Ever since I started loving World of Warcraft, I have always wanted to know the history of the game, and I finally found out today.
Ten thousand years before the war broke out between humans and orcs, the world of Azeroth had only one huge landmass surrounded by boundless oceans. This continent was called Kalimdor. Many different races and creatures live on this land, fighting against the harsh natural environment. In the center of this dark continent is a lake full of mysterious energy. This lake - which was later called the Well of Eternity - is the source of magic and natural energy for the entire world. While absorbing energy from the boundless darkness outside this world, the Well of Eternity continuously releases its energy to the entire world, providing nutrition for all kinds of creatures in the world.
I don't know since when, a primitive tribe composed of nocturnal humanoid creatures cautiously settled next to this charming lake. These wild, nomadic humanoid creatures were attracted by the mysterious energy of the Well of Eternity and built simple houses by the lake. Over time, the harmonious energy of the Well of Eternity had an impact on this strange tribe, making them strong, smart, and almost immortal. The name of this tribe is the Kaldorei, which means "sons of the stars." In order to celebrate the continuous development and growth of the tribe, they built tall buildings and temples around the Well of Eternity.
The Kaldorei—the race later known as the night elves
—believed in the moon goddess Elune and believed that the goddess would sleep at the bottom of the Well of Eternity every day. The early night elves, necromancers and prophets, studied the Well of Eternity with great caution, hoping to understand its secrets and power. As the night elf society gradually grew, they began to explore the unknown continent of Kalimdor and met many of their compatriots. The only thing that can stop them from exploring is the ancient and powerful dragon. Although these giant beasts are usually reclusive creatures, they will do their best to protect some mysterious places. The night elves believe that dragons are the protectors of the world, and it is best not to infringe on them and the secrets they guard.
The night elves' constant exploration enabled them to encounter many powerful
creatures and become friends with them. One of them is the demigod Narius, the patron saint of the primeval forest. The great Cenarius was friendly to the curious night elves and spent much of his time teaching them about the natural world. The night elves have established a good relationship with the vibrant forests and enjoy a harmonious natural balance.
After a long, long time, the civilization of the night elves has made great progress in both territory and culture. Their temples, roads, and settlements are spread across Kalimdor. Azshara, the beautiful queen of the night elves, built a magnificent palace next to the Well of Eternity to house her favored servants. These high elves are obedient to the queen and consider themselves nobler than their fellow humans. Although Queen Azshara is loved by all her people, many people hate the Highborne. Azshara, like other mages, had a strong curiosity about the secrets of the Well of Eternity, and she ordered the learned high elves to unlock its secrets and reveal its true purpose. The Highborne studied the Well of Eternity day and night, and eventually they discovered a method that allowed them to harness and control the Well's powerful energy. As their experiments progressed, the high elves discovered that they could use this newfound power to create or destroy at will. The high elves decided to completely master these powerful magics. Although they knew the disastrous consequences of improper use of magic, Azshara and the upper elves still began reckless magic experiments.Cenarius and many senior night elf scholars warned that joking about the vagaries of magical energy would only lead to disaster, but Azshara and her followers remained stubbornly determined to increase their own power. As their energy increased, Azshara and the Highborne experienced obvious changes - the arrogant and indifferent Highborne Night Elves became increasingly harsh and cruel to their people. Azshara covered her face with a black veil, began to alienate her people, and refused to associate with anyone except the high elves she trusted. After spending a lot of time studying the Well of Eternity, the young night elf Malfurion Stormrage believed that a terrible force had corrupted the high elves and his beloved queen. Although he could not imagine what kind of evil would come, he knew that the life of the night elves would be changed forever... The high elves' unrestrained use of magic caused the magic fluctuations of the Well of Eternity to spread into the boundless dark universe and spread to the Twisting Nether, and was eventually felt by the demons entrenched there. Sargoras - the mortal enemy of all life and the avenger of the world - sensed this powerful magical wave and found its source. After observing the world of Azeroth and feeling the infinite energy of the Well of Eternity, Sargeras eagerly desired to possess it all. He wanted to destroy the world and take its energy for himself.
Sargeras gathered his demonic army, the Burning Legion, and began to march towards Azeroth. The Burning Legion is composed of millions of roaring demons. They come from all corners of the universe, and their thoughts are all burning with the desire to conquer. Sargeras' lieutenants - Archimonde the Defiler and Mannoroth the Destroyer - were ready to lead their minions on the attack. Exhausted by her powerful magical energy, Queen Aesra became Sargeras's first victim. She agreed to provide him with an entrance into the world of Azeroth. Even her servants gave up their pursuit of magic and worshiped Sargeras as a god. In order to show their loyalty to the Burning Legion, they assisted the Queen in opening a huge, swirling portal in the Well of Eternity - the so-called "entrance". After everything was prepared, Sargeras began his devastating invasion of Azeroth. The demons of the Burning Legion emerged from the Well of Eternity and launched a sudden attack on the night elf city. Under the leadership of Archimonde and Mannoroth, the Burning Legion swept across the continent of Kalimdor, destroying everything they went. Demon sorcerers summon scorching hellfire from the sky, which crashes like meteorites into the elegant temples of the night elves. The Doomguard marched across the wilds of Kalimdor, slaughtering everything they saw. The furious hellhound ran rampant through the countryside without encountering any resistance. Although the brave night elves quickly organized to fight to defend their ancient homeland, they could only retreat in the face of the unstoppable Burning Legion. Malfurion Stormrage now took on the task of seeking help for his besieged brethren. His brother Illidan had learned the magic of the highborne, but he left them because he was angry at the corruption that gradually grew among the upper classes. Convinced that Illidan had given up his pursuit of such power, Malfurion set out to find Cenarius and form a resistance army. The young and beautiful priestess Tyrande agreed to accompany the two brothers in the name of the moon goddess Elune. Although both Malfurion and Illidan loved the beautiful priestess, Tyrande's heart belonged only to Malfurion.Illidan was very jealous of his brother's love with Tyrande, but he knew that this sadness was nothing compared to the pain caused to him by his addiction to magic... Illidan had a great dependence on magical energy. He suffered great pain all the time in order to restrain his strong desire to re-absorb the magical energy from the Well of Eternity. Despite this, with Tyrande's patient help, he was still able to maintain enough sanity to assist his brother in finding the reclusive demigod Cenarius. In the moonglade in the distant mountains of Hyjal, they found Cenarius who settled here. Cenarius decided to help the night elves find the ancient dragons and seek their help. The dragons led by the red dragon Alexstrasza agreed to send their powerful dragons to fight against the demons and their leader. Calling upon the spirits of the forest, Cenarius rallied an army of ancient treants and led them in a daring assault on the Legion. The night elves' allies gathered around the Well of Eternity and Azshara's temple to prepare for battle. Despite the power of these new allies, Malfurion and his companions realized that military force alone could not defeat the Legion.
When a battle of unprecedented scale began in Azshara's capital, the bewildered queen was still quietly waiting for Sargeras' arrival. The leader of the Burning Legion was preparing to cross the Well of Eternity and come to this ravaged world. When his huge shadow appeared under the turbulent waters of the Well of Eternity, Xavius, the Queen's most favored counselor, summoned the most powerful high elves. Only by concentrating their magical energy together can they open a portal huge enough to allow Sargeras to successfully enter the world of Azeroth.
After confirming that the Well of Eternity was the gateway that allowed demons to enter the world, Malfurion insisted that it should be destroyed. His companions were stunned by his crazy idea - the Well of Eternity was their source of longevity and strength. But Tyrande knew this was a wise decision, so she asked Cenarius and the dragons to destroy Azshara's temple and find a way to close the portal to the Well of Eternity. Illidan knew that the destruction of the Well of Eternity would prevent him from drawing magical energy from it, so he selfishly betrayed his compatriots and went to inform the high elves. Due to his thirst for magical energy and jealousy of Malfurion, Illidan felt no compunction about betraying his brother Thread. Regardless, Illidan vowed to protect the Well of Eternity's energy at all costs. Malfurion was heartbroken by Illidan's betrayal. He led his companions deep into the Temple of Azshara. When they broke into the main hall of the temple, the high elves were chanting their last dark spells, which created a huge vortex deep in the Well of Eternity. As Sargerath's massive shadow emerged from the water, Malfurion and his companions attacked.
But Queen Azshara, who had received Illidan's warning, was already prepared for this. Almost all of Malfurion's companions were killed by the queen. Tyrande tried to attack the Queen from behind, but the Queen's guards stopped her. Although Tyrande defeated the guards, she was also severely wounded. Malfurion watched his lover fall, and in a rage, he vowed to end Azshara's life.
When the war inside and outside the temple was raging, Illidan appeared by the lake of the Well of Eternity. He brought several specially treated bottles
and filled them with the sparkling lake water. He knew the demons would destroy the night elves' civilization, so he stole some of the holy water and took its power for himself. The fierce battle between Malfurion and Azshara threw the high elves' spells into chaos. The vortex in the Well of Eternity eventually exploded, triggering a series of catastrophes.The huge explosion shook the foundations of the temple and caused powerful earthquakes across the continent.
While the Burning Legion and the night elves continued their bloody battle
, the turbulent Well of Eternity collapsed.
The strong earthquake caused by the explosion of the Well of Eternity destroyed the world's skeleton, and seawater roared into the cracks in the continent. Nearly eighty percent of Kalimdor's landmass was torn apart, leaving only a few fragmented continents surrounding the newly formed ocean. At the center of the New Sea - where the Well of Eternity once stood - is a huge whirlpool of chaotic energy. This terrible scar is called the Maelstrom, and it spins crazily and never stops. This is the relic of that great catastrophe, and it also means the end of an ideal era... And this unprecedented war was also called the ancient war by later generations.
