The Valar who descended to the planet Azeroth were tasked with perfecting the shape of Arda—the continents of Valinor and Middle-earth—by creating mountains, dense forests, and various other living creatures. In carrying out this sacred duty, the Valar were granted memories by Eru Ilúvatar, who had previously spoken with a human from another world. These memories contained tales and images of unique fauna and flora, which then became their source of inspiration in building new ecosystems across Valinor and Middle-earth.
Among these inspirations, Ilúvatar drew flora and fauna from the fictional world of Avatar: The Way of Water. He was deeply fascinated by the diversity and beauty of the creatures and plants depicted in that work. Although the Valar did not fully understand the reason behind Ilúvatar's command to create these beings, they remained faithful in fulfilling the Creator's mandate. Additionally, they incorporated various flora and fauna from Tolkien's universe, harmoniously blending elements from both worlds.
These flora and fauna would later become deeply connected with the human soul-seed now embodied in the World Tree. Until Arda was truly perfected—with all the creatures from these two universes dwelling within—it was forbidden for the Valar to leave the place. They had to continuously guard and nurture the World Tree seed in both Valinor and Middle-earth.
To prepare for the future and maintain balance in the Warcraft universe, Ilúvatar also began creating new Valar and Maiar—holy beings who would assist the Tolkien Valar in safeguarding the World Tree. These new Valar and Maiar would eventually take over the duties of the original Tolkien Valar, especially after Arda reached its perfection on the planet Azeroth.
Meanwhile, Ilúvatar continued sorting through the memories from that human of another world, selecting creatures best suited to appear and adapt to Azeroth's conditions within the Warcraft universe. The task of the new Valar and Maiar was to guide and protect the races that would be born from the World Tree—the human soul now inhabiting the planet.
As the Tolkien Valar observed Azeroth, they saw a world still shrouded in darkness and rampant corruption caused by the influence of the Void Lords' servants, the disgusting beings known as the Old Gods. They were the primary source of destruction and imbalance on this planet.
To mark the presence of new light and hope, the Valar built two great lamps atop tall towers—Illuin and Ormal. The beams of Illuin and Ormal illuminated all of Arda, pushing back the darkness and sowing courage in all living beings beneath their glow.
As the center of their governance and sacred ground, they established a new capital on the continent of Valinor, now located on planet Azeroth, named Aman—a place destined to become the final bastion of light and guardian of harmony in this newly born world.
The Valar were busy building their capital, Eldamar, as both a temporary residence and the center of governance and protection on planet Azeroth. While beautifying the city, they continued to carry out their respective duties with full dedication.
Amidst this flurry of activity, Yavanna—one of the Valar—sang a sacred song that awakened miracles. From her song were born two great trees: Telperion, the silver tree, and Laurelin, the golden tree. From the dew that dripped from the leaves of these two trees, the Valar created stars to illuminate Arda. These stars were not merely beacons of hope but also guides for the future—a light that would lead the children of the World Tree in times to come.
Surrounding the two trees created by Yavanna lay a lake encircling them, becoming a sacred place and a source of energy for the balance of nature in Valinor.
While the Valar busied themselves building and maintaining balance in their new continent, Arda, war still raged on the continent of Kalimdor. The conflict between elemental races enslaved by the Old Gods continued without pause, making Kalimdor a chaotic battlefield filled with suffering.
Thousands of years had passed, and the power of the Old Gods nearly ruled over the entire continent of Kalimdor, deepening the wounds and destruction upon the land.
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For thousands of years entering the Great Dark, Sargeras focused his attention on worlds teeming with unstable, volatile energies. In such places, the influence of the Twisting Nether seeped into the physical universe, paving the way for a massive and dangerous influx of demons.
Sargeras visited these disaster-stricken worlds, fighting to protect mortal inhabitants from relentless demon assaults. He witnessed firsthand how his enemies reduced civilizations to smoldering ruins, turning living beings into forms full of hatred and corruption. The overwhelming scenes of destruction weighed heavily on Sargeras's heart with deep helplessness. Before starting his mission, he never imagined evil could spread so thoroughly throughout the universe.
Nonetheless, Sargeras never ceased his war against the demons. The Pantheon continued its duties, seeking new titans being born and overseeing worlds in development. Seeing life flourish without the grip of demons brought him profound satisfaction. His love for life only strengthened his resolve to confront the Void Lords and thwart all their evil plans against creation, no matter the cost.
Sargeras received aid from Aggramar, a fellow member of the Pantheon, as the flood of demons overwhelming the universe grew increasingly uncontrollable. With Aggramar's help, Sargeras studied the nature of the Twisting Nether in depth, using that knowledge to create a prison within the Nether known as Mardum, the Plane of Banishment. This prison functioned as an impenetrable pocket dimension—no one could escape from it.
While the Pantheon busied themselves seeking the sleeping souls of worlds, Sargeras and Aggramar continued their hunt for the lost demons.
During one investigation in a remote corner of the Great Dark, Sargeras discovered that the Old Gods had entrenched themselves within that world, wrapping it in a thick shroud of Void energy. The Old Gods' tendrils penetrated deeply, enshrouding the titan's spirit asleep in shadows of darkness. With merciless resolve, Sargeras captured and interrogated the nathrezim—faithful servants of darkness—then swung his blade to kill the titan before the corruption could fully consume it.
After this act, Sargeras immediately returned to his brothers in the Pantheon and recounted everything that had transpired in the Great Dark, including the titan's death.
What Sargeras did not expect was the reaction of the Pantheon, who instead grew angry and condemned his actions. They were shocked and disappointed that he had rashly slain a potential brother without first summoning them to cleanse the corruption eating away at the titan.
Sargeras desperately tried to convince the Pantheon that his action was necessary and could not be delayed, but all his explanations fell on deaf ears. The other titans could not perceive the depth of the danger he had seen. They had never personally experienced the influence of the Void or demons, and could not grasp how deep and perilous the corruption ravaging creation truly was.
A fierce debate erupted between Sargeras and the other Pantheon members about the best way to face the threat of the Void Lords.
Sargeras revealed his growing fear that the universe itself was fundamentally flawed—a notion he had begun to accept after witnessing the corruption of the Old Gods. In his view, only by burning all of creation could the titans have a chance to thwart the ultimate goal of the Void Lords.
This idea horrified the other titans. Eonar, the Life-Binder, reminded Sargeras that the titans had sworn to protect all living things whenever possible. Nothing deserved to be systematically destroyed—not even under the worst circumstances. Aggramar, his own mentor, opposed this dark plan, arguing there must be another way to defeat the Void Lords. He urged Sargeras to abandon his destructive scheme and seek a wiser solution.
Yet, consumed by despair and feeling betrayed, Sargeras left his brothers in the Pantheon. He knew they would never be able to think clearly and accept the heavy steps that needed to be taken. If they would not help him purge the corruption of the Void Lords, he would do it alone.
That moment marked the final farewell of the Pantheon with Sargeras as one of their own.
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Through the long ages, the Pantheon continued to explore the cosmos, seeking newborn titans and bringing order to countless worlds in the process. Yet, despite their tireless efforts, they never found another sibling. At times, doubt would creep in—was this search nothing more than a futile endeavor? Still, the hope that there were other world-souls out there always rekindled their resolve.
Unbeknownst to the Pantheon, that hope was not in vain. In a remote corner of the Great Dark, an extraordinary world began to take shape. Within the planet's core, the spirit of a great and noble titan was stirring. Aman'Thul felt the pulse of energy flowing in harmony with the echoes of Eru Ilúvatar's Song he had once heard alongside the Ainur in ages past. That Song, which had once come from an unknown source, now seemed to resonate throughout this world—and its origin appeared to be very close to the soul of the newborn titan.
One day, this world would be known by a single name: Azeroth.
But upon its surface, elemental spirits roamed wild. Over the centuries, they grew ever more unruly and destructive. Azeroth's vast world-soul had drawn in and absorbed most of the fifth element—Spirit. Without this primordial force to keep balance, the elementals fell into chaos.
Apocalyptic battles raged for thousands of millennia. The four elemental lords took turns claiming dominion over land and sea, yet for them, victory was never the ultimate goal. The chaos itself was something grand; a cycle they believed must be maintained forever.
Meanwhile, far in the depths of the Great Dark Beyond, Aggramar continued his mission to eradicate every trace of demonic influence. His journey took him from one world to the next, from civilizations burned by demonic invasion to those teetering on the brink of collapse. Though he bore this burden alone, his conviction never wavered. In his heart, Aggramar believed that one day Sargeras would return and acknowledge the truth of the Pantheon's cause.
In the silence of his travels, Aggramar suddenly sensed something extraordinary: the peaceful dream of a sleeping world-soul, flowing across the cosmos. That Song of life led him to a world never before discovered by the Pantheon—a world they would come to call Azeroth.
But upon arrival, horror gripped him. Void energy blanketed the planet's surface like a festering wound. From the shadowed lands rose the Old Gods and their Black Empire. Though the titan soul within Azeroth was still pure, Aggramar knew their time was limited before the corruption reached the world's heart.
Without delay, Aggramar contacted the remaining members of the Pantheon and shared his discovery. To them, this was undeniable proof that Sargeras had once been right about the threat of the Void Lords. He urged them to act quickly before Azeroth was lost forever.
Eonar, the Lifebinder, reinforced his call. With unshakable conviction, she pleaded for the Pantheon to intervene and save the sibling trapped in the Old Gods' grasp.
Eonar's words stirred the hearts of all the Pantheon. Unanimously, they decided to save Azeroth—no matter the cost.
Aggramar then added one more thing he had found: on one of Azeroth's continents, he had sensed the presence of a soul so pure, guarded by beings radiating energy akin to the Song of Ilúvatar and the Ainur from millennia past.
Aman'Thul inquired further about these beings, and at last realized that they were the source of the mysterious Song of Creation he had once heard in ages long gone.
Aggramar then recounted his full vision: fourteen Valar locked in battle against the Old Gods and the elementals. Yet, to his surprise, they seemed solely focused on protecting a seed of the World Tree, refraining from interfering in the chaos consuming other parts of Azeroth.
Aman'Thul was astonished, but he began to understand. It seemed the Valar were deliberately holding back—shielding their own creation from the Old Gods' corruption, ensuring that this newborn world would remain untainted, at least in the lands they guarded.
All members of the Pantheon resolved to journey to Azeroth and purge the Black Empire that had gripped the world for countless millennia. Yet they knew their colossal forms carried immense risk—one misstep could damage, even kill, the precious world-soul they sought to protect. With this in mind, Aggramar proposed a different strategy: to forge mighty beings who would serve as the hands of the Pantheon, carrying out their will and waging war against the Black Empire without endangering the world-soul.
Under the guidance of Khaz'goroth, the great smith, the Pantheon forged a host of massive servants from Azeroth's very crust. From pure metal came the Aesir, stormlords who commanded the skies. From ancient stone came the Vanir, earthlords who shaped the land. Together, these races became known as the titan-forged—mighty beings created to shoulder the gods' burden of war.
Some titan-forged were granted unique powers and roles as supreme leaders, later known as Keepers.
Aman'Thul bestowed a portion of his vast wisdom and authority upon Highkeeper Ra and Keeper Odyn.
Khaz'goroth granted mastery over the earth and the craft of forging to Keeper Archaedas.
Golganneth gifted dominion over storms and skies to Keeper Thorim and Keeper Hodir.
Eonar entrusted the care of Azeroth's flora and fauna to Keeper Freya—excluding the continent of Valinor, which had sprung from the mysterious song of an unknown foreign entity.
Norgannon shared his intellect and arcane power with Keeper Loken and Keeper Mimiron.
Lastly, Aggramar instilled unmatched courage and strength into Keeper Tyr, the greatest warrior among the titan-forged.
With their new army born from the heart of the world, the Pantheon began their war. The first strike, led by the Keepers, smashed into the northernmost strongholds of the Black Empire. Waves of stone and metal warriors surged like an unstoppable storm—toppling temples, annihilating the n'raqi and aqir legions, and shaking the dominion of the Old Gods.
The arrival of the titan-forged stunned the Old Gods. Pressed to the brink, they summoned their mightiest generals—the Elemental Lords—to repel the assault. Yet their predicament was about to worsen.
Across the continent of Kalimdor, the Old Gods were also locked in battle with mysterious entities known as the Valar—mighty beings guarding a seed of the world tree on a newly formed continent, Valinor. For tens of thousands of years, the Valar had endured the harassment of the Old Gods, and now, seeing the stone-and-metal gods striking the same foe, they chose to launch their own counterattack.
For the Valar, this was the time to exact vengeance for tens of thousands of years of strife. They launched a massive assault, striking the Old Gods' defenses from the opposite direction. Unbeknownst to them, on the other side of the world, the Pantheon was doing the same—and these two fronts began to hammer the Black Empire from both sides at once.
The titan-forged continued to assail the elemental leaders, leveraging their physical superiority forged from metal and stone. Their solid bodies rendered almost any attack meaningless, and slowly but surely, the Elemental Lords began to fall.
Meanwhile, on another battlefront, the Valar fought against the four Old Gods, holding them back to prevent their interference in the war against the Black Empire. The battle was fierce; the Valar's strength matched the hatred they had harbored for millennia toward those repulsive beings.
In the end, the Elemental Lords were defeated. But the Keepers knew they could not destroy the elementals entirely. Their spirits were bound to Azeroth itself—slaying their physical forms would only allow them to eventually re-manifest.
Even so, the Keepers felt indebted to the Valar, who had helped contain the Old Gods from the very start of the battle. Yet one mystery lingered: why had the Valar never attempted to tear the Old Gods out of Azeroth? That question would remain unanswered… for now.
The titan-forged then adopted a strategy inspired by Sargeras: imprison the Elemental Lords in isolated locations, far from the world they could devastate. With that threat contained, the Keepers turned their attention to the aqir legions of the Black Empire.
The massive insectoid swarms hid in winding catacombs beneath the shattered surface of the world. Archaedas called upon the power of stone and earth to collapse their nests, forcing the aqir out into the open, where the titan-forged armies lay in wait. The battle proved far more brutal than expected. Though most of the aqiri race was annihilated, a few managed to flee deep underground—too weak to mount another assault.
Now, the eyes of the titan-forged and the Valar turned to the heart of the Black Empire: a colossal temple city built around the Old God Y'Shaarj. They believed that bringing down this strongest n'raqi bastion would permanently cripple their enemy's power.
But the Pantheon grew uneasy. They feared Y'Shaarj might seize control of their servants. Despite the risk, they decided to intervene directly.
Before Aman'Thul could act, the Valar Tulkas tried to stop him—but it was too late. From the stormy skies of Azeroth, Aman'Thul reached down, seized the writhing body of Y'Shaarj, and with tremendous force, tore it from the world's crust.
The Old God's massive body was ripped apart, its death throes shattering mountain peaks and obliterating hundreds of titan-forged in an instant. But the victory came at a terrible cost.
Aman'Thul finally understood why the Valar had never tried to tear out the Old Gods. Y'Shaarj's roots had burrowed deep into Azeroth's body. When he was ripped away, a massive wound gaped in the world, spewing unstable arcane energy—the lifeblood of the newborn titan. The catastrophic eruption spread across the world, forming the Well of Eternity.
The Pantheon realized that removing the other Old Gods would destroy Azeroth. The only option was to imprison them where they lay, binding their evil for all eternity.
Afterward, the Valar returned to their continent, inviting the Pantheon and the titan-forged to visit one day. Eonar, captivated by what the Valar guarded, planned to serve as an emissary to establish ties with them once all matters were settled.
The Pantheon expressed their gratitude for the aid of these new allies. Then, they turned to their next great task: reshaping and restoring Azeroth, to make it habitable once again after the devastation wrought by the elemental wars over countless millennia.