Stormrook

Shraubendre, a stormrook on the Isle of Dorn

Stormrooks are gryphon-like elemental beasts; volatile creatures of pure lightning that are native to Skywall in the Elemental Plane. They can also be found on the Isle of Dorn on Azeroth. Fast, clever, and capable of powerful offensive attacks, they are the favored mounts and companions of the Stormriders. A stormrook can not only navigate extreme winds with grace but also conjure fierce tempests to defend itself. While stormrooks do not need to eat, Stormriders feed them charged moss, sourced from the mosswool in Rambleshire, which helps heal and empower the rooks.

History

Dhar Oztan

In the early years of the earthen in Khaz Algar, a clash between the mighty ramoliths, Durzan and Belzt, collapsed the storming mountain range southwest of Dornogal in what would later be known as Dhar Oztan. The concussive shockwave generated from the impact of their horns shot through the heavens and into the storm above. This event caused the stormrooks to be summoned in Khaz Algar for the first time.

The rooks would soon start raining havoc down upon earthen work sites. Although the mountain giants were able to shield much of the surface workers from harm, the rooks were growing in number and ferocity by the day. The earthen sent word to their Keeper, Archaedas, for help, who in turn called on Highkeeper Ra. After surveying the damage from the elementals, the two ascended the mountain together.

When the Keepers returned, the skies had cleared, and while the earthen were unaware of what transpired atop the mountain, Ra spoke of a battle fought in a past age; the storm its scar. In his grasp, now bound and controlled, he held one of the winged creatures and proclaimed, "These elementals were the first to rain their unordered chaos down upon this sector. Now, they will be its guardians and the weapons you will wield to protect this site." And so the first of the Stormriders were chosen.

A fully clad stormrook, including leg bindings.

The Stormriders used magical leg bindings to keep their stormrooks in check. No Stormrider was permitted to combat train a rook without bindings. However, this created a stifled bond between the rider and rook. While obedient and responsive to their riders' commands, the inherent connection observed in other creatures tamed by the earthen, such as the cloudrooks or ramoliths, was far more muted in the stormrooks. Their guardianship was displayed through strict commands, and their responsiveness was tied to the discipline of their rider. Despite this, some riders and rooks managed to form a strong bond to the point where the rooks would refuse to take on another rider in the event of their rider's passing.

When a stormrook falls in Azeroth, they are sent back to Skywall. The leader of the Stormriders, Stormward Baelgrim, learned how to summon the rooks back, allowing the Stormriders to replenish their numbers.

This section concerns content related to The War Within.

Following the betrayal of Stormguard Gorren and Stormward Baelgrim's death, the Stormrider order was decimated, and most stormrooks had been dispelled back to Skywall. Because of her unique bond with Shraubendre, a wild stormrook who willingly stayed with her, Rooktender Lufsela journeyed with Thrall and adventurers to Dhar Oztan, hoping to discover how to summon the stormrooks back. With guidance from Thrall and Olbarig (Baelgrim's old Stormguard) and help from the adventurers, Lufsela eventually succeeded in summoning new stormrooks using the Conduit of the Southern Storm. These stormrooks had chosen to serve, even calling to the earthen from the other side. The earthen who could hear the call had gathered in Dhar Oztan and thus bonded with the newly arrived stormrooks, forming the new generation of Stormriders. Stormrooks are no longer bound to service; instead, they now choose to serve and select their own riders.

Notable

Kyrioss, a void corrupted stormrook

• Kyrioss
• Zarein
• Shraubendre
• Aradan
• Donneschnel
• Lahk
• Lokren
• Phawa
• Troumer
• Veytar
• Wahrvren
• Wenn ​

As a mount

• [Algarian Stormrider] can be obtained by purchasing the Heroic or Epic Edition of The War Within.

As a companion pet

Squally

•  [Squally] can be obtained by purchasing the Epic Edition of The War Within.
•  [Gale] is a quest reward from  [1-80] Gryphons of a Feather.
•  [Flash] is a quest reward from  [1-80] Gryphons of a Feather.
•  [Thundo] is a quest reward from  [1-80] Gryphons of a Feather.

As a hunter pet

Beast Mastery hunters can tame Aradan, a stormrook found in the Rookery after defeating Stormguard Gorren, who is tamable with the  [Void-Scarred Stormhammer] found on the Isle of Dorn. Unlike cloudrooks, which are tamable as part of the feathermane family, Aradan is a spirit beast.

Type
Tenacity - Exotic
Diet
Abilities
Basic	Special	Exotic	Bonus

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.

Stormrooks may be the ancestors of gryphons, similar to how dragons evolved from elemental dragons that avoided imprisonment in the Elemental Plane. This link is directly mentioned by the stormrider Vokmar, who likens the rooks to gryphons as dwarves are to earthen.

This would explain the Warcraft III manual's statement that gryphons and dragons share a common ancestry, that ancestry being elementals.

Gallery

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  Concept art
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  Model showcase
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  Yellow variant
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  Red variant
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  Purple variant
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  Thundo
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  Flash
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  Gale