11,900 Years Before the Dark Portal
After Lei Shen's death, the Zandalari kept their distance from the mogu. Though they acknowledged the strategic value of the mogu's arcane knowledge, they were disgusted by the endless clan infighting and deceitful political maneuvering. When it became clear that no mogu faction could establish full dominance, the Zandalari refrained from pledging loyalty to any of them.
Yet they never forgot the promise Lei Shen had made to them: a vast tract of land near the Vale of Eternal Blossoms would forever belong to the trolls. When the Mogu Empire finally collapsed, the Zandalari saw an opportunity to claim what they believed was their rightful inheritance. They did not act immediately. Fierce debate erupted in the Zandalari capital of Zuldazar over whether the territory should be seized through diplomacy or force.
Eventually, a descendant of High Priest Zulathra presented the most compelling argument. His name was Mengazi, an orator and strategist who understood that the pandaren were unlikely to honor the Zandalari's agreement with the mogu. The former slaves had overthrown their masters, and for that reason, they were strong enough to mount fierce resistance if given time to prepare. To successfully claim their land, the trolls would need to strike without warning and with enough force to shatter the pandaren's resolve before they could organize a defense.
With that goal, the trolls moved south, intent on seizing the fertile lands north of Kun-Lai Summit. The Zandalari stormed the main settlement in the region—a peaceful pandaren farming village. Empowered by mystic force and riding massive saurian war mounts, the trolls slaughtered nearly the entire population. The Zandalari ranks then surged into the Jade Forest, the dense woodland that had become the heart of the newly formed pandaren empire.
When news of the invasion reached other pandaren settlements, panic spread. There was no standing army capable of repelling the trolls. In the decades since the slave revolution, the pandaren had chosen to live peacefully, without rigid military structure. They believed the age of domination and oppression had ended. The only remaining combat force was the monk order, tasked by the pandaren emperor with patrolling the Serpent's Spine and combating the mantid swarms that arrived periodically.
Though the monks raced from the Serpent's Spine to defend their land from the trolls, they found themselves outnumbered and outmaneuvered. The trolls employed a form of warfare never seen before: they descended onto the battlefield atop pterrorwing reptiles and giant bats. The pandaren had no means to counter such brutal and coordinated aerial assaults.
Salvation finally came from a young pandaren named Jiang. As a child, he had discovered a baby cloud serpent—a rare sky creature often considered feral—alone and gravely wounded after a violent storm destroyed its nest. At the time, cloud serpents were believed to be wild beasts that could not be tamed. But Jiang nursed it back to health with compassion, forming an unbreakable bond. Villagers often saw them flying together through the skies, a living legend never fully understood.
As the monks battled atop the cliffs of the Jade Forest, Jiang and his serpent companion, Lo, dove from the clouds. Lo's fury and flame shattered the Zandalari ranks, incinerating mounts and forcing the troll forces into retreat. The surprise attack turned the tide of battle. News of the victory spread across the empire, and many pandaren began to follow Jiang's example. They tamed powerful cloud serpents, forming an aerial force their people had never possessed before.
Soon, a small army rose to fight alongside Jiang. These brave pandaren became known as the Order of the Cloud Serpent—an elite group that fused monk martial arts with deadly aerial combat. They became not only symbols of hope, but decisive defenders of pandaren territory against the Zandalari invasion.
The tide of war had turned. The trolls realized they had few options left to achieve victory through conventional means. So Mengazi, descendant of High Priest Zulathra, chose to employ the most dangerous tactic of all: the resurrection of the Thunder King, Lei Shen.
Before his death, Lei Shen had revealed the secret of his revival to the Zandalari. He did not trust his mogu underlings to carry out the ritual should he fall. The trolls knew that if the Thunder King returned, he would possess enough power to annihilate the troublesome serpent riders and crush any ground force that stood in his way. A fierce battle erupted around the Tomb of the Conquerors, where Lei Shen's body lay in ominous silence.
In a final, desperate assault filled with sacrifice, Jiang broke through the Zandalari defenses and succeeded in killing Mengazi. His body was obliterated in a burst of magic unleashed by the troll, but his actions had thwarted the resurrection of the Thunder King. Leaderless and consumed by shame, the Zandalari quickly disbanded and fled back to their homeland. Through his courage and sacrifice, Jiang had saved the empire from unimaginable ruin.
Massive celebrations erupted across the pandaren empire. Yet behind the cheers of victory lay a deep sorrow for the lives lost—especially Jiang. For decades after the conflict, Lo, the cloud serpent who had been Jiang's companion and mount, was seen flying through the skies above the Jade Forest. Its movements seemed to search for the one who was gone, refusing to accept that its rider had fallen.
The other serpent riders honored Jiang by codifying his teachings. Within the Order of the Cloud Serpent, Jiang's tradition of training and forming spiritual bonds with these majestic creatures became the foundation. His teachings endured and were passed down for thousands of years, becoming an eternal legacy that bridged sky and earth.
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15,000–10,000 Years Before the Dark Portal
Before the great war against the aqir erupted, the troll tribes had claimed much of Kalimdor's territory. Groups like the Gurubashi and Amani clashed with one another, fighting over hunting grounds and resource-rich regions—especially those increasingly disturbed by the elves and dwemer.
All three troll tribes were deeply displeased when the elves and dwemer began encroaching on their lands. The trolls' fertile territories, teeming with wildlife, became prime targets. Even their toruk makto—sacred mounts that could only be tamed by spiritual leaders—were captured by the enemy. A prolonged war unfolded over thousands of years, though it never escalated into a full-scale conflict involving the total might of each race.
Yet one troll tribe chose not to engage in the struggle for land and power. Known as the dark trolls, they dwelled in deep cave networks beneath Mount Hyjal. They despised daylight and only emerged from their underground lairs at night. Over time, this nocturnal lifestyle turned their skin from blue to a dusky gray.
The dark trolls valued their independence from the larger troll society. They largely ignored the activities of other tribes and showed little interest in external conflicts. Unlike their cousins, the Gurubashi and Amani, they yearned for a peaceful and spiritual connection with nature. Dark troll mystics often sought ways to merge with the natural world and live in harmony with it. Many gradually migrated toward central Kalimdor, exploring the winding forests at the heart of the continent. There, they encountered elusive creatures like fakri dragons, chimaera, and dryads.
Over time, the dark trolls discovered a massive lake radiating shimmering energy. They came to know it as the Well of Eternity. Enchanted by the power emanating from the spring, they settled along its shores. Generation after generation, the Well's energy seeped into their bodies, elevating their forms to match their graceful spirits. They transformed into beings of great intelligence and near immortality.
These former trolls slowly abandoned their ancient heritage and traditions. The mystics of the tribe began worshipping the moon goddess, Elune, whom they believed was bound to the Well of Eternity itself. They believed the goddess slept in the depths of the spring during the day and rose at night to bless the world with her gentle light.
Through a long spiritual and linguistic process, they discovered the name "Kalimdor" and other words forged by the titans while communicating with Elune and investigating strange artifacts scattered around the Well's edges.
The city of Suramar became the center of night elf worship and the home of the Sisterhood of Elune. This order, composed of female night elves, devoted themselves entirely to the moon goddess. The Sisterhood's priestesses played roles in nearly every aspect of night elf civilization—from spiritual leadership to the defense of their growing territory against external threats.
Influenced by their new language and Elune's teachings, they called themselves kaldorei—"children of the stars," or night elves.
Trees, flowers, and forest creatures quietly watched the night elves multiply, whispering news of them to the Wild Gods of Hyjal. Among these gods, Cenarius—a demigod born of Malorne and Elune—was especially intrigued by the newcomers at the Well's edge. Cenarius had long visited the cities of elves and dwemer, even crossing into Valinor and Middle-earth to study nature magic from the ents and entwives.
Cenarius's true goal was to meet Silmalorë, a man who had turned into a tree. But he never found him. On his journey, he was often accompanied by the Valar, especially Marvis Vermilion and Juvia, who guided him to the sacred places of the ents. So when Cenarius heard of a new race emerging in Kalimdor, he decided to return and see for himself.
The night elves recognized Cenarius as the son of the Great White Stag, Malorne, and Elune. Cenarius revered the night elves and believed they had the potential to become great guardians of nature. He befriended the young race and taught them about the natural world. Cenarius hoped the night elves would strive to live in harmony with the wild.
For centuries, the night elves did just that. They built a graceful society around the Well of Eternity. Their small nation's capital was called Elan'dris, or "Eye of Elune," and it was founded on the edge of the source of power. The night elves deepened their bond with the surrounding forests and their many inhabitants. Cenarius guided them when needed, delighted by their wisdom and the stirring virtue in their hearts.
These night elves also frequently traded with the Dúnedain cities just below Mount Hyjal, as well as with the elves near Uldum and the dwemer settled around Wistfall.
But as time passed, many night elves began to crave a life beyond the harmony with nature they had long upheld. Their fascination with the Well of Eternity turned into obsession. They studied the mysterious energy radiating from the spring with near-fanatical devotion, and from this process emerged a generation of learned sorcerers hungry for knowledge and power. Magic became inseparable from their lives. Crystal-paved roads were built around the lake, grand temples were erected to host rituals and magical experiments, and the power once touched only by mystics now lay at the fingertips of every noble.
The drive to understand and master magic pushed the boundaries of their intellect and became the central force of a new, rising culture. In this era of unprecedented growth emerged the most prolific and influential leader in night elf history: Queen Azshara. Through her unbridled ambition, she elevated her people to extraordinary heights... and sowed the seeds of their downfall.
Queen Azshara
Beautiful and wise beyond her years, Azshara embodied the most coveted traits of the night elf nobility. She pursued the study of magic with extraordinary intensity and built a breathtaking gem-studded palace at the edge of the Well of Eternity. There, the most powerful nobles—who would later be known as the quel'dorei, or "Highborne"—gathered to answer her every summons.
The Highborne were exceptionally gifted and ambitious sorcerers. Some, like Lady Vashj, served as loyal and admiring handmaidens to the queen. Others, like Lord Xavius, became Azshara's chief advisors in matters of governance and imperial strategy. Regardless of their specific roles, all Highborne occupied the highest echelon of night elf society. They held a firm belief in their superiority over the rest of their race—a conviction that stirred resentment and jealousy among the "lower-class" night elves.
But such scorn did not apply to Azshara herself. Though born of the highest noble lineage, night elves from all walks of life adored her unconditionally. So captivated were they by the queen's charm and power that they renamed their magnificent capital Zin-Azshari, or "Glory of Azshara," as the highest form of tribute.
Under Azshara's leadership, night elf civilization blossomed into a vast and majestic empire—a dreamscape of golden spires, sprawling cities, and architectural wonders that would never again be seen, even in modern times. A network of radiant thoroughfares, bordered by Elune's silver light, stretched from the heart of the empire to the farthest corners of Kalimdor.
By Azshara's command, expeditionary forces were dispatched to explore the world and expand the empire's borders. They often returned to Zin-Azshari bearing exotic flora and fauna, along with tales of mystical dragon flocks ruling the skies and mountains. The expeditions also established dozens of outposts and storage sites, such as Shandaral in the cold northern forests of Moonsong, Then'Ralore in the lush central wilds (later known as the Barrens), and Eldre'Thalas in the southern woods of Feralas. The queen herself oversaw the construction of a new and stunning temple to Elune, complete with gem-encrusted bridges and shimmering lakes along Kalimdor's western edge. Once completed, she named the enchanting place Lathar 'Lazal, or "Throne of the Sky."
Since the fall of the ancient Black Empire, no territory had ever been so vast and so meticulously structured. Azshara's influence over the world and its inhabitants even surpassed Lei Shen's wildest dreams of absolute power.
Yet there was one region Azshara and her forces always avoided: Mount Hyjal. The spirits and demigods that roamed its primeval forests unsettled the queen. She knew well that Hyjal lay beyond the reach of her rule—even her influence. The land was rich with ancient magic, wild, untamable, and unchanged—all of which clashed with her vision of a new Kalimdor, orderly and bent to her will. Publicly, Azshara forbade expansion into Hyjal under the pretense of honoring the night elves' ancient bond with the forest. But in truth, she despised the mountain and everything its harmony represented.
Azshara's view of Hyjal did not escape Cenarius's notice. With growing unease, he watched the night elf kingdom evolve in a direction he had never hoped for. Year after year, he grew more frustrated with the arrogance and reckless behavior of the Highborne sorcerers. The majority of night elf society still respected the old ways of communion with the wild. The fact that they continued to live in harmony with nature warmed Cenarius's heart, but he knew they held no sway over Azshara and her prideful followers.
As time passed, the night elves began to shun diplomacy and disregard other cultures across Azeroth. Azshara's dogmatic belief in racial purity seeped into the soul of her people, creating an atmosphere thick with xenophobia and cultural supremacy. The empire, once built on beauty and wisdom, began to show signs of deep fracture—a fracture that would change the course of world history forever.