to Quel'Thalas to continue learning magic.

The humans' lust for power drove them to master the magical arts they were learning from the elves, and the human wizards rose in power until they matched and even surpassed their high elf teachers. However, they were also greedy and reckless, even more so than the ancient night elves had been. The high elves warned their pupils that magic was addictive, but the acolytes dismissed any notion that the tragedies that had befallen the elves could also afflict them. Each new generation grew more conceited and obsessed with magical power, until they eventually drew the attention of the Burning Legion back to Azeroth, necessitating the creation of the Guardians of Tirisfal.

Notes

• The descriptions of the One Hundred's creation are somewhat contradictory. The Warcraft Encyclopedia states that it was the elves (specifically Anasterian) who first offered to teach the humans magic and that they had to convince the reluctant Thoradin of the idea. Conversely, Chronicle Volume 1 states that it was Thoradin and his advisors who demanded that the elves teach the humans and that Anasterian only agreed because he had little choice. This article attempts to incorporate both descriptions.
• At least some high elves—including Sylvanas Windrunner—later believed that it had been a mistake to expose the humans to magic. Lireesa Windrunner was of the opinion that the high elves' act of teaching the humans magic canceled out any debt owed from the Troll Wars.
• An artifact associated with the magi, the  [Carcanet of the Hundred Magi], can be found through Archaeology.

Speculation

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.

Based on its name and location, the Tower of Arathor in Strom (now Stromgarde) may have been where the One Hundred trained and kept their headquarters.