Although the offer
sounded very
tempting, Velen had
a vision of the
future that filled
him with sick dread.
Sargeras had spoken
the truth: the
eredar who joined
the Dark Titan would
indeed gain enormous
power and knowledge.
However, the eredar
would themselves be
transformed into
demons.
Velen saw the Legion
in all its terrible
might and witnessed
the destruction it
would wreak upon all
of creation. He
hastened to warn
Kil'jaeden and
Archimonde, but they
dismissed his
concerns, for they
had been enticed by
Sargeras' promises.
They gave Sargeras
their allegiance and
were transformed
into colossal beings
of depthless evil.
The sheer power that
Sargeras commanded
made direct
opposition
unthinkable. Velen
nearly despaired,
but his prayer for
help was overheard.
A being came to
Velen and explained
that it was one of
the naaru, a race of
sentient energy
beings bent on
stopping the Burning
Crusade. The naaru
offered to take
Velen and any other
like-minded eredar
to safety.
Deeply relieved,
Velen gathered the
other eredar who had
thus far refused to
join Sargeras.
Naming themselves
the draenei, or
"exiled ones" in the
Eredun language, the
renegades barely
escaped from Argus,
with the Burning
Legion only moments
behind. Kil'jaeden
was furious with
what he felt was
Velen's betrayal,
and the demon vowed
to hunt Velen and
the rest of the
draenei to the ends
of the cosmos if
need be.
The Legion chased
the draenei for many
thousands of years.
The draenei visited
many worlds and
explored much of the
known cosmos in
their quest to find
safe harbor. Still
the Legion would not
give up its pursuit.
Meanwhile, the
enigmatic naaru race
blessed the draenei
with Light-given
knowledge and power.
The naaru explained
that there were
other forces in the
cosmos that would
stand against the
Burning Legion. One
day the naaru would
forge them into a
single unstoppable
army of the Light.
Deeply affected by
the naaru's words,
the draenei vowed to
honor the Light and
uphold the naaru's
altruistic ideals.
At last Velen and
his draenei settled
upon a remote and
peaceful world that
seemed an ideal
refuge. They named
it Draenor, or
"Exiles' Refuge",
and there they
quietly cultivated
their society once
again. Ever wary of
being discovered
again by
Kil'jaeden's forces,
Velen and his
mystics kept their
magics hidden for
generations.
In time the draenei
met and befriended
the shamanistic orc
clans that already
lived in the
tranquil southern
grasslands of
Nagrand. Aside from
engaging in some
limited trade, the
draenei and orcs
regarded one another
with respect but
kept mostly to
themselves.
In spite of the
draenei's caution,
Kil'jaeden
discovered their
secret refuge on
Draenor. He learned
more of the world
and its inhabitants,
and he grew
intrigued by the
mighty orc race. A
plan unfolded in his
mind, and the demon
lord began to laugh.
He could see
precisely how to
mold the orcs into
the instrument of
his wrath. It was
merely a matter of
time and pressure.
And so Kil'jaeden
began to corrupt the
orcs, first through
the elderly shaman
Ner'zhul, and then
through his
apprentice, Gul'dan.
The orc clans
dedicated themselves
to the art of war
and joined to form a
single, murderous
Horde. Even the
wisest shaman
learned warlock
magics and abandoned
the teachings they
had once revered.
Smoothly manipulated
from a state of wary
acceptance into
blind rage and
bloodlust, the orcs
attacked the
draenei. This bloody
conflict lasted
nearly eight years,
but the orcs'
triumph was
inevitable. The
draenei were mighty
due to their
Light-given powers,
but the
demon-maddened Horde
was mightier still.
The orcs killed over
eighty percent of
the draenei race and
sent the rest
fleeing for safety
to the remote
corners of the
world.
Afterwards, draenei
who had fought the
Horde and survived
found that they had
been affected by the
fel energies wielded
so freely by the orc
warlocks. These
draenei have since
mutated into lesser
forms, resulting in
a series of
subspecies. The
Broken and the Lost
Ones (as seen above)
are two such genetic
offshoots. Their
warped bodies bear
only a rough
resemblance to the
proud draenei they
once were, and quite
a few have lost
their grip on
sanity. . . .
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