Ask a Lore Nerd: The Burning Legion and equal opportunity corruption
Welcome to Ask a Lore Nerd, where each week Alex Ziebart answers your quests about the lore in the World of Warcraft. If you have any questions, no matter how big or small they might be, ask them in the comments section below and we'll try to answer it in a future edition.
After a brief BlizzCon-inspired hiatus, Ask a Lore Nerd is back! Let's get started with Grimgore's question...
I was wondering if there was anything in the lore that implies that demonic blood could empower any races other than orcs? And if not, what is it about orcs that makes them so susceptible to demonic taint? Does that imply some sort of common ancestry?
Right in World of Warcraft we see other races being empowered with demonic energy/blood. It's not just Orcs. Satyrs were once Night Elves (or Highborne, or Kaldorei), and I'm sure you've seen what happens to Blood Elves when they drink in the demon juice. The horned, winged elves you see in Magisters' Terrace, Sunwell Plateau, and the Throne of Kil'jaeden. They're not all specifically caused by drinking demon blood, but it's the same idea, really.
I think it's safe to say that all races across all worlds are susceptible to demonic taint. It just depends on who is willing to give into it or not. We all know how the Orcs drank the blood the first time. The first satyrs came about during the War of the Ancients, when the Elves weren't exactly in a good spot. Now we're seeing it with the Blood Elves, during a major civil war within what little remains of their civilization. You might even be able to count the Eredar here, too, with the current Eredar being the demonically charged version of what the Draenei used to be. It's just a matter of who gives in to the temptation, I think. They don't really worry about race here.
Ian R. said...
I had a question about Frostmourne's origin. All the lore seems to be from after Arthas picked it up, but where did it come from? And how come it is so Eeeevviill?
It was originally suggested that Ner'zhul himself forged the sword, but that's highly unlikely. Everything since then has stated that the Legion had a hand in the creation of the sword, so there you go. Is there anything the Legion does that isn't evil?
Anyuska said...
I've got a question that a lore guy could come up with. Is there a lore based reason why Tauren can't become priests? I think it's a little silly considering that zombies can heal themselves and others and Trolls, whom are supposedly not the smartest folks around, can do this as well.
It has nothing to do with how smart you are, so the bit about the Trolls is irrelevant. It's all about faith and beliefs. The Tauren belief system is not at all based in worshiping deities or calling upon them in any way. They revere the Earth Mother, sure, but the Earth Mother is nothing like Elune or the Light, for example.
They do have Druids and Shaman because that's how they roll. They're down with nature, the elements, all that jazz. They have no gods they worship, no higher powers beyond that. Forsaken and Trolls do have those things.
Jason asked...
I was wondering whether any lore was ever attributed to the Revenant that guarded Frostmourne. He (if it was a he) seems like a pretty compelling character, given that most undead entities are either in league with the Lich King, or at least not overly concerned about the fate of the living. And yet, this Revenant selflessly decided to guard living beings against the Lich King's soul-stealing blade. Any ideas?
I don't believe anything has been stated about that specific revenant, but revenants are described as undead (spirits, likely) that have bonded with elementals. In some sources, anyway. Manual of Monsters says they're simply elementals, but we'll go with the undead/elemental fusion thing.
Revenants are mostly independent. They're not under the Lich King's control at all. This particular revenant probably just figured letting something get their hands on that sword was bad news. Even the elementals would be in trouble if the Legion (and the Scourge) washed over Northrend. Since it was partially undead, it probably had some idea of what was going on.
And that'll do it for us this week. Thanks for reading!
Ask a Lore Nerd is here to answer all of your questions about the lore and story of the Warcraft universe. From the religions of the universe to the 'evils' of Azeroth, everything is fair game. If you want more in-depth answers to some of your questions, you may find what you're looking for in Know Your Lore or the WoW Insider Directory.
