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The Birth of Azeroth
Unaware of Sargeras' madness, the Titans continued
to move from world to world, shaping and ordering
each planet as they saw fit. Along their journey
they happened upon a small world that its
inhabitants would later name "Azeroth," inhabited by
hostile elementals who worshipped a race of
unfathomably evil beings known only as the Old Gods.
After a great war the Titans chained the five evil
gods far beneath the surface of the world and
banished the elementals were to an abyssal plane,
where they would contend with one another for all
eternity. With the elementals' departure, nature
calmed, and the world settled into a peaceful
harmony.
For many ages the Titans moved and shaped the Earth,
until at last there remained one perfect continent.
At the continent's center, the Titans crafted a lake
of scintillating energies named the Well of
Eternity, the fount of life for the world. As
twilight fell on the final day of their labors, the
Titans named the continent Kalimdor: "land of
eternal starlight." Satisfied that the small world
had been ordered and that their work was done, the
Titans prepared to leave Azeroth.
Before they departed, however, they charged the
greatest species of the world with the task of
watching over Kalimdor, lest any force should
threaten its perfect tranquility -- five great
dragons who became known as the Dragon Aspects. With
the dragons prepared to safeguard their creation,
the Titans left Azeroth behind forever.
Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before
Sargeras learned of the newborn world's existence.
The Well of Eternity
10,000 years before Orcs and Humans clashed in their
first war, Azeroth contained only one continent --
Kalimdor. In the center of Kalimdor was the Well of
Souls, the source of life and magic in the world. A
primitive tribe of nocturnal humanoids built crude
homes upon its tranquil shores. Over time, the
Well's cosmic power affected the tribe, making them
strong, wise, and virtually immortal. The tribe
adopted the name Kaldorei, which meant "children of
the stars" in their native tongue. To celebrate
their budding society, they constructed great
structures and temples around the lake's periphery.
The Kaldorei, or Night Elves as they would later be
known, worshipped the moon goddess, Elune, and
believed that she slept within the Well's shimmering
depths during the daylight hours. The early night
elf priests and seers studied the Well with an
insatiable curiosity, driven to plumb its untold
secrets and power. As their society grew, the Night
Elves explored the breadth of Kalimdor and
encountered its other denizens. The only creatures
that gave them pause were the ancient and powerful
dragons. The great serpentine beasts were often
reclusive, but they did much to safeguard the known
lands from potential threats. The Night Elves
discovered that the dragons held themselves to be
the protectors of the world -- and agreed that they
and their secrets were best left alone. .
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