The Art of The War Within - 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition Artbook

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Thrall as NarratorMy name is Thrall. I was once Warchief of the Horde, but now I am honored to serve as one of many who lead it. Years ago, I set out to chronicle the story of my people, the orcs. Here, I write of matters that concern all who inhabit our world. The War WithinThe VisionsIt began with the visions. They struck quickly and without warning, and at first, only a few experienced them: shattered images more unsettling and confusing than revelatory, and the keening of a voice that broke the heart and pierced the mind. All we could glean was chaos, and all we could feel... was pain.

Clarity and horrifying news was given to us by Magni Bronzebeard, the Speaker for Azeroth. Magni revealed that the visions came from the Worldsoul. We have heard Azeroth--and felt, for just those brief moments, the depth of her torment.

Read on, and you will begin to understand the grim nature of what has happened... and what may yet transpire. AlleriaLady Alleria Windrunner, high elven master archer, lost almost her entire family in the Second War. In a strange balance, the conflict also brought her the great loves of her life, the paladin general Turalyon and their child, Arator.

In an effort to keep Azeroth safe, Alleria and Turalyon reluctantly left Arator behind to fight the orcs on my people's ancestral homeworld of Draenor. After becoming trapped in the Twisting Nether, the pair battled the demonic Burning Legion. Turalyon turned ever more to the Light, but Alleria was attacked--and altered--by the Void. Eventually, she embraced the Void's power while learning to maintain her grip on her true self. Alleria is not alone; others known as void elves have also shared that fate and look to her for leadership.

It is said that the void whispers to her unceasingly-- and its presence is gathering strength. Though Alleria's will is fierce, she has become increasingly solitary. Those who love her understand Alleria is likely withdrawing out of concern for their safety, but the result is that she is denying herself support at a tenuous time. One wonders how long anyone can keep such a powerful cosmic force at bay--especially if they choose to fight that battle alone.AnduinThe line of Wrynn has given the human kingdom of Stormwind a long and unbroken succession of worthy rulers. I have known two of them.

Varian wielded weapons; his son, Anduin, wielded the Light. Although of different natures, their bond was deep, for both understood that a king's greatest purpose is to safeguard his people.

Abducted and held captive in the shadowlands, his will ripped from him, Anduin was forged into a weapon to attack those was charged with protecting. I too have suffered at the hands of the Jailer, but I well know that I experienced but a fraction of what Anduin endured.

Although nothing he did was of his own volition, Anduin cannot forgive himself. All he knows is that hands that once healed took the lives of the innocent, and the Light that has always shown him the way does so no longer.

For years, Varian's son has wandered, attempting to make sense of the senseless. Now he has returned. His father bore the scars of many battles, but most of Anduin's scars are on his heart--and those are harder to hear. Some of who he once was lingers, though it remains to be seen how much.Xal'atathFor as ancient and as powerful as she is, little is truly known about this being, other than her appearance inevitably heralds calamity.

Charming and treacherous, Xal'atath has played roles great and small during some of the darkest moments of Azeroth's history.

Once trapped--or perhaps hiding--within a dagger, she used her Void abilities to corrupt the blade's wielders into pawns for her own ends. Xal'atath escaped this prison toward the end of the Fourth War, assuming a mortal form.

Silent for a time, she recently resurfaced, first as an ally of Iridikron, former leader of the draconic Incarnates, now of the nerubians and their new queen, Ansurek.

She brings to her machinations not only her own Void powers... but also those of the one she now claims to serve.Magni and the EarthenMagni, of course, was among the virst to experience the visions, and he warned the mages of the magical, floating city of Dalaran that a terrible darkness approached. He spoke of an island called Khaz Algar and a passageway leading to the world's center. It is here, Magni says, where we can aid Azeroth.

I am proud that both Horde and Alliance responded by immediately sending expeditions to the island, and the mages of Dalaran have made the decision to move the city itself to its skies.Upon arriving on the Isle of Dorn in Khaz Algar, members of these expeditions encountered beings we had thought long gone. Here in the city of Dornogal there is a thriving group of earthen, the titan-forged ancestors of the dwarves. Magni's daughter, Queen-Regent Moira, and grandson, the future emperor Dagran II, have traveled here to learn more about their heritage. While these stone-skinned earthen do resemble dwarves in some ways, their culture remains rooted in their titan origins. The Ringing DeepsSituated directly below the Isle of Dorn is a vast cavern known as the Ringing Deeps. A grand forge surpassing even that of the dwarven capital burns ceaselessly, and ancient machines that enabled the Coreway's construction tower over their earthen tenders. The caretakers' reverence for this feat of engineering master is powerful, moving past awe and into a realm of near worship. Though the earthen are one people, it is said those here take a deep pride in their calling and feel brethren on the surface do not understand it. In a place with much that was new and strange, discovering kobolds swarming in the Earthenworks was almost a comfort. Irascible, fervently protecting of their source of illumination in the dark, these are not the small pests to which we are accustomed, for some have grown to an imposing size, and the vigilant workers are understandably greatly concerned. Should Xal'atath's darkness fall upon these kobolds, they could pose a much more dire threat.Faerin and HallowfallLong ago, the Empire of Arathor ruled the Eastern Kingdoms before it began to splinter. It is said that one group of humans left behind the old empire for a new land far away.

Their mighty sky-fleets were drawn to the caverns beneath Khaz Algar, following the prophecy of a fallen star. The star--which seems to be some kind of vessel of the Light--illuminates the cavern. To the Arathi, its radiance in this once-dark place appeared to be the fulfillment of the prophesized star, but dangers have arisen as the years unfolded.

Recently, the object's light has become erratic, causing periods of pure darkness. The nerubians are growing ever stronger, and the Arathi find themselves beset on all sized. Hope, and the light, are beginning to fade. Lothar Faerin is young, intelligent, and full of fire. She is truly a born leader, charismatic and skilled with her weapons. She does her Arathi ancestors proud. Our arrival has renewed her people's determination, and she has welcomed our support. If the Light fails utterly, then all here--and perhaps more--is lost to the Void.The creatures who threaten the Arathi are myriad and varied. All are dangerous, and some, like the kobyss, are truly nightmarish, in both their appearance and actions. Their are as cold and as cruel as anything from the chill depths of the deepest oceans. Azj-KahetDeep beneath the earth, and unbeknownst to anyone outside of Khaz Algar, a nerubian kingdom thrives unsullied by the Lich King's corruption. Its former queen, N'eferess, called it "The Last Kingdom," as both she and her subjects viewed it as the sole remaining bastion of a once-mighty global empire. It may well be the last, but it is terrifyingly powerful and poses a unique threat that must be stopped--if such a thing is even possible.One might say that in the uncallenged isolation of their kingdom of Azj-Kahet, this nerubian empire has been born anew... except, perhaps, even stronger. Their power has been magnified thanks to a dark bargain with Xal'atath and the entity she serves. They are more intelligent, focused, mightier--both physically and magically--and are nourished by a long-simmering rage and a sense of injustice.

These nerubians have... evolved.An individual named Orweyna, a member of a race known as the harronir, is fascinated by the mortal races and shares our concerns about the nerubian threat. The harronir are deeply spiritual and connected to the earth, particularly the roots of trees. While we know little else about Orweyna, I feel that, somehow, she is involved in the visions Azeroth has been sending us. I am curious as to what part--if any--she and her people will have to play in the healing of our world. Thrall's Closing StatementWe are but at the beginning of this yet written chapter in Azeroth's history. I pray it will not be her last.

I take comfort and courage in what I have learned: It does not matter to whom we owe our alliegiance. It does not matter if we have come to this world from another or if our roots here go deep into history. She cries out for aid now, and we must all answer that call.

Because one thing is certain.

Whatever we discover, whatever peril awaits, there is one truth that is irrefutable and unchanging.

Azeroth is home.

--ThrallWe are part of the Blizzard Gear Store affiliate program, and a small part of sales from the above links will go to supporting the site.

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