Qiraji

Qiraji
Faction/Affiliation	Qiraji empire (Old Gods' forces)
Racial capital	Ahn'Qiraj: The Fallen Kingdom
Racial leader(s)	Vek'nilash † Vek'lor †
Homeworld	Azeroth
Language(s)	Qiraji, Common

The qiraji (/kiˈɹɑːʒ.i/ kee-RAHZH-ee) are a race of insectoid creatures based in southern Silithus. Different types of qiraji are referred to as castes, and it seems that every caste has a leader who is under the command of the Twin Emperors: Vek'nilash and Vek'lor. The three most notable castes are the battleguards led by Battleguard Sartura, the gladiators led by General Rajaxx, and the prophets led by the Prophet Skeram.

History

Origin

Aftermath of the Aqir and Troll War with aqir that became qiraji new home of Ahn'Qiraj.

Not long after the troll empires divided the insectoid kingdom of Azj'Aqir, the aqir split in half, one group going north and the other migrating south; The aqir who traveled north reached the icy land that would become known as Northrend, and evolved a spider-like shape, founding the kingdom of Azjol-Nerub, and eventually came to be known as nerubians; the aqir that traveled south ransacked and overthrew a titan research station near Uldum and enslaved the tol'vir based there. Converting the research station into an extensive hive, they renamed themselves the qiraji and called their new home Ahn'Qiraj.

The research station also held a darker secret; it had the secondary purpose of serving as the prison of C'Thun, one of the Old Gods who had reigned over primordial Azeroth before being cast down and imprisoned by the titan-forged. The arrival of the qiraji turned the station from a prison into a seat of power – as the aqir had worshiped and served the Old Gods, so the qiraji chose to become the servants of C'Thun. The qiraji spent the next thousands of years building an army capable of exacting revenge upon the whole of Kalimdor. It is believed that in order to bolster that army, C'Thun created the non-sapient silithid from his qiraji servants.

A third group of aqir traveled further south to the land that would become known as Pandaria. They became known as the mantid, and fought with the mogu servants of the titanic watchers stationed there. Comments by Kil'ruk the Wind-Reaver suggest that the various descendants of the aqir were aware of each other and ruled much of Kalimdor together prior to the War of the Ancients.

At some point, the qiraji and the sand trolls of the Sandfury tribe were at brutal war. They failed to destroy Zul'Farrak thanks to the troll hero Theka who sacrificed himself and took dozens of the insectoid warriors with him cursing them to become mindless scarabs.

War of the Shifting Sands

Main article: War of the Shifting Sands

A swarm of silithid led by qiraji general Rajaxx.

Only the night elves, who once inhabited Silithus, stood in the qiraji's way. The War of the Shifting Sands raged for long, agonizing months. The night elves were always on the defensive, always outnumbered, always being driven back. The whole of Silithus was soon engulfed by the silithid and their qiraji masters. The night elf army was pushed back through Un'Goro, to the borders of the Tanaris desert. Out of desperation, the night elven leader Fandral Staghelm sought the aid of the reclusive bronze dragonflight. The dragons' initial refusal to interfere was reversed when the brazen qiraji attacked the Caverns of Time, home and province of Nozdormu, the Timeless One. Nozdormu's heir, Anachronos, agreed to enlist the bronze dragonflight against the marauding qiraji. Every able-bodied night elf joined the cause, and together they launched a campaign to retake Silithus. However, even with the might of the dragons backing them, the sheer numbers of the qiraji and silithid proved overwhelming.

Anachronos called upon the progeny of the remaining flights. Even so, it seemed that the numbers of qiraji and silithid were never-ending. The dragons and Fandral hatched their final, desperate plan: to contain the qiraji within the city, to erect a barrier that would confine them until a more-hopeful stratagem could be devised. With the blessing of Elune, the barrier was erected before their eyes, rock and stone and roots emerging from beneath the sands to create an impenetrable wall. Even the winged qiraji soldiers who attempted to fly over the barrier met with an invisible obstruction that they could not pass through. The qiraji who remained outside the wall were quickly slain. With magic, Anachronos created the Scarab Gong from an ordinary scarab, and  [The Scepter of the Shifting Sands] from a severed limb of one of his fallen broodmates. The dragon told Fandral that should any mortal ever wish to bypass the magical barrier and access the ancient city, they need only strike the scepter against the gong and the gates would open. He then handed the scepter to the arch-druid.

Hoping to contain the qiraji threat for all eternity, the arrogant Fandral then shattered the scepter, both insulting and angering the bronze dragonflight. His actions that day created a rift between the allies that would exist for centuries.

Ahn'Qiraj War

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

Main article: Ahn'Qiraj War

Opening of the Gate of Ahn'Qiraj.

Anachronos' plan had worked, and the qiraji remained behind the Scarab Wall for a thousand years. However, in the aftermath of the Second War, the Twilight's Hammer, formerly an orcish clan and now a cult dedicated to the worship of the Old Gods, arrived to Silithus, drawn by the whispers of their dark master. The cult's leader, the ogre mage Cho'gall, performed a ritual that was able to rouse C'Thun from his slumber. With his awakening, the merciless qiraji stirred once again. Empowered by their eldritch creator, the qiraji prepared their legions for a worldwide assault to avenge their bitter defeat at the hands of the night elves a thousand years ago.

It was discovered that some of the qiraji were finding ways past the wall. Intending to put an end to their threat once and for all, Anachronos assisted the adventurers of Azeroth in the reconstruction of the Scepter of Shifting Sands required to open the gates of Ahn'Qiraj. At the same time, the Horde and the Alliance began gathering war supplies for the impending Ahn'Qiraj War. After Shiromar rang the Gong with the Scepter, the ancient gates of Ahn'Qiraj opened, revealing the horrors of a forgotten war.

The moment the gates opened, the legions of qiraji poured forth. The combined forces of the Horde and the Alliance, under the name of Might of Kalimdor with High Overlord Varok Saurfang as their Supreme Commander, had to stop the insectoids before they could overrun Silithus and eventually all of Kalimdor. The qiraji General Rajaxx commanded the opposing forces, and an endless flow of silithid and anubisaths flooded Silithus. This battle stretched across all of Kalimdor, with qiraji resonating crystals summoning the insects to many different regions. Nonetheless, the Might of Kalimdor was victorious. The last of the qiraji forces were defeated, retreating back to the ancient city-fortress of Ahn'Qiraj. The qiraji resonating crystals around Kalimdor vanished as quickly as they appeared, leaving behind nothing but sundered earth.

Adventurers entered the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj itself and eventually reached the chamber of C'Thun. After the Old God was defeated, his remnants were brought to the red dragon Caelestrasz.

The Burning Crusade

This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

In Outland, Harbinger Skyriss was one of the qiraji entities that the naaru kept locked up within the Arcatraz. As a servant of the Old Gods, he sought to usher in his masters' vision of conquering all of the worlds across the Great Dark Beyond. He brainwashed Warden Mellichar into releasing all the prisoners within the Arcatraz, but was ultimately defeated by the adventurers.

Cataclysm and aftermath

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

During the Elemental Invasion, it was revealed that some qiraji led by Prince Sarsarun still resided in Ahn'Qiraj and some of them worked for Cho'gall due to their joint faith in the Old Gods. Nonetheless, Alliance adventurers led by Varian Wrynn and Horde heroes led by Cairne Bloodhoof defeated those qiraji before they could invade Stormwind and Thunder Bluff.

Since the arrival of Deathwing, the qiraji have not been seen. Though contained, they remain a threat.

According to Archmage Khadgar, the Void managed to call out, drawing the swarms of its Black Empire home.

Culture and biology

The qiraji despise non-insectoid life and are utterly inimical to the other races. They hold a particular hatred for the Titans and their servants, whom, like other servants of the Old Gods, they consider usurpers.

The qiraji and their servants wield items made with the rarest and finest materials: bones from gargantuan ancient creatures, gems from the depths of the earth, metals pure and strong. The most powerful qiraji wield items of such might they'd give pause even to a dragon. The rings worn by the qiraji lieutenants are rumored to grant them formidable abilities. The corrupted gems that adorn them can be swapped out with more-pure materials to create uncorrupted versions of the rings.

Each of the silithid hives in Silithus has a crystalline prism in it. They are apparently a means for the qiraji to communicate various messages and orders to the silithid.

Despite being insects, qiraji display sexual dimorphism characteristic of humanoid species. It is unknown how their reproductive system functions. Female qiraji cover their faces with veils.

Types

Qiraji gladiator

Qiraji gladiators are walking male warriors with pincer-like claws led by General Rajaxx. They have human-like feet, and their thick carapaces serve as their armor. They are the most common type of qiraji.

Qiraji battleguard

Qiraji battleguards (possibly also known as swarmguards) are flying feminine qiraji with huge insectoid eyes alongside their humanoid ones, and long scythe-like claws hidden under their sleeves. They are very fast and agile, but also less armored than other types of qiraji. Battleguards cover their faces with veils. It is unknown where their clothing ends and their carapace begins, though their shoulder guards do detach upon death.

Qiraji prophet

Qiraji prophets are spellcasters who command powerful mental abilities, often able to take control of their enemies' minds and turn them against each other. Veiled by a robe and a facial covering, qiraji prophets seem to only be pretending to be humanoid. They have eight visible legs and three elytra-like carapace structures used as shoulder guards and a back-plate. Their robes feature sleeves, which is odd because they have no apparent arms in them. Their breastplate also seems to be the lower half of their head, or at least hangs from under it, and features what seems to be their actual arms and a set of pincers.

Qiraji emperors

There are only two known Qiraji emperors, the brothers Vek'lor and Vek'nilash. They are gargantuan, humanoid-shaped, able to command insects, and deeply attached to each other. When one falls, so does the other.

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  General Rajaxx, a qiraji gladiator
• 

  Battleguard Sartura, a qiraji battleguard
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  Qiraji Brainwasher, a qiraji prophet
• 

  One of the Twin Emperors

Named

Twin emperors Vek'nilash and Vek'lor.

Name	Role(s)	Status
Vek'lor	One of the Twin Emperors. They rule over the qiraji from the sanctuary of their temple.	Killable
Vek'nilash	One of the Twin Emperors. They rule over the qiraji from the sanctuary of their temple.	Killable
The Prophet Skeram	Important religious leader in Ahn'Qiraj, the author of the Prophecy of C'Thun.	Killable
Harbinger Skyriss	Locked up in the Arcatraz. He compelled Warden Mellichar to release all the prisoners.	Killable
Battleguard Sartura	Boss in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj.	Killable
General Rajaxx	Commander of the qiraji armies since the War of the Shifting Sands.	Killable
Lieutenant General Nokhor	Spawns only during the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj event.	Killable
Qiraji Brigadier General Pax-lish	Spawns only during the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj event.	Killable
Qiraji Major He'al-ie	Spawns only during the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj event.	Killable
Qiraji Captain Ka'ark	Spawns only during the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj event.	Killable
Qiraji Lieutenant Jo-rel	Spawns only during the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj event.	Killable
Qiraji Officer Zod	Spawns only during the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj event.	Killable
Captain Drenn	Can be found in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj.	Killable
Captain Qeez	Can be found in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj.	Killable
Captain Tuubid	Can be found in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj.	Killable
Captain Xurrem	Can be found in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj.	Killable
Colonel Zerran	Can be found in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj.	Killable
Major Pakkon	Can be found in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj.	Killable
Major Yeggeth	Can be found in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj.	Killable

In-game types

• Gladiators

  •   Anubisath Warrior
  •   Imperial Qiraji Destroyer
  •   Qiraji Brigadier General
  •   Qiraji Captain
  •   Qiraji Champion
  •   Qiraji Gladiator
  •   Qiraji Lieutenant
  •   Qiraji Lieutenant General
  •   Qiraji Major
  •   Qiraji Officer
  •   Qiraji Scorpion
  •   Qiraji Warrior

• Battleguards

  •   Anubisath Swarmguard
  •   Qiraji Lasher
  •   Qiraji Slayer
  •   Qiraji Swarmguard
  •   Sarsarun Slayer
  •   Sarsarun Stormcaller
  •   Sartura's Royal Guard
  •   Swarmguard Needler

  Prophets

  •   Qiraji Brainwasher
  •   Qiraji Mindslayer

As a companion pet

• Qiraji Guardling can be captured in pet battles in Silithus during the summer (as opposed to the Snowy Owl, which can be captured in Winterspring during the winter).
•  [Jewel of Maddening Whispers] drops from the Prophet Skeram in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj.

Notes

• The names for the qiraji types can be found in their game files: "quirajgladiator," "quirajbattleguard," "quirajprophet," and "twinemperor."
  • Qiraji emperors use the same rigging as night elf males.
• According to the Prophecy of C'Thun – written by the Prophet Skeram – the qiraji have another origin story: from the magical ether of the Well of Eternity, the silithid were born. C'Thun created avatars from the silithid in its own image. These avatars eventually became known as qiraji. This is possibly in-universe propaganda, as the aqir were a slave race under the n'raqi.
• The aqir Prophet Skitra has a body and face covering similar to the qiraji prophets'. Unlike the qiraji, he has arms, making him arguably less alien despite being closer to the Old Gods.

Gallery

• 

  "Denizen of Silithus" concept art by Samwise Didier.
• 

  An older model prior to their implementation in the game in patch 1.9.0, similar to the old Succubus before patch 1.4.0.
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  Qiraji gladiator model to show proportions.
• 

  N'Zoth's First Mate, a qiraji pirate in Hearthstone.
• 

  Skeram Cultist, qiraji in Hearthstone.

Patch changes

• Patch 5.1.0 (2012-11-27): The majority of these creatures are now classified as Humanoids instead of being uncategorized.
  

See also

• Origin of the races: The Evolution of the Aqir