| Outland | |
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 Outland as seen on the world map | |
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Orc |
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Outland is the shattered floating remnants of the destroyed world of Draenor, the homeworld of the Orcs and refuge of the Draenei. After the sundering of Draenor, Outland was thrown partially towards the Twisting Nether, and is now in a constant state of degradation. It became the domain of the pit lord Magtheridon, who was eventually deposed and replaced by Illidan Stormrage until his death at the Black Temple.
History[]
Outland was created when Draenor became the focus of an attack, via the Dark Portal, of an Alliance expedition aiming to end the orcish threat to Azeroth once and for all. In the midst of the ensuing battle, the elder shaman Ner'zhul attempted to allow the remaining orcs on Draenor to escape to other worlds by opening other dimensional portals; however the presence of so many portals tore the planet apart, launching torn fragments of the former world towards the Twisting Nether, and the barely-habitable remnants were renamed Outland. Most life on Draenor was wiped out in the explosion, and the surviving continent was drastically reshaped; most of the remaining wildlife became sickly or corrupt. Due to the planet's destruction, the barriers between Draenor and the Twisting Nether collapsed, and the shredded reality left open paths to all various corners of the cosmos. Outland had become one of the most important strategic places. Many of Ner'zhul's portals were permanently open and the world now acted as a crossroads for any force that wished to travel quickly from one end of the universe to the other Despite this plenty of the species on the planet survived, with some even being transformed by the creation of Outland.
Some time after a pit lord named Magtheridon rallied the surviving orcs (with the exception of the Mag'har) and took control of Outland. Using the remaining dimensional gates, he drew demons from the rest of the Twisting Nether to aid him.
The night elf demon Illidan Stormrage and many of the naga and blood elves fled to Outland and succeeded in defeating Magtheridon and conquering the wasteland. After their defeat in Northrend at the hands of Prince Arthas, they returned and established permanent settlements there.
Most draenei that remained in Outland have become horribly mutated, and bear only a passing resemblance to their former selves.
Since then, both the forces of the Light and the Shadow have realized Outland's usefulness. It can serve as a launching pad for the invasions of the Burning Legion, or as the staging ground to the forces who fight against the Legion. In response, both the naaru and the Legion have sent their agents to secure the world for their own purposes.
Now, the Alliance and the Horde must battle the forces of the maddened Illidan and the murderous followers of the Legion to safeguard Azeroth from Kil'jaeden's Burning Crusade.
Plant life still flourishes in places such as Sylvanaar in Blade's Edge Mountains and the Cenarion Thicket in Terokkar Forest. The main base of the Cenarion Circle's expedition is from Cenarion Refuge in Zangarmarsh.
Years later, Xaraax imprisoned Greydon Thorne somewhere on Outland.
Warlords[]
Archmage Vargoth says that the current state of Outland is constantly degrading.
Third Legion Invasion[]
Kor'vas Bloodthorn and an Order Hall leader clashed with the forces of Highlord Kruul at the Stair of Destiny.
The Burning Legion and the champions of Azeroth briefly clashed in the Arcatraz during the offensive on Argus.
Blood War[]
When Varok Saurfang was talking with Thrall in his friend's new home in Nagrand, he spoke about how good the world looked. But that it felt wrong, as Outland was broken and falling apart. After Varok touched Nagrand's grain, it crumbled.
Regions[]
Hellfire Peninsula[]
The fate of many an adventurer in Hellfire's cruel wastes. (Art by the talented Sidharth Chaturvedi)
Formerly known as the lush Tanaan Jungle, Hellfire Peninsula is a barren wasteland corrupted by fel energies, and is reminiscent of the damage done to the Black Morass, now known as the Blasted Lands. Even after Draenor's sundering, it remains mostly intact although some parts may be seen floating around in the form of small islands. It is the location of the Dark Portal, although in recent times it has been rendred inactive due to the Azeroth portal being hijacked by the Iron Horde for their invasion. Portals to Stormwind City and Orgrimmar remain active there.
The fort of Honor Hold was founded by the remnants of the Alliance Expedition to Draenor, and it still stands today. Across the Path of Glory is the more recent fortification of Thrallmar, founded by forces of the New Horde during the War in Outlands. Hellfire Citadel remains abandoned in the heart of the region to this day.
Terokkar Forest[]
The Terokkar Forest, once known as Talador, is a forest located to the west of the Shadowmoon Valley and to the east of Nagrand. Renamed after the Arakkoa god Terokk, it was once a beautiful forest of red and orange olemba trees that left the entire region in an everlasting autumn. The Draenei city of Shattrath was found in the heart of Talador. When the orcs invaded, the fel magics corrupted the forest, turning it a pale, sickly green and transforming into a dark, eerie woodland. After the conquest of Talador, they performed a ritual at the Draenei holy mausoleum of Auchindoun, destroying the entire building and much of the surrounding area and transforming it into the wastelands known as the Bone Wastes.
Shattrath has since been partially restored, but it is still a shell of its former glory. It is home to the Naaru and Sha'tari, along with their allies of the ancient Draenei priest order of the Aldor and the Blood Elven Scryers, those who deserted Kael'thas Sunstrider. The Alliance fort of Allerian Stronghold and the Horde stronghold of Stonebreaker Hold stand near the Bone Wastes to this day.
The Zangarmarsh[]
Once known as the Zangar Sea, Zangarmarsh is a large swamp covered with giant mushrooms located to the west of the Hellfire Peninsula. Before the shattering of Draenor, several marshes could be found along the shores of the sea. Although the tranquil land mostly managed to evade demonic corruption, the naga of Lady Vashj had caused the water levels of the region to lower to dangerous levels as they gathered it, taking it to the Coilfang Reservoir below Serpent Lake in the heart of the marsh. An inactive dimensional gateway can be found deep in the western regions of the marsh, once used by the pit lord Magtheridon's forces before it was shut down by Illidan Stormrage.
The Cenarion Circle Expedition to Draenor's main base of operations, the Cenarion Refuge is located near the entry to the Hellfire Peninsula. The Draenei settlement of Telredor is found atop one of the many giant mushrooms of the region to the east of Serpent Lake while the Troll settlement of Zabra'jin is deeper within the marsh.
Nagrand[]
Nagrand is the last unscarred region in Outland. It is the ancestral home of the orcs and the heart of early orcish shamanism. Today it is a fertile retreat where elementals commune with mortals on a regular basis. Marauding ogres from the Blade's Edge Mountains, meaning to claim the territory as their own, currently pose the greatest threat to this unspoiled reserve.
Shadowmoon Valley[]
Shadowmoon Valley is found in southeastern Outland, east of Terokkar Forest. It is the location of the Black Temple (where Illidan Stormrage resides), and also houses a dwarven settlement named after (and led by) Kurdran Wildhammer, as well as the prison where Illidan's former jailor, Maiev Shadowsong, is held captive. It is one of the darkest, bleakest and most fel-affected regions in the Warcraft-universe, second only to Argus. The sky is always black and ghastly yellow, lightened up by the never-ceasing rain of infernals.
The Shadowed Sea[]
The Shadowed Sea, also known as the Tanaan Channel, was a gulf of the Devouring Sea found between the Shadowmoon Valley and Hellfire Peninsula, once the Tanaan Jungle.
The Devouring Sea[]
The Devouring Sea, also known as the Barrier Sea, was Draenor's equivalent to Azeroth's Great Sea. It was destroyed in the shattering of Draenor, although the shape of the coastline remains with the water replaced by the Twisting Nether. The last visible vestiges can be seen at the Kirin'Var village port in the Netherstorm.
The Blade's Edge Mountains[]
The harsh winds that rip through the canyons of Blade's Edge have, over time, worn the bordering escarpments into menacing, dagger-like spikes that lend the region to its name. This foreboding realm is also the homeland of the brutish ogres, who wage constant, fierce battles against one another to gain the favor of their merciless gronn masters.
The Netherstorm[]
The Netherstorm, once the lush fields of Farhalon is an area in northeastern Draenor consisting of several large fragments of land and rock floating about in the Twisting Nether. The land is slowly tearing itself apart, constantly deteriorating itself. It was deteriorating itself even more during the time when Kael'thas Sunstrider's forces had set up manaforges in the region, siphoning mana from the Twisting Nether and making the land even more unstable.
Since the shattering of Draenor, the ground has taken a purple hue that supports no vegetation other than netherbloom. The area can only be reached by land through a goblin-built bridge linking it to the Blade's Edge Mountains, and the goblin outpost of Area 52 is found further down the road from the mountains.
Brokenrock Mountains[]
The Brokenrock Mountains were a set of mountains in Draenor that were valued by orcish chieftains during the Second War for their high amounts of gold ore. They towered above the fetid swamps of Draenor. The gold was often sought after by the clans to fuel their war machines, although an old pact granted each member of the Horde equal access to the valuable riches in the mountains. However, some chieftains occasionally attempted to take the mountain range for themselves. They were destroyed during the shattering of Draenor.
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