World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 (30 page)

T
he growth and prosperity experienced by Arathor was due in large part to magi and the protection they offered settlers. Even so, private distrust of sorcerers festered among the general populace. Over time, dissent and superstition grew, igniting tensions between magic users and the rest of society. Most magi withdrew from cities and towns, angry at being subjected to what they saw as baseless paranoia.

Dalaran’s ruler, Ardogan, invited many of these disgruntled magi to his city. There, he proclaimed, they could live free of prejudice. Many of these magi answered Ardogan’s call and settled in Dalaran. When the first group of these sorcerers arrived, they decided to remake the city into a glorious center of knowledge. Using their great powers, the magi expanded Dalaran in size and scope. They raised gleaming spires throughout the city and constructed vast libraries and repositories of arcane wonders.

Ardogan and the most powerful of these newly arrived magi formed a magocracy to govern the burgeoning city. This ruling body encouraged the study and practice of arcane arts. As word of Dalaran spread, magi from across Arathor began to see it as a symbol of hope and freedom.

Within a few years, Dalaran exploded in population. Though only a small percentage of residents could wield the arcane, the protection they offered allowed trade and industry to grow unimpeded. Crime was virtually nonexistent. The dangers of the wild were largely forgotten.

But this unchecked spellcasting had disastrous consequences.

The reckless use of magic began tearing through the fabric of reality in the region. Dalaran’s magi were unaware that waves of arcane energy billowed out from the city and into the
Twisting Nether. These tides of power drew the attention of scattered demons belonging to the
Burning Legion. A small number of these demons slipped into the physical world, infiltrating Dalaran itself. Though these creatures were weak and usually alone, they succeeded in sowing chaos and terrorizing the peaceful city.

The magocracy struggled to deal with these demonic intrusions while also keeping them a secret from the public. More and more, the city’s rulers feared that if the superstitious populace learned
the truth, they would panic and riot. Eventually, the magocracy sought help from beyond the city’s walls. The ruling magi sent an urgent request to the
high elves of
Quel’Thalas. The humans hoped that the elves, in their infinite wisdom, might understand how to deal with the sudden influx of demons.

The ruling body in Quel’Thalas, the
Council of Silvermoon, immediately dispatched the high elves’ greatest magi to investigate. They determined that only a few demons had crossed into the physical world, but the magi knew that this was merely the beginning. The problem would grow worse unless the magocracy placed limits on humans’ use of magic.

Many of Dalaran’s leaders rejected the high elves’ recommendation. Magi had come to the city because they could freely practice their arcane arts. Restricting them would result in a number of detrimental effects. At best, most of the brightest magi would leave and continue their arcane studies elsewhere. At worst, Dalaran’s entire economy would collapse, sparking a revolt and scattering the magi to the far corners of the land. One way or another, the use of arcane magic would continue, be it within Dalaran’s walls or without. No matter what happened, the threat posed by the Burning Legion would always exist.

Having agreed that they could not prohibit the use of magic, the Council of Silvermoon and the magocracy of Dalaran decided on another solution. Together, they formed a clandestine order to deal with the demonic invaders. This new group met within a secret grove in
Tirisfal Glades to discuss its work, and it became known as the Council of Tirisfal. The order’s gifted members would be responsible for tracking and banishing the Legion’s agents wherever they might be found across the land. The magi would also quietly educate other magi about the dangers of reckless spell-weaving.

F
or decades, the first members of the Council of Tirisfal discreetly tracked down and banished any demons they could find. When facing extraordinarily powerful foes, the council’s members would channel their abilities into a single individual, who would act as a solitary vessel of their power for a short time.

Empowering a single champion was a dangerous ritual. As such, it was only done in rare and dire circumstances. The council members would have to be in close proximity to perform the ritual, leaving them vulnerable. The massive influx of energies also had the potential to destroy the appointed champions. Yet if they survived, they could overwhelm even the Burning Legion’s mightiest agents. Despite the risks, the Council of Tirisfal used this empowering technique to great effect for many years.

But everything changed when a
dreadlord named
Kathra’natir infiltrated Dalaran. This cunning demon stalked the city’s beautiful spires, spreading his poison through the hearts and minds of the populace. Terrible plagues gripped Dalaran. As the affliction spread, a veil of paranoia enveloped the city.

Upon investigating these phenomena, the Council of Tirisfal discovered and confronted Kathra’natir. The gifted magi found themselves outmatched by the demon. Seeing no other
recourse, they moved to empower a high elf named
Aertin Brighthand as their champion. Aertin hurled himself against Kathra’natir, wielding the council’s combined might as his own.

It was here that Kathra’natir turned the council’s greatest strength to his own advantage. Rather than face the champion directly, the demon struck out at the order’s members. With their energies in Brighthand’s control, they could not defend themselves. Kathra’natir’s shadowy assault disrupted the connection between the council members and Aertin. This in turn weakened the champion’s powers, until eventually he fell to the demon. Only the desperate intervention of a young half-elf named
Alodi spared the council from total annihilation.

The wary council rallied for another battle, but this time as individual magi with no champion to focus their strength. Kathra’natir reveled in the council’s disarray, easily thwarting his adversaries.

The defeat shattered the Council of Tirisfal’s confidence and hope. The magi knew that they could not overcome Kathra’natir as individuals, nor could they rely on their empowerment ritual.

In this dark moment, Alodi and his allies discovered a new way to wield their power. No longer would the council members need to be present for the battle. Through a complex ritual, they could
permanently
grant someone a portion of their power. Alodi was the first to undergo this experimental technique. When the ritual proved successful, he declared himself not the council’s champion but its Guardian.

The newly empowered Alodi faced and struck down Kathra’natir, banishing the dreadlord back to the roaring depths of the
Twisting Nether. Hailed as a hero, Alodi would serve as the first
Guardian of Tirisfal. He used his great powers to prolong his life, and for a hundred years he hunted down the Legion’s minions. At the end of his century of service, Alodi gave up his power voluntarily, choosing to live out the remainder of his days in peace and tranquility.

So began the tradition of the Guardian. Every century, a new mage would arise to dedicate his or her life to safeguarding Azeroth. The magi chosen to wield the council’s might would demonstrate their humility and commitment to peace by giving up their tremendous power after a hundred years.

For more than a millennium, an unprecedented era of prosperity reigned across the whole of Azeroth. Though conflict and suffering could not be entirely eradicated, the Guardians ensured that no demonic intruders would harm the world. As these noble individuals waged their lonely secret war against the Legion, Dalaran continued to serve as one of the world’s foremost centers of arcane knowledge and research.

F
ar to the south of Dalaran, the ancient vault of
Uldaman lay darkened and silent. Ages ago,
Ironaya and Keeper
Archaedas had gone into hibernation. Many of the mecha
gnomes who had once watched over Uldaman’s machineries had departed as well after being afflicted by the
curse of flesh. But a handful of these faithful clockwork servants had remained. Their once-resilient forms gradually succumbed to the degradations of time. They broke down and died out until only one was left.

Although this lone
mechagnome did her best to maintain Uldaman, much of the stronghold fell into disrepair. Soon, the curse of flesh began to chip away at her metallic form. The affliction eventually transformed her into a gnome, and she grew old and close to death. Aware that she did not have much time left, the gnome worked to free the
earthen hibernating deep within Uldaman. She could not bear the thought that when she passed, they would be abandoned forever in the vault’s deadened halls.

With her dying breath, the gnome activated the earthen’s hibernation chambers. The chambers stirred to life. The
titan-forged slumbering within awoke to a new world … and a new destiny.

These awakened earthen discovered that they had changed dramatically. The curse of flesh had taken its toll, transforming them into creatures of flesh and blood—creatures who would call themselves
dwarves.

Still groggy from their years of slumber, the dwarves stumbled from the broken halls of Uldaman and emerged onto the surface of the world. They found themselves drawn to the west, where a range of majestic stone mountains towered into the clouds. Much like the gnomes who had left Uldaman centuries ago, the dwarves were forced to contend with the savage beasts that prowled the land. Yet whereas the gnomes had used their ingenuity to overcome these threats, the dwarves relied on their resilience and natural physical strength. Eventually, they reached the mountains they had seen on the western horizon, and they settled in the snowy region of Dun Morogh.

Although the curse of flesh had diminished their memories, the dwarves still held faint ties to their titan-forged heritage. Inspired by these recollections of the past, they named their new home
Khaz Modan
, or “Mountain of Khaz,” in honor of the titan shaper
Khaz’goroth. The dwarves retained a natural affinity to stoneworking and mining as well. They delved into the heart of Khaz Modan’s tallest mountain and crafted an immense forge. Around it, the dwarves built a proud city called
Ironforge. This would become the seat of their new home, a great and mighty nation that would stretch deep under the mountains.

As the dwarves set out to mine Khaz Modan’s mountains and expand their holdings, they discovered the gnomes dwelling in the nearby caverns. The people of Ironforge were enthralled by the ingenuity and techno-savvy of their diminutive neighbors. The dwarves also sensed a natural kinship with the gnomes, due in large part to their shared titan-forged ancestry.

The dwarves imparted their knowledge of stoneworking and construction to the gnomes, helping them lay the foundations of a wondrous city that would later be called
Gnomeregan. In turn, the gnomes taught the dwarves engineering and science, introducing much needed efficiency and advancements to Ironforge. Although the gnomes and dwarves would largely keep to themselves in the centuries that followed, they had formed an unbreakable bond and would aid each other in times of need.