User:Ximothy/Crusade/Draenor
 Draenor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | World |
| Capital(s) |
Lohn'goron Citadel Karabor Theramore Highmaul Skettis Sin'thas |
| Races |
Native:   Draenei  Human  Blood elf  Dwarf  Vrykul |
| Location | Great Dark Beyond |
Inhabitants
Breakers
Primals
Zangar
Alien
Regions
Northlands
The Northlands are the traditional homelands of the orcs, who's ancestors once dwelt in caves before migrating to the surface, spreading across the Northlands long before they would settle the furthest reaches of Dreanor. When the Gorian Empire spread its domain across the continent it largely conquered these lands from the orcs, establishing massive citadels across Frostfire to Blade's Edge, only Gorgrond remaining out of their reach due to it being the domain of the Magnaron. However since the Gorian War left the empire in shambles the orcs were able to reclaim parts of these lands, most recently the Frostwolf clan drove out the Bladespire clan and secured their ancestral home with the founding of Lohn'goron, the future capital of the Horde. The Northlands are the traditional homes of the Frostwolves, Blackrock, Laughing Skull, Thunderlord and Dragonmaw clans; it used to be home to the Whiteclaw and Lightning Blade clans however they are extinct in the modern age.
In the modern age it's considered the domain of the Orcish Horde, with the Lohn'goron Citdel in western Frostfire being its capital. The Rock, home of the Blackrock clan, is also a major domain of the Horde in Gorgrond, and they are a scattering of Horde villages and towns throughout the regions. Most ogres here are not part of the Gorian Empire and are hostile to everyone not themselves, even Highmaul ogres. While it saw much fighting in the First Great War during the Gorgrond Sieges and Frostfire invasion, it did not see too much of the Second Great War as the Scourge was mostly focused around the southern lands. Recently the Thunderlord clan, who long refused to join the Horde, have risen against the Horde thinking they can take control of it from the Frostwolf Warchief Durotan. To this end they allied with the Bloodmaul ogres as well. Winterskorn vrykul have moved into the region following the Crusade's collapse, wiping out the Grimfrost ogres, taking their lands and slaying their god. Local threats include the scorpar and saberon, groups of them can cause local issues for villages. The greatest threats in the region are the Breakers who have increased in acitivity recently due to the awakening of their Primordial God, Drov the Ruiner; and the arrival of the Black Dragonflight who crossed during the Invasion of Azeroth. Nefarion, son of Neltharion, had formed an army of orcs and ogres under his control called the Drakonaar and they have taken control of parts of Blade's Edge and Gorgrond.
The western region, Frostfire Ridge, is an frozen land with dunes of snow and volcanic activity, a crucible of elemental powers. Blade's Edge is the jaggard mountains that split the Ridge from Gorgrond, and is home to many of the Breakers with the northern most region being Magnarok, the largest concentration of Breakers on all of Draenor. Gorgrond is a dry region with jungles in valleys and canyons, and great steam gysers.
Tanaan Peninsula
The Peninsula was the domain of the Primals for untold generations, the natives moving around them and keeping them at bay. However it was also home to a far flung colony of the Apexis on its northern coastline, and the orcish clans who arose here were seen as particularly savage by orc standards, being the Bleeding Hollow and Bonechewer clans. The Draenei would establish two temples here however most civilians avoided the place due to its wild nature. It was not until the First Great War came and the war machine known as the Human Crusade would invade Draenor. Eastern Tanaan is where the agents of Gul'dan had the Dark Portal carved out of rock and allowed the Crusade to conquer large swathes of Tanaan, building their capital on this world in Whisper Peak. Much of the jungle was cut down or burned away throughout the war, sent across Draenor to frontlines and some of the most intense fighting of the war happened here around Adamant and the Dark Portal.
When the Dark Portal was destroyed it left a lingering corruption, as fel energies seeped into Tanaan. The region from the Dark Portal up to Whisper Peak became a red land the natives came to call the Hellfire Wastes. A Coalition fort called Blackguard was built to watch over the portal and is where the Expedition was launched from. There was some activity during the Second War though for the most part the entrance to Tanaan was as far as the Scourge spread. Post-Second War the region is stirring to life again as the desperate Primals awaken their Primordial God, Tarlna the Ancient, to reclaim their dying forests and those old arakkoa settlements have become home to a cult called the Dark Conclave who worships the whispers in the night that Anzu warned against. In the Hellfire Wastes Adamant became active once more as the so called Scarlet Crusade rises from its ashes, becoming a constant problem for the forces at Blackguard.
The region is largely split in two, the western half being a wild jungle home to Primals, Arakkoa cultists, saberon and the Bleeding Hollow orcs. Western Tanaan is the Hellfire Wastes is a blasted lands home to the Scarlet Crusade and demonic summons, as well as a rising population of rock flayers, with the citadel of Blackguard situated near the Dark Portal trying to deal with it all.
The Zangar Coast
The south-western coastline of the main continent has taken its name from the extensive Zangar encroachment. The Zangar mostly come from the Zangarmarsh in the north of the region, with great lakes around sprawling mushroom forests with a blue atmosphere as spores are everywhere. The south of this region is Nagrand, the Land of Wind, where the great crystal mountain of Oshu'gun sits and the Circle of Elements called home. As such this land has religious importance to the orcs. It is also the heartlands of the declining Gorian Empire who have been reduced to a city, Highmaul, and a scattering of settlements. The draenei also have great interest in the region, the settlement of Telaar sits in the mountains of the east over looking the area and it stands as the only draenei city to have not been conquered or destroyed since founding. The draenei also have an interest in the region as that crystal mountain is actually the vessel that brought them to Draenor to begin with, the Genedar, and it houses one of the Three Lights.
Although the ogres have their capital here it would be remiss to consider Nagrand ogre land save for the marshes outside of their city and the mountains between Nagrand and Zangarmarsh, much of the rest of the region is controlled by the draenei of Telaar and the orcs of the Warsong and Burning Blade clans. The shaman brotherhood, the Crucible, was founded here at the Circle of Elements. There are threats in the region as lobstroks along the coastline; saberon prides in the hills; ogre criminals; and krokul savages. Zangarmarsh is a different story, the region is almost entirely hostile to outsiders. The only safe harbors are Ango'rosh Stronghold, an ogre island fort just off the coastline connected via bridge; and Telredor, once a draenei monastery that has become the home to a tribe of Broken Exiles led by Akama, though they are unfriendly towards outsiders and trust must be earned. There is also a friendly village of Sporelings called Sporeggar who are always looking for outsiders to help with their own problems.
Exiles' Domain
When the draenei arrived here a millennia ago they left their ruined vessel and spread east, across the forests and valleys of south-eastern Dreanor. From Shattrath to the west all the way to Karabor in the east the draenei built their cities across these heartlands. Their claiming of the land would anger the ogres who considered it theirs, especially the site that Shattrath was built on as it was where Goria, once heart and center of their empire, was before the orcs destroyed it. This led to a brief but bloody war between the two that drove the ogres back westwards. The draenei also built the necropolis of Auchindoun around where the Naaru D'ore was laid to rest, and the draenei could commune with the spirits of their dead thanks to D'ore's influence. The eastern valleys had a unique lunar affect due to the Dark Star; its night seemingly lasted longer than anywhere else on Draenor. This was a magical affect, however, as nothing was done to Draenor's orbit to do this, it was the presence of the Dark Star that caused it.
Orc clans have also laid claim to regions across these lands, especially the Shadowmoon who lived in the eastern valleys long before the Draenei arrived and the two have lived in relative, if at times tense, peace. The forests of Talador were once home to the Bladewind and Redwalker clans however those two clans have been driven to extinction, the Bladewind were wiped out by the Crusade while the Redwalker were destroyed by the Gorian Ogres. Much of Shadowmoon was conquered by the Human Crusade during the First Great War and it was from dark experiments by their warlocks on their prisoners that led to the creation of the Krokul, or Broken. Tohse conquered settlements were retaken by the war's end, though the krokul were quarantined in fear of their mutation being contagious.
However the greatest change came when the the Scourge arose. Thanks to cultist traitors to the orcs and draenei a Plague of Undeath spread throughout the Domain and turned many into undead thralls of the Scourge. Ner'zhul was driven to near madness to try and save his people and would ultimately fall to the Scourge, convinced only undead would save his soul. The Scourge would take over Talador, taking Shattrath and Auchindoun, taking D'ore, before marching against Karabor to claim the Dark Star, who was in truth the Naaru K'ara. Through Velen's sacrifice in purifying K'ara the Scourge were driven back and Karabor was saved, the concencration of the temple keeping the undead back. Still much of western Domain remained in their lands, with the region around Auchindoun being especially corrupted and turned into the Bone Wastes, with the great citadel of Naxxramas floating above it.
Apexis Range
South of the Domain is the Apex Range, where the advance Apexis empire once spread from. The Gods of Arak once flew among these forests and mountains for eons before events led to Sethe's betrayal and death, Anzu's curse and Rukhmar leaving the ground for the skies. The exact origins of the arakkoa is unclear but it is determined that they originated from Rukhmar, though some believe they are also the offspring of Anzu. Long after their gods left the arakkoa would form the Apexis civilization, one of Light and Dark that quickly became a technological power house who's technology are considered advance even today by the draenei. After the great disarster led to the Apexis' home and the largest mountain in the Spires shattering the civilisation collapsed, being eclipsed by the rising Gorian Empire and migrating orc clans. A relgious body would take control of the arakkoa society and they begun using the Blood of Sethe, the last remnants of that dark god, as a punishment as exposure to it curses arakkoa as it did Anzu. This led to the creation of the Arakkoa Outcasts, and rebranding of the original arakkoa as the High Arakkoa. After the priesthood desposed the last Talon King, Terokk, they abolished the monarchy and the Adherents of Rukhmar were born, determined to revive their lost goddess of the Sun. Terokk would lead the exiles for a time and built Skettis before he went mad and was banished by the Outcasts' Talonpriests.
A loose and tense peace between the High and Low arakkoa existed for a time as long as the Outcasts kept to Terokkar Forest, where Skettis laid, while the Adherents kept to their mountains of Arak. However tensions ever rise as the Adherents get bolder and bolder in harassing the Outcasts, seeking to take Terokkar Forest for their own as they view is their 'right'. They have seen their Goddess reborn, influenced by their own hatred and zeal she too has become obbessed with purification; Rukhmar wants to purge all of Draenor of the "corrupted".
The Adherents and their Goddess present the clearest and most present threat, though the Apex is home to other races and threats. The Shattered Hand are the only orcs bold enough to make home here, though on the fringe in Slavisar. Saberon have long prowled the lowlands of these mountains, preying on arakkoa that got too low to the ground. In fact the Apex is home to the largest population of saberon in all of Draenor. Great Ancients roam these woods, with many being tamed by the Outcasts to protect Skettis and their Veils. Not all Outcasts are friendly however the Sethekk, who worship the dead god Sethe, operate throughout the region as a problem for both arakkoa societies. There are Zangar encroachment along the coastline as well, especially in the Lost Veil Anzu.
Barrier Sea
The Barrier Sea sits to the east of the mainland and consists of many islands, the largest of which is Farahlon and to a lesser extent Ashran. The region has changed hands, once ogre ships sailed these seas and there was a short lived colony on Ashran that quickly collapsed to infighting, and with the fall of Goria they abandoned the region. Ashran was also home to a conclave of arakkoa that, just as the ogres did before, went mad. The island was a site of battle during the First Great War as it was where Benedictus fled to with his Silver Hand servants to escape the Crusade's failing war, where he was hunted down by Turalyon's forces. Human fought human here and Benedictus was slain by the former paladin. Ashran would later be where Jaina and Arthas would lead their people decades later to settle after being free of the reservoirs to become their new home, settling the haunted woods and mountains of Ashran. The port city of Theramore was built on its southern shore. Along with humans, sea faring vrykul have spread across the Barrier Sea, the Bloodwake raiding coastal towns while the Fleshrot have settled on Ashran itself and are attacking the humans there.
Dominion over the region fell to humans until the reveal of the Blood elves living on Farahlon, having arrived there in the wake of the Second Great War. They established Sin'thas in southern Farahlon, the woods tainted by red the accidental contamination of their arrival, and while they are not as naval inclined as humans their ships are starting to spread through the Barrier Sea. Jaina fears that the blood elves will never forgive humanity for the genocide, and that this could upset the fragile alliance humanity has made with the other races who would be more inclined to be sympathetic to the elves over humans. Elsewhere on Farahlon are wilds, along independent draenei; coastal lobstrok and murlocs; the Fara, descendants of the Primals; and a dark valley the elves and draenei avoid.