Races and factions of Warcraft

The fantasy setting of the Warcraft series includes many fictional races and factions. Most of the primary protagonists of the series belong to either the Horde or the Alliance. However, there are a variety of neutral races and factions, who are either friendly or hostile to both the Horde and the Alliance. In World of Warcraft, all player characters belong to either the Horde or the Alliance, with a character's faction decided by its race. One exception is the pandaren, who can choose to become members of either faction.
By the time of Warcraft III the Horde and the Alliance both fight against the Burning Legion and the undead Scourge, who are the primary villains of Warcraft III and World of Warcraft. By the time of World of Warcraft, the Alliance and the Horde are not engaged in all out war any longer. However, they are still hostile towards each other and skirmishes between the two sides occasionally erupt. With Garrosh Hellscream appointed as the new Warchief of the Horde in Cataclysm, war has once more erupted between the two factions. This war plays a large role in the storyline of that expansion, and continues to do so in Mists of Pandaria.
Various races and factions from Warcraft universe, as well as their emblems, crests and other symbols, are represented in crossover video game Heroes of the Storm via playable heroes, banners, and sprays. Some races, such as mountain giants and gnolls, are represented as bosses and mercenaries in the Warcraft-themed battleground Alterac Pass, respectively.
The Alliance
The Alliance has been present in some form in all Warcraft games. In all three real-time strategy games, the Alliance are the protagonists of their campaign, and are one of the two main protagonist factions in World of Warcraft. They are also the primary antagonists of Warcraft and the orc campaigns in Warcraft II. The Alliance began in Warcraft II when the human kingdoms and demihumans strategically united to fend off the conquering Horde. Thus they are enemies to the Horde. The Alliance has evolved over the course of the franchise, losing allies and gaining new members, but the Alliance has endured over the years. They are united to uphold their common noble ideals and are bound together by a sense of brotherhood forged by all the battles they've endured together. The major races of the Alliance are the humans of Stormwind, the Night Elves of Teldrassil, and the Dwarves of Ironforge. Other races who have joined or allied with the Alliance include the Gnomes of Gnomergan, The Draenei of Outland, the Worgen humans of Gilneas, and the Tushui Pandaren.
The Alliance is led by a military commander who coordinates the military actions of all the races in the Alliance. The title for this position depends on the rank of the individual (e.g., Anduin Lothar was a knight and his title was Supreme Allied Commander. Varian Wrynn is a king and his title is High King). This title may require an aspect of diplomacy or has strong political clout as the other leaders can choose not to commit their forces to the commander if they dislike the commander's leadership. Though how much forces and resources are contributed to the war effort is left to each individual leader's discretion, when the military commander issues a call to arms, all races of the Alliance are expected to contribute.
Humans
Throughout the Warcraft games, the humans are modeled on medieval Europe. In Warcraft and Warcraft II they were also depicted as the protagonists of the human campaigns and the antagonists of the orc campaigns. The humans fought for the side of Heaven against the Hellish orcs (though this theme was abandoned in the third game). Humans have a devout reverence for the Holy Light: an abstract deity that promotes theological virtues and chivalry and grants its practitioners magical powers ranging from healing and protection, to smiting power against the undead, demons, and evil beings. After being taught the ways of magic by the high elves during the Troll Wars, humans have become one of the most proficient races in the ways of magic as well.
The humans descended from an ancient nomadic tribe known as the Arathi, who conquered and united the other warring human tribes and founded the empire of Arathor and the great city of Strom, later known as Stromgarde. The Arathi formed an alliance with the high elves of the far north after they aided them in a war against the Amani Empire of trolls. In World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King it is revealed that humans are the descendants of mutated vrykul. By the time of the first Warcraft, seven kingdoms had arisen from the former lands of Arathor. The primary human faction in the first two games and World of Warcraft is the Kingdom of Azeroth (later renamed the Kingdom of Stormwind in World of Warcraft). The remaining kingdoms were introduced in Warcraft II, all centered in the northern part of the Eastern Kingdoms: Lordaeron (founder of the Alliance), Gilneas, Stromgarde (the former Arathi capital), Dalaran (home to the Arathi wizards, who became the Kirin Tor), Kul Tiras, and Alterac.
Draenei
The Draenei are the last of the original Eredar, who fled their homeworld of Argus to escape the corruption of the rogue titan Sargeras and his Burning Legion. The exiled Eredar took the name Draenei, meaning "exiled ones", and traveled through the Twisting Nether aboard the naaru dimensional ship, Oshu'Gun, and landed on a remote world, naming the planet Draenor or "Exile's Refuge". The Burning Legion pursued the Draenei to Draenor, having turned the orcs against the Draenei, resulting in the destruction of much of the Draenei race. After a great cataclysm saw to the destruction of Draenor, the Draenei used a satellite ship of Tempest Keep called the Exodar to abandon the world eventually arriving on Azeroth and crashing to the west of the coastal region of Darkshore on an island named Azuremyst Isle. They joined the Alliance, greatly respecting the Alliance's devout reverence for the Holy Light.
Dwarves
The dwarves are a short, strong race. The clans of dwarves, the Bronzebeard, Dark Iron, and Wildhammer dwarves, reside in the Eastern Kingdoms, in the continent of Khaz Modan. Their skin color can be from a dark gray to a human tan.
Gnomes
The gnomes are a small, intelligent, and inquisitive race with aptitude in both the arcane and mechanical crafts. They were originally titan-forged-mechagnomes. The gnomes' previous home was Gnomeregan, a city replete with advanced technology. It was rendered uninhabitable due to the release of radioactive waste by High Tinker Mekgineer Mekkatorque at the suggestion of his advisor Thermaplugg to combat the troggs. Because of the release, many gnomes were subjected to high doses of radiation and became "leper gnomes." These crazed, delusional, and violent gnomes attack any non-leper gnome, and non-trogg outsiders. Mekkatorque is still the leader.
High elves
After being exiled from Kalimdor, the high elves sailed to the east and settled in the northern part of the continent, where they found sources of ley lines and created the Sunwell from vials of water from the Well of Eternity. Their peace was to be short-lived, however, as the Amani troll tribe was not keen on having their lands settled by these newcomers. In order to defeat the trolls, the elves made a deal with the human-run Empire of Arathor. The elves would agree to teach magic to the humans in return for their aid. Upon victory, the high elves solidified their dominion over the forests of Quel'Thalas and founded a mighty capital, Silvermoon City.
Night elves
Night elves (or kaldorei, meaning "children of the stars" in their native tongue) are one of the oldest humanoid races native to Azeroth. Ten thousand years ago, a schism occurred between the ruling Highborne mages and the rest of the population. The Highborne, led by the malevolent Lord Xavius, tampered with the energies of the arcane, attracting the attention of the rogue titan Sargeras, who sent his demonic armies, the Burning Legion, to Kalimdor to try to wipe out all life on Azeroth. Thanks to the help of the Dragon Aspects which were chosen by the keepers to defend and protect the world from any threat, the night elf forces succeeded in preventing the Highborne from allowing the Burning Legion to permanently enter Azeroth, though the planet's continent was shattered in the process. The schism not only destroyed the magical Well of Eternity from which the elves drew their power, but also most of the rest of the continent, resulting in a vast ocean separating the continents of Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, Northrend, and Pandaria, with the Maelstrom in the center of the planet.
Tushui pandaren
The Tushui pandarens are pandaren who follow the path of Tushui and have chosen to join the Alliance. Contemplative, disciplined and focused on abstract ideals of justice and morality, they are led by Aysa Cloudsinger, a master follower of the path of Tushui, who believes in living a venerable life through meditation, rigorous training, and moral conviction, and is attracted to the high ideals and values that cement the Alliance together.
Worgen
The worgen are a race of creatures that resemble werewolves, but are hunched over where they walk on two legs and run around on all fours. First introduced in World of Warcraft, the first worgen were derived from an ancient druidic sect known as the Druids of the Pack who worshiped the wild god wolf named Goldrinn. The chosen shapeshift form of these druids was the dire wolf form, but these druids lost themselves to the form's savage nature and descended into feral behavior. To try to control this savage form, Ralaar Fangfire created the Scythe of Elune with the help of a priestess from the temple of the moon to try control the wolf form. But instead of mastering their powers, the Druids of the Scythe, as they had named themselves, transformed into worgen. The other druids agreed that they must be locked away and thus put them into eternal slumber in the Emerald Dream, beneath a tree in the Blackwald in modern-day Gilneas.
The Horde
In the first two Warcraft games, the Horde is made of the orcs under the command of the Burning Legion and are enemies of the human led Alliance. The orcs attempt in both games to conquer the human kingdoms. Eventually the Horde was defeated, most of its leaders killed, and the orcs placed in internment camps.
Orcs
Orcs serve as the main villains of the first two games, but become one of the hero factions during Warcraft III. Orcs are generally green-skinned muscular humanoids with large tusk-like fangs protruding from the lower jaw of their mouths. Their hair colour can range anywhere from black, dark brown, to almost white, depending on the age of the orc. The orcs' skin was originally red to brown, but their demonic corruption at the hands of the Burning Legion turned them green. Valuing personal honor and the honor of their clan above all else, they enjoy the rush and excitement of battle, and before their corruption, their culture was shamanistic and channeled their aggression into hunts and contests.
When the Burning Legion discovered that the draenei were hiding on Draenor, they corrupted the orcs, feeding them the blood of the pit lord Mannoroth, before using them to all but wipe out the exiled race.
Orcs appear in the live action film Warcraft, notable characters include Durotan, Draka, Gul'dan, Warchief Blackhand and Orgrim Doomhammer.
Blood elves
The blood elves were introduced in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne after the undead Scourge destroyed the capital of Silvermoon in Quel'Thalas and the source of their power, the Sunwell along with most of the high elf population. The remaining high elves split into two factions—approximately 10% kept their original heritage, but the rest followed Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider (who would eventually go on to betray his people, and in fact all of Azeroth) and began calling themselves sin'dorei (which in their tongue means "children of the blood" - more commonly referred to as blood elves) in homage to their loss. With the leadership of their prince, the blood elves continued to defend their homeland from the Scourge, allying with the naga in the process. Due to their alliance with the naga, Lord Garithos, commander of the Alliance forces in Lordaeron and Kael'thas' superior officer, charged Kael'thas and his troops with treason and imprisoned them in Dalaran. Kael'thas and his lieutenants were rescued by Lady Vashj and her naga from their imprisonment in the underground jails of Dalaran (which contained anti-magic enchantments, once used for the Kirin Tor's pets), and then used a re-opened portal to flee to Outland.
Forsaken
The Forsaken are a rebel group of undead introduced in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Their founder and leader is Sylvanas Windrunner, a high elven general who was killed and transformed into an undead banshee by Arthas during the undead campaign in Warcraft III. During the undead campaign in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, the Lich King's power began to wane because of Illidan Stormrage and his naga and blood elf allies attacking the Frozen Throne in Northrend, and Arthas' control over his section of the Scourge also began to wane. Sylvanas regained her sense of free will from Arthas and took charge of similarly free-willed undead, taking the name Forsaken and conquering Lordaeron.
Goblins
Introduced in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, the goblins are diminutive, green-skinned humanoids native to Azeroth. Early in their history, goblins were an unintelligent race used as slave labor by a tribe of trolls on their home island of Kezan. Constant exposure to a rare ore called Kajamite caused them to develop into a hyper-intelligent race that soon overthrew their masters and created a new civilization. However, the supplies of the ore were eventually exhausted and facing a slow loss of their intelligence, the goblins took to trade and exploration in search of new deposits. During the Second War, they aligned with the Horde, providing similar technical services to those offered to the Alliance by the dwarves and gnomes. Following the Horde's defeat, the naturally mercantile race took a neutral stance in world affairs.
Gilgoblins
The Gilgoblins are a species of aquatic goblins with fin-like ears, gills on their neck, seaweed-resembling hair, fins on the ends of their arms, and webbed hands and feet.
Hobgoblins
The Hobgoblins are a race of large purple-skinned goblins that are the results of alchemists experimenting on their own race.
Huojin pandaren
The Huojin pandaren are a group of pandaren that are impulsive, quick to action, and practical. These pandaren have chosen to join the ranks of the Horde. They are led by Ji Firepaw, a passionate, outgoing pandaren who believes that it is honorable to defend home and family no matter the price. Not one for deep thought, and always the first one into a fray, Ji believes that inaction is the greatest injustice, and is attracted to the Horde's scrappy practicality. Their defeat at elvish hands has spawned an intense racial hatred of all elves.
The Burning Legion
Introduced in Warcraft III, the Burning Legion have become the main villains of the series. Founded by the rogue titan Sargeras, the Burning Legion includes many demonic races, the most prominent of which include the man'ari eredar (such as Archimonde and Kil'jaeden), nathrezim (such as Tichondrius) and annihilan (such as Mannoroth). Member races are either subjugated and absorbed as slave races or enticed into joining with offers of demonic blood to empower them.
The Scourge
First introduced in Warcraft III, the Scourge is an army of undead created by the Lich King to destroy all life on Azeroth. It includes undead humans, elves, nerubians, and several other assorted races.
Other races
The following races do not belong to any of the other factions and are more neutral.
* The Arakkoa are an ancient race of bird-like humanoids native to Draenor.
*The murlocs are amphibious bipedal amphibian-like creatures, which dwell along the coastlines of the Eastern Kingdoms, and few other locations. *The naaru are a race of sentient energy beings locked in a struggle to defeat the Burning Legion.
*The are mutated Highborne, an elite part of the ancient night elf culture.
*The pandaren are a humanoid race which closely resemble pandas.
*The vulpera are a race of humanoid fennec foxes that live in the deserts of Vol'dun on the continent of Zandalar. They are often enemies with the sethrak.

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