IntroductionIt is worth noting that this version of Azeroth is very much an Alternate Universe. Just because something happens in the game, does not mean it happened in this timeline ! Please keep this in mind x3
There are also many locations and races that are not included here. Feel free to plot with them, but please do a write-up so I can add it to this thread, thank you ! Azeroth's backstory is very open-ended and it would be very easy to weave other gods as having had an influence upon it's creation, or have them intervene in the present day.
TL;DR - feel free to bring your toys, but please don't mess up my sandbox <3
Lore Differences■ The titans are the true gods, and their agents / aoidei. They came across Azeroth in it's infancy and shaped it into the state it had been prior to the Shattering. The Emerald Dream is created as a 'backup' of Azeroth. Kawagiri raises five wyrms among those he had created, after they had proved themselves steadfast in their desire to defend and protect - Malygos, Alexstraza, Neltarion, Nozdormu and Ysera. Lifewater makes his home in the Terrace Of Endless Spring, in what would eventually become Pandaria. The waters of the Vale, and the future Well of Eternity, are lifewater.
■ The fading of the gods occurred before much of the lore of Azeroth would take place, and most of that lore remains unchanged. The
old gods fight what aoidei and servants remained on Azeroth after the fading. The Shattering breaks Azeroth into at least four continents. Neltarion eventually falls to madness and corruption and becomes Deathwing. Medivh opens the portal to Draenor, and the fate of the two worlds become forever intervined. The First, Second, and Third war occur, as well as the events of World of Warcraft. Up until...
■ Gehenna and The Cataclysm coincide. Deathwing, empowered from the unraveling of the worlds, raises from Deepholm and wrecks havok upon Azeroth. Some races are brought together, others are mostly cut apart from existing alliances. The Night Elves and Draenei in particular are isolated from the rest of the alliance, and have to fight back the Orcs on all possible fronts.
Tyrande Whisperwind has a premonition that the true cause of the Cataclysm lies on another world. Two druids accept what seemingly is a suicide mission to investigate the matter - Illisia and Elik Shadowmoon.
Tyrande and Malfurion die during the influence of the Weeks, and a new high priestess and archdruid rise to take their place - Meridia Moonrunner and Kaltyrian Oakkeeper. The young couple hold front the best they can, eventually managing to rekindle the night elves' ties to the alliance as the Week of Hell ends. Yet, as the stars are swallowed whole, the night elves lose hope.
In spite of it all, the Worlds are eventually saved, and Azeroth alongside it. With Creation's power once more flowing though the land, the mortal races are now able to regroup, recoup their looses, and are able to to launch the true assault against what remains - Deathwing.
■ The war against Deathwing lasts for years, culminating in the Hour of Twilight. The Dragon Soul is recovered and used against the self-titled aspect of death, but at grave costs. Deathwing perishes in the final assault, but the other aspects lose the last spark of their divine power. They would succumb themselves not long after the fact, leaving the dragonflight scattered and leaderless. They would fight not only each other, but among themselves as well. The black flight is hunted to extinction save for one lone whelp, Wrathion, who claims to not hold within the sins of his father...
Such begins the age of mortals.
■ About a year after the Hour of Twilight, Illisia
returns home, bringing with her Xun Jiang and Glyph. The trouble with the aspects and the dragonflights go ignored as it is made obvious that Teldrassil is dying - and with it, most of the night elves that are not part of the active alliance military. The tree is healed by Forest, and Illisia learns what it truly means to be a god. She and Xun Jiang start drifting closer and closer, and they become one soon after their return from Azeroth.
■ Two years later, a mysterious land shrouded in mist is discovered. The pandarian campaign begins, and the mortal races leave bloodshed and war in their wake. This leads to many turning their back from the war - hiding from their factions in disgust, or outright leaving Azeroth is search of a better place. A few of these individuals find their way to the Pantheon.
