User:Ximothy/Crusade/Draenei Council

Draenei Council
Icon of Argus
Main leader	High Exarch Yrel
Formerly	Prophet Velen (KIA) Ishanah
Secondary leaders	Exarch Hataaru (Head of the Artificers) D'Kaan (Rangari Prime) Tulaani (Speaker for the Dead)
Formerly	Exarch Larohir (KIA) Naielle (KIA) Maladaar Exarch Othaar
Race(s)	Draenei Krokul
Character classes	Warrior, Hunter, Priest, Paladin, Mage
Capital	Temple of Karabor
Formerly	Shattrath City
Other major settlements	Embaari Village, Elodar, Teluuna, Telaar
Formerly	Auchindoun, Telrendor, Aruuna, Tuurem
Base of operations	Anchorite Sojourn, Temple of Talhamaat
Formerly	Temple of Sha'naar
Theater of operations	Draenor
Language(s)	Draenic
Sub-group(s)	Vindicators Rangari Artificers Auchenai
Former sub-group(s)	Aldor
Affiliation	Coalition Forces
Status	Active
Reputation
Notable reward(s)	Elekks Nether Ray
Tabard

The Draenei Council is the ruling body over the draenei society following the near apocalypic Second War which saw most of the draenei's settlements destroyed by the Scourge. Yet remaining firm in their faith and devotion to protecting their adopted world. Despite not being native to Draenor, arriving as refugees fleeing from Argus, the draenei are determined to ensure Draenor endures these dark times and keep the light of their faith and people alive.

Character Classes

A people who fled from the Legion for generations they have seen their fair share of Warriors rising from their people to defend them, often acting as Peacekeepers and guardians for civilians. Though they are not famous for their warriors they still have many brave draenei men and women willing to take up a weapon and shield without the backing of magic or the Light. As wanderers among the stars for many generations they relied on scavenging resources from worlds while fleeing from demons, Hunters were vital for such a task and once the draenei arrived on the world they would call Draenor the Rangari was formed out of draenei Hunters to map their new home. Since escaping from Argus there was a stigma against Mages however they still exist among draenei society, providing many services to their people despite a general animosity towards them.

The faith in the Light is paramount among the draenei, and their Paladins are known as the Vindicators. They are seen as the greatest defenders of draenei kind and many of the most revered heroes are Paladins themselves such as Yrel and Maraad. Equally important are Priests as the faith of the Light is a quarter stone of their society, their most revered leader was the late Prophet Velen who had guided their people since they fled from Argus and now the priests continue to spread the words of the Naaru among the draenei people. Although there are currently no Naaru on Draenor since the conclusion of the Second Great War and the Battle of Oshu'gun the Draenei remain faithful in their belief that the Naaru will return, and a prophecy gives hope that so too will Velen.

Thanks to both their ancient heritage and their connection with the even more advance Naaru and their magitech the draenei have a strong mastery over Engineering, with their Artificers being a caste of draenei engineers among other professions. While other races are industralised, notably orcs and men, the draenei more uniquely blend magic into their technology. This feat is helped by the draenei's fascination with jewels, boasting some of the most skilled artisans in Jewelcrafting in all of Draenor and no other race can work the gems like a draenei can. Of course an industry in Engineering and Jewelcrafting means that Mining is a vital industry to the draenei too, many important draenei mines can be found to gather minerials for the other castes.

Organisations and Factions

The Draenei may share a strong cultural unity however there are many organisations inside of their society devoted to certain tasks, orders or pursuits usually for the betterment of their society as a whole. In the modern age their Council represents four groups; the Hand of Argus, who are the foremost defenders of the draenei and their Vindicators; the Rangari who's duty is to scout, pathfind and information gather on their enemies; the Artificers who are tasked with the creation of the draenei's power gems and constructs; and the Auchenai who guard the draenei's dead. There were once other orders, operating out of Shattrath, most notably was the Aldor led by Ishanah however after the devastating Second Great War and the death of Velen Ishanah and her Aldor turned down a dark path, migrating to Outland and embraced the Legion. Although the defunct Dark Portal seperates them the draenei know they'll have to confront their fallen Aldor kin one day.

Hand of Argus

The greatest paladins and warriors of the draenei work for the Hand of Argus.

When the Eredar escaped Argus the Naaru warned those that joined them on the Genedar that it could take many generations for a new home to be found and many dangers will be faced in pursuit of this new home. Although Velen was granted immortality the Eredar were not and any who would remain awake from stasis would likely not live to see such a home, either dying in battle against pursuing demons or other threats. Many of the newly named Dreanei volunteered despite this and formed the Hand of Argus, keeping watch over the Genedar to ward off invaders without needing to be woken and readjusted, as few threats would afford the draenei time to awaken from their stasis pods. For close to sixteen thousand years the Hand of Argus kept vigil over the Genedar, generations passing in this task under the sorrowful eyes of Velen who's heart wrenched every time one of his people passed without seeing a refuge to call their home. Their dead were intombed on the vessel, as while they may not live to see the promised home their souls would find rest there.

When the Draenei finally arrived on what they would call Draenor the Hand set about securing their new home, building walls around their new settlements such as Shattrath, Karabor and Telmor while the many dead of the Hand were intombed in the newly settled Auchindoun. When the war with the ogres begun the Hand of Argus fought on the front lines. When the Crusade invaded through the Dark Portal the Hand of Argus fought on the front lines. When the Scourge ravaged their lands the Hand of Argus fought on the front lines. Everywhere the draenei fight the Hand is there to defend their people and their cities, even into this war torn age. During the Second Great War they were led by Exarch Larohir who would die during the war against the Scourge, his body vanishing. Officially Maraad is the Exarch of the Vindicators which puts the Hand under his command however he relegates command of the Hand to the Triumvirate while he commands the war in the Plaguelands with the multi-racial Sha'tari Vanguard. The Triumvirate consists of Boros, Kuros and Aesom who hold the line at the border between the Scourge's claimed Plaguelands and the territory in Shadowmoon Valley, though they will often hire adventurers and mercenaries to help keep the Scourge in check.

Rangari

The draenei rely on their Rangari for scouting and hunting.

The Rangari was formed initially during the voyage on the Genedar from volunteered pathfinders, scouts and resource gatherers to be woken up from stasis and head down to worlds to gather resources on planets deemed unsuitable for permanent inhabitation but still possessed resources to keep the draenei on the Genedar alive. They did not spend most of the trip awake, remaining in stasis pods unless needed and so when they finally arrived on Draenor most of the Rangari were originally from Argus though aged, such as Exarch Naielle who was a child when the eredar fled Argus but an adult when they arrived on Draenor. Once landfall on Draenor was made the Rangari scouted for potential settlement sites and marked the locations where future cities such as Karabor and Shattrath were formed.

Even after the settlements were under way the Rangari still had the challenge of mapping this hostile world. It was not their first choice, they had skipped over other dangerous worlds during their exile in the stars, however crashing on Draenor meant they had to make do with what they had. Regions such as the north lands were placed as no-go zones for inhabitation due to the severe conditions of places such as Frostfire Ridge, Blade Edge's Mountains and Gorgrond, suggesting the draenei stick to the south lands in Talador, Shadowmoon and parts of Nagrand, in addition to some settlements in Zangarmarsh and Tanaan. The Rangari would provide to the war effort of the First Great War, notably Rangari Captain Leran who would join the Expedition on Azeroth. During the Second Great War the Rangari suffered heavily, notably their Exarch Naielle would fall during the fall of Talador to the Scourge though her body was recovered. She was succeeded by D'kaan her second in command who operates out of Karabor.

Auchenai

The Auchenai are caretakers of and speakers for the dead.

The Auchenai are not an order from Argus or even their exiles across the stars. While the Genedar stored the draenei's dead they did not have a devoted order to looking after them until they crashed on Draenor. When K'ara begun to enter a Void state and lashed out it struck D'ore and after the draenei crashed on Draenor. When the draenei set the wounded core of D'ore in the heart of Talador and they noticed that its presence drew the spirits of the dead draenei to become communable. As the monsuleum of Auchindoun was formed around D'ore and the entombed Draenei a new order was formed; the Auchenai, led by Exarch Maladaar. Velen charged them with protecting Auchindoun, communing with the dead and watching over the wounded D'ore, a task they set out to do with determination. Over the centuries since arriving on Draenor the Auchenai tended to their task, even being given a place on the Council for being the caretakers of the Draenei's dead. Though their ability to speak to the dead was learnt from D'ore bringing those spirits to itself they were able to use this ability outside of Auchindoun on a smaller scale. To become a member of the Auchenai was seen as a grim but honourable role that many priests and monks devote themselves too.

They largely stayed out of any conflicts unless it came to them, only partaking in the First Great War when the war came to Talador and the Crusade assaulted Auchindoun, with Maladaar summoning spirits to aid the defenders against the assault. It wasn't until the Second War that the Auchenai truly came under siege, as the Scourge was tasked with taking D'ore. Ner'zhul's assault on Talador was devastating, he sacked Shattrath and besieged Auchindoun turning the draenei's dead against them. In the end the Auchenai failed, D'ore's taken and the naaru lost for ever. Maladaar was slain and risen as a Death Knight in service to the Scourge. Surviving Auchenai fled to Karabor now led by Tuulani, and although vastly smaller they still can provide spirit speaking techniques in D'ore's absence and retain their place on the Council. The Auchenai hope to reclaim Auchindoun one day, even knowing the colossal amount of undead present there including their fallen comrades.

Artificers

The Artificers are a tradition that dates way back to Argus, predating every other Draenei order. They are engineers, technicians and craftsmen who use magic and technology to build the magitech of the draenei people such as their Crystal defences and terraforming techniques as they brought several plants from Argus on their exile. When the Naaru took the eredar exiles from Argus many Artificers would study the vessels the Naaru carried them on and once they reached Draenor applied this knowledge to the settlement of their new home. Many Artificers are not just technicians however some take up the path of being warriors, such as Andren, or paladins, such as Romuul, in addition to being an Artificer.

They can be found in every settlement and city of the draenei maintaining their devices and defences. They have been led by Exarch Hataaru for some time, and he stands as the longest surviving member of the Council of Exarchs as the other four members have died or betrayed the draenei people. He works from his workshop in Karabor and hopes to build devices capable of retaking their lost territory from the Scourge.

Settlements

The Temple of Karabor is the largest bastion of the draenei still standing after the Wars.

The Draenei once inhabited much of the heart of the mainland of Draenor, however after the First and Second Great Wars their influence has been reduced considerably, almost all of their settlements in Talador have fallen and so too has many of their settlements in Shadowmoon and Tanaan. The temple devoted to the Naaru and the Prophet, the Temple of Karabor, still stands as the greatest bastion left and the current center of the draenei's government the Council. The Temple's interior is where the leadership reside in the Propet's Retreat as their current governmental headquarters. The Sanctuary is the heart of the Temple and is where people can reach the wings of the city and encounter merchants, banks and the auction houses. Off to the south of the Sanctuary is the Refectory which is a very large Inn and Tavern famous across the draenei and where many deals are made, with some seedier elements in there. From the inner Sanctuary several other regions of the Temple can be reached; the Triumvirate's Vigil which serves as the military wing of the city and where warrior and hunter trainers are; the Halls of Inquest where many professions can be found most notably Master Engineers and Jewelcrafters as well as Mage trainers; and the K'arani Ward where the faithful gather, such as priest and paladin trainers, and has to be passed through to reach the Prophet's Retreat. There is also an extensive Karabor Sewer system where seedier elements of the draenei can be encountered, including a lasion to the Black Market.

Sadly outside of Karabor few settlements remain. Elodor sits in the north-east of Shadowmoon and serves as a training ground for aspiring draenei adventurers as well as a farmland, though problems with encroaching Zangar as well as feral undead approaching from the west remain. In the heart of the Valley is the settlement of Embaari Village which is heavily defended due to sitting near the edge of the Draenei-Scourge border, and the village is vitally important for farms and trade for the draenei. The near by Teluuna is most famous for its great Observatory but also houses many magi and other professions. Sadly most of the other settlements in the region have fallen, however the small city of Telaar located in Nagrand still remains standing and free of danger for the time being instead dealing with hostile ogre clans, the Pale and remnants of the Legion still left in the region. The city of Telmor also still stands however it has become multi-racial as refugees escaped to it and now possesses its own government, effectively becoming distinct from the Council.

The former outpost-turned fortress of Anchorite's Sojourn sits near the border between Talador and Shadowmoon and stands as the bastion keeping out the hordes of the Scourge from the Valley and also watching over Anguish Hold. The military outpost of Draakorium sits in south-eastern Shadowmoon and is very important as well, keeping guard over the passages to the hostile regions to the south, most notably Socrethar's Rise and Shimmermoor. The northern most settlement still standing is the Temple of Telhamat which has been reinforced by Vindicators and now serves as a military presence in Tanaan and the Desolation.

Council Members

Yrel serves as the High Exarch of the Council, being the mediator between Councilmembers.

Name	Role	Status	Location
High Exarch Yrel	High Exarch and Executor of the Council	Alive	Temple of Karabor, Shadowmoon Valley
Maraad the Avenger	Grand Vindicator	Alive	Telmor, the Plaguelands
Hataaru	Chief Artificer	Alive	Temple of Karabor, Shadowmoon Valley
Tuulani	Speaker for the Dead	Alive	Temple of Karabor, Shadowmoon Valley
D'kaan	Rangari Prime	Alive	Temple of Karabor, Shadowmoon Valley

Former Members

Name	Role	Status	Location
Prophet Velen	Prophet of the Draenei	Deceased	Body purified.
Ishanah the Dark Prophet	Dark Prophet of the Aldor	Alive	Currently on Outland.
Larohir	Grand Vindicator	Deceased	Buried in Elodar
Othaar/Socrethar	former Sha'tari Proconsul, Lich of the Scourge	Undead	Shattrath, Plaguelands
Malaadar	Speaker for the Dead, Death Knight of the Scourge	Undead	Auchindoun, Plaguelands
Naielle	Rangari Prime	Deceased	Buried in Elodar

Gallery

• 

  The draenei traditional wear is various fabrics and items made from Arkonite.

• 

  The Vindicators stand as the ultimate defenders of draenei faith and culture.

• 

  Some draenei mutated into the Krokul- the Broken- and loss their connection to the Light.

• 

  The Genedar, known today as Oshu'gun, brought the draenei to Draenor.