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==== Human (Draenor) ====
  
==== Human (Draenor) ====
−
The Draenor "humans" are a speculative race created by Garona to define her non-half-orc heritage,<ref name="LG232">''[[The Last Guardian]]'', 232</ref> it has now been confirmed that she is a [[half-draenei]],<ref>''[[Conflicting Loyalties]]''</ref> but was decieved by [[Gul'dan]] to believe that she was [[half-human]].<ref>''[[Secrets]]''</ref>
 +
The "humans" of Draenor are a speculative race used by Garona to define her non-half-orc heritage,<ref name="LG232">''[[The Last Guardian]]'', 232</ref> it has now been confirmed that she is a [[half-draenei]],<ref>''[[Conflicting Loyalties]]''</ref> but was deceived by [[Gul'dan]] to believe that she was [[half-human]].<ref>''[[Secrets]]''</ref>
   
−
In ''[[The Last Guardian]]'' Garona makes various statements that there were a different group of humans living on Draenor than those the orcs later discovered on Azeroth. Garona believed that she was [[half-orc]] and had [[half-human]] heritage from these Draenor humans, who gave her insight into those on Azeroth.<ref name="LG232"/> According to Garona, it was Medivh who "made [her] feel human. And [she hadn't] felt human in a long, long time."<ref name="LG228">''[[The Last Guardian]]'', 228</ref> She specifically stated that she was "of both Orc and Human lineage"<ref name="WC1Man"/> and "neither."<ref name="LG107">''[[The Last Guardian]]'', 207</ref> Orcs only "[saw] the parts of [her] that [were] human;" they said her "human hand" was "too slender to be really useful, [did] not [have] enough muscle to hold an ax or bash a skull in properly—too pale, too weak, and too ugly."<ref name="LG107"/>
 +
In ''[[The Last Guardian]]'' Garona makes various statements that there was a different group of humans living on Draenor than those the orcs later discovered on Azeroth. Garona believed that she was [[half-orc]] and had [[half-human]] heritage from these Draenor-born humans, who gave her insight into those on Azeroth.<ref name="LG232"/> According to Garona, it was Medivh who "made [her] feel human. And [she hadn't] felt human in a long, long time."<ref name="LG228">''[[The Last Guardian]]'', 228</ref> She specifically stated that she was "of both Orc and Human lineage"<ref name="WC1Man"/> and "neither."<ref name="LG107">''[[The Last Guardian]]'', 207</ref> Orcs only "[saw] the parts of [her] that [were] human;" they said her "human hand" was "too slender to be really useful, [did] not [have] enough muscle to hold an ax or bash a skull in properly—too pale, too weak, and too ugly."<ref name="LG107"/>
   
 
{{speculation}}
  
{{speculation}}
−
Garona's half-draenei heritage would not exactly explain the Draenor "humans" in a satisfactory way, since draenei (even Lost Ones and the Broken) are not even remotely human physically, mentally, or culturally (although perhaps spiritually). She wouldn't have been able to gain insight on humans from the more alien mindset of the draenei. This would imply that either Garona was half-orc/half-draenei/half-human, or that she grew up within a Draenor "human" slave camp where she learned their culture (and thought she was one of them).
 +
Garona's half-draenei heritage would not exactly explain the Draenor humans in a satisfactory way, since draenei (even Lost Ones and the Broken) are not even remotely human physically, mentally, or culturally (although perhaps spiritually). She wouldn't have been able to gain insight on humans from the more alien mindset of the draenei. This would imply that either Garona's human parent was actually half-draenei, or that she grew up within a Draenor human slave camp where she learned their culture and thought she was one of them.
   
 
== Racial terms described in the RPG ==
  
== Racial terms described in the RPG ==

Revision as of 01:34, 20 June 2010


This is a page for racial terminology in Warcraft lore.

Hybrid races

Half-breed

Half-breed is a term used to categorize any species or individual born of two (or more) separate species. The term "half-breed" was used by orcs and ogres to refer to Rexxar in the Third War.[1] Half-orcs, half-elves, half-ogres are examples of half-breeds.Template:Cite Template:Cite Rexxar and Med'an examples of half-breeds. It can be used as both a technical[2] or derogatory term. Half-breeds are hybrid races (but not all hybrid races are half-breeds)

Demi-human

Demi-human is a term used to describe other races such as elves, orcs, gnomes, and dwarves.Template:Cite It is a term to describe the non-human races of humanoids.[3]

While no specific Warcraft definition has been given, demi is a word that is defined as either "half" or "one that partly belongs to (a specific type or class)".[1] Demi-human is a term that originated from Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. These humanoid races were defined as subdivisions of Homo sapiens.[2] It is synonymous to the terms near-human and metahuman in other sources of fiction. The definition is not far off the mark considering that most races can be traced back to common ancestry through the titans.

See The Alliance of Lordaeron.

Half-draenei

Half-draenei is the term used for the offspring of one draenei parent or half-draenei and another species such as an orc. They show a blending of orc and draenei features.Template:Cite Lantresor is half-draenei.

Half-orc

Half-orc is the term for the offspring of an orc or a half-orc and other species (such as human, draenei or ogre). Most half-orcs are half-human.Template:Cite Famous half-orcs include GaronaTemplate:Cite and Rexxar.Template:Cite

Half-troll

Half-troll is the term used to describe someone who has descended from a parent that is a troll or half-troll and a parent of any other species. Lelior's mother is said to be a half-troll. While it may only be a "your mother is a" joke, he also doesn't deny it.[4]

Half-elf

Half-elf is the term used to describe the offspring of an elven or half-elven parent and parent of another species. Most half-elves are half human and half high elves.Template:Cite Template:Cite Template:Cite

Half-ogre

Half-ogre is the term used to describe the offspring of an ogre or half-ogre parent and parent of another species. Rexxar and Leoroxx are examples of a half-ogres.Template:Cite It is a technical term, and a term of self-identity.Template:Cite

Half-human

Half-human is the term used to describe someone who has descended from a parent that is a human or half-human and a parent of any other species.Template:Cite Template:CiteTemplate:Cite The half-draenei, half-orc Garona has been described as being half-human, as have half-ogres of human descent.

Half-human half-ogre

Half-human half-ogres are a rumored race created from the union of humans and ogres.Template:Cite

Half-ogre mage

Half-ogre magi are the theoretical offspring between ogre magi and orcs.Template:Cite

Half-night elf / Half-kaldorei

Half-night elf, also known as half-kaldorei,[5] is the term used to describe the offspring of humans and night elves.Template:Cite Template:Cite

Half-blood elf

Half-blood elf is the term used to describe the offspring of humans and blood elves.Template:Cite

Half-giant

Half-giant is the term used to describe someone who has descended from a parent that is a giant or half-giant and a parent of any other species (such as humans).

Half-dragon

Drakonid (and/or dragonkin) are described as being "half-man, half-dragon".[6] While it is still unclear if this is literal or figurative, dragonspawn are known to have human heritage.

Dwarven races

Dwarf

The term dwarf was the term humans gave to the race of short, stocky, and bearded humanoids once known as the earthen. At the time, the dwarves did not know that the word literally meant "diminutive". They are just glad they were not called worse by the humans, for example "beard-men", "rockheads", or something like that.

The name stuck, and now all races around the world use it to describe dwarves, even the dwarves themselves. While it might have originated out of an apparent racial slur, today dwarves are proud of the term and do not see it as being a negative terminology, and in fact gladly call themselves dwarves. Template:Cite

Hill dwarf

Hill dwarf is a term used for dwarves that live primarily in the hills. They construct their buildings above ground, with roofs opened to the sky (rarely digging very deep into the hills).Template:Cite Some hill dwarves were familiar with, and known to, elven rangers.Template:Cite

Ironforge dwarf

Ironforge dwarves are dwarves that are part of the Ironforge and Bronzebeard clans (and subclans). They are the dwarven player race.

Mountain dwarf

Mountain dwarf is a term used for dwarves that live primarily in the mountains.Template:CiteTemplate:Cite

Wild dwarf

Wild dwarf is a term for the race of dwarves which includes the Wildhammer clan.Template:Cite Template:Cite Template:Cite

Frostborn

Wrath-Logo-Small This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

Frostborn (aka frost dwarves) are a mysterious race encountered by the Alliance Expedition within Storm Peaks in Northrend at their home of Frosthold.[7][8]

Iron dwarf

Wrath-Logo-Small This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

Iron dwarves are a hostile race of dwarves newly encountered throughout Northrend (mostly found within the Howling Fjord, Grizzly Hills, and Storm Peaks), but appear intent on destroying any archaeological connections to other dwarves, much to the chagrin of the Explorers' League.[9]

Earthen

Earthen are stony humanoids created by the titans during the forming of Azeroth; some later degenerated into troggs, while others transformed into dwarves.[10] Most of the dwarves were thought to have originated from earthen in Uldaman.Template:Cite Another type of earthen appear in Ulduar.

Elven / Naga races

Elves

Night elf (kaldorei)

High elf (quel'dorei)

Blood elf (sin'dorei)

Dark elf

Half-elves

For the various types of half-elves (half-elf, half-blood elf, half-night elf, etc.) see Hybrid races.

Naga

Eredar/draenei races

Draenei

Draenei is a term that can refer to three separate races: uncorrupted eredar,[11] the Broken draenei,[12] and the draenei Lost Ones. In Warcraft III, the draenei mostly appeared as Broken draenei or draenei Lost Ones.[13]

Lost One

Draenei Lost Ones are wretched "cousins" of the Broken draenei, draenei who have suffered so much that they have gone mad.[14] They call themselves the "Lost Ones" in mourning of their former world.Template:Cite A mixture of these sad creatures somehow made the journey to Azeroth and settled in the Swamp of Sorrows, with those recovering from their madness living in the Harborage, and those still suffering in the Fallow Sanctuary.[15]

Broken

Bc icon This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

Broken draenei are a sub-race of the draenei created by corruption during the battle with the Burning Legion. They tend to have flattened facial features and reduced stature compared to uncorrupted draenei.[16] They are credited with bringing shamanistic powers and practice to the larger draenei population and therefore the Alliance.[12]

Half-draenei

See Hybrid races, half-draenei.

Eredar

Eredar refers to both the members of the parent race who became corrupted man'ari (led by Archimonde and Kil'jaeden)Template:Cite and joined the Burning Legion[16] and to their rebel cousins, the draenei, who rejected the recruitment of Sargeras. They are now otherworldly demons.Template:Cite Template:Cite

Racial terms used in multiple Warcraft sources

Aberration

An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three.Template:Cite These are often offshoots of other creatures including humanoids, undead, beasts, and insect-like creatures, etc.Template:Cite Nerubians and forgotten ones are aberrations for example. This is reflected in World of Warcraft as aberrations appearing in the game are usually offshoots of some undead or elementals.[17] [18] [19]

Note: While aberration is used to describe a few specific races with similar characteristics, it does not mean that all are related.

Arakkoa

Arakkoa are a generally flightless vulture-like race who wear colorful robes and plumed headdresses[20] found in Outland primarily in Terokkar Forest, but also encountered in Hellfire Peninsula and Blade's Edge Mountains.Template:Cite

Ethereal

Ethereals are a race of pure energy, who call non-energy races "fleshlings", that have come to Outland to profit from the turmoil there and battle between their own factions (the Ethereum, Consortium, and Protectorate) for various goals.[21] They live and travel in the Twisting NetherTemplate:Cite after having been driven from their homeworld of K'aresh.[21]

Fey

A fey is a creature with supernatural abilities and connections to nature or to some other force or place. Fey are usually human-shaped or have human-shaped portions (such as a humanoid torso and the body of a stag or other wild creature).Template:Cite Faerie dragons are also fey, and this is reflected in the names of certain subtypes such as Fey Dragon and Fey Drake.[22] Template:Cite

Note: While fey is used to describe a few specific races with similar characteristics, it does not mean that all are related.

Human

Human is a term that refers to prolific race of humanoids on Azeroth formally known as the Azotha.Template:Cite

Humanoid

Humanoid is the technical term used to describe roughly human-like species. That is "having human form or characteristics". A humanoid usually has two arms, two legs, and one head or a human-like torso, arms, and a head. Humanoids have few or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but most can speak and usually have well-developed societies.Template:Cite Humanoid can refer to any race (not neccesarily sapient) that share at least some similarities to basic human build, at least from the torso up. Dryads, for example, are considered fey "humanoids" even though they have bestial lower bodies.

In the MMO and RPG not all humanoids are classified as humanoids however, and many are listed as giants or undead (and other categories). In some cases, these are smaller sub-categories within the term humanoid — for example, goblinoid, giant, or some fey. It is a technical term, rather than a "racial slur".

Note: While humanoid is used to describe races with similar characteristics, it does not mean they are all related to "humans".

Giant

Giants are humanoid creatures of great strength. They are a very large size (above 3 meters/yards or so) and larger than most ogres (though ogres are considered as one of the races of giants of Draenor). This includes most semi-intelligent large humanoids and some intelligent. Most giants are the creations of the titans, birthed when the world was young.Template:Cite

Note: While giant is described races with similar characteristics, it does not mean that all are related to giants.

Racial terms used in the novels

Near-human

Near-human is an in-universe speculative term used by Medivh to interpret Garona's mysterious ancestors; he surmised that her homeland had humans or near-humans.[23] Khadgar saw a vision of Gul'dan's quarters on Draenor in which he kept "preserved things, some of which might have once belonged to human or humanish creatures" in one of the cabinets along his walls.[24] According to Garona they had to have been similar enough physically, mentally, and culturally for them to give her insight on humans of Azeroth, discovered through the newly opened Dark Portal.[25]

While no specific Warcraft definition has been given, in other fantasy/sci-fi (ex. Star Wars[26] & Doctor Who[27]), near-human has meant a race that evolutionarily diverged from humans (or have mixed ancestry with other species). In some cases the term is used to describe a race that evolutionarily converged into a species biologically related to humans. Often humans & near-humans are genetically compatible. This term is synonymous with the term "demi-human" or "metahuman" and sometimes half-breed or hybrids from other fiction.

Human (Draenor)

The "humans" of Draenor are a speculative race used by Garona to define her non-half-orc heritage,[25] it has now been confirmed that she is a half-draenei,[28] but was deceived by Gul'dan to believe that she was half-human.[29]

In The Last Guardian Garona makes various statements that there was a different group of humans living on Draenor than those the orcs later discovered on Azeroth. Garona believed that she was half-orc and had half-human heritage from these Draenor-born humans, who gave her insight into those on Azeroth.[25] According to Garona, it was Medivh who "made [her] feel human. And [she hadn't] felt human in a long, long time."[30] She specifically stated that she was "of both Orc and Human lineage"[31] and "neither."[32] Orcs only "[saw] the parts of [her] that [were] human;" they said her "human hand" was "too slender to be really useful, [did] not [have] enough muscle to hold an ax or bash a skull in properly—too pale, too weak, and too ugly."[32]

Questionmark-medium
This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

Garona's half-draenei heritage would not exactly explain the Draenor humans in a satisfactory way, since draenei (even Lost Ones and the Broken) are not even remotely human physically, mentally, or culturally (although perhaps spiritually). She wouldn't have been able to gain insight on humans from the more alien mindset of the draenei. This would imply that either Garona's human parent was actually half-draenei, or that she grew up within a Draenor human slave camp where she learned their culture and thought she was one of them.

Racial terms described in the RPG

Icon-RPG This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Outsider

An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some plane other than Azeroth. Some creatures start out as some other type of creature and become outsiders when they attain a higher (or lower) state of spiritual existence.Template:Cite Native outsiders are native to Azeroth. They are creatures who have mortal ancestors or a strong connection to Azeroth and can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.Template:Cite

Note: While outsider is used to describe a few specific races with similar characteristics, it does not mean that all are related.

Magical beast

Magical beasts are similar to animals but can have higher intelligences. Magical beasts often have supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but sometimes are merely bizarre in appearance or habits.Template:Cite

Note: While magical beast is used to describe a few specific races with similar characteristics, it does not mean that all are related.

Construct

A construct is an animated object or artificially (perhaps technologically) constructed creature. Mechanicals are a type of construct.Template:Cite

Note: While construct is used to describe a few specific races with similar characteristics, it does not mean that all are related.

Plant

Plant (a.k.a. plant creature or ambulatory plant) is a term which comprises creatures made of vegetable matter. Note that regular plants, such as one finds growing in gardens and fields, are not creatures but objects, even though they are alive (they lack spirit and charisma).Template:Cite

Note: While plant is used to describe a few specific races with similar characteristics, it does not mean that all are related.

Racial terms described in the Burning Crusade

Mag'har

Mag'har, brown-skinned orcs untainted by the Burning Legion, call Nagrand on Outland (once known as Draenor) their home.[33][34] They also have an outpost in the Hellfire Peninsula.[35]

Sporeling

Sporelings are apparently a fungus-based humanoid[36] who can only be found in the Zangarmarsh region of Outland. They develop from spore sacs in southwest Zangarmarsh.[37] Their main settlement is called Sporeggar.[38]

References

  1. ^ "The Founding of Durotar: To Tame a Land", Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Blizzard Entertainment.
  2. ^ Alliance Player's Guide, 36
  3. ^ http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/story/chapter4.html
  4. ^ The Journey
  5. ^ Short story in Shadows and Light, pg. 133-134.
  6. ^ Maxnar Must Die!
  7. ^ A [80] Aid from the Explorers' League
  8. ^ http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?faction=1126
  9. ^ http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath/features/bestiary/index.xml
  10. ^ Lore Keeper of Norgannon
  11. ^ http://www.blizzplanet.com/content/553/
  12. ^ a b http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/story/unbroken/unbroken.xml
  13. ^ http://www.battle.net/war3/neutral/Draenei.shtml
  14. ^ http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/burningcrusade/townhall/bestiary.html
  15. ^ N [35] Draenethyst Crystals
  16. ^ a b http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/burningcrusade/townhall/bestiary.html
  17. ^ http://www.wowhead.com/?npc=10485
  18. ^ http://www.wowhead.com/?npc=11480
  19. ^ http://www.wowhead.com/?npc=18865
  20. ^ http://www.blizzplanet.com/content/625/
  21. ^ a b http://blizzplanet.com/content/641/
  22. ^ "Faerie" NPCs in Wowhead, "Fey" NPCs in Wowhead
  23. ^ The Last Guardian, 198
  24. ^ The Last Guardian, 234
  25. ^ a b c The Last Guardian, 232
  26. ^ http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Near-Human
  27. ^ http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Near-Human
  28. ^ Conflicting Loyalties
  29. ^ Secrets
  30. ^ The Last Guardian, 228
  31. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named WC1Man
  32. ^ a b The Last Guardian, 207
  33. ^ http://www.blizzplanet.com/content/618/
  34. ^ H [62] The Mag'har
  35. ^ H [63] Envoy to the Mag'har
  36. ^ N [64] Natural Enemies
  37. ^ N [63] The Sporelings' Plight
  38. ^ N [64] Sporeggar
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