Draenei Rumor

Supporting evidence for the Draenei as a possible Alliance race.

Forum Post and Magazine Scans

According to this forum post at partingvisions.com, Computer Games Magazine suggests Draenei as the new Alliance race.

• Article scan from page 39
• Blurry section of scan mentioning Draenei
• Clearer section of scan mentioning Draenei
• Update in post to the editor from Steve Bauman of Computer Games Magazine:

  Update: Message From the Editor:

  Hi there. I'm the editor-in-chief of Computer Games Magazine. ( http://www.cgonline.com )

  You reproduced and scanned one of our articles (which is a no-no, by the way) about the World of WarCraft expansion, one that mentioned the Draenei as the playable Alliance race. (You also mistakenly called us "Computer Gaming" in your headline.)

  There was an error in the article. It should have been noted that the information about the Draenei being the playable race is, in fact, still a rumor; while we're confidant our sources are accurate, it should not have been presented as a statement of fact.

  We regret the error, and any confusion it may have caused.

  Steve Bauman,

  Computer Games Magazine

Circumstantial and Lore Evidence

1. The Draenei primarily live on Outland, which satisfies one of the "requirements" for the expansion races.

   Along with the Orcs and Ogres, the Draenei were one of the major intelligent races on Draenor before it's destruction. Now most of their race lives as scattered tribes on Outland, struggling to survive against the Fel Orcs and their demonic masters.

2. The Draenei hate Orcs, so they would probably love to work with the Alliance if it meant destroying the Horde.

   The Draenei were a peaceful race living alongside the Orcs, up until the Orc race fell to demonic corruption. The newly formed Horde then used the Draenei as a test of their newfound strength, hunting them nearly to extinction when they weren't keeping them as slaves. The survivors on Outland are said to be overcome by a blind rage when they see an Orc, and will do anything in their power to kill it.

3. Their alliance with Illidan, the Blood Elves, and Naga is likely breaking down.

   Akama and his Draenei originally agreed to follow Illidan in the hopes that he would rid Outland of the Burning Legion, after he saved their village from a demon attack. But after storming the Black Citadel and defeating Magtheridon, Kil'jaeden appeared and ordered Illidan to serve him once more - which Illidan agreed to do. Illidan then took his armies back to Azeroth and Northrend to attack the Lich King (though they failed) while leaving the Draenei behind on Outland.

   According to an in-game quest, after returning severly wounded, Illidan began slipping into deep depression and growing madness as he lived his defeat by Arthas over and over again in his mind - eventually convincing himself that he had actually won the battle, rather than being defeated soundly as actually happened. Apparently (based on the announced Burning Crusade dungeons) while Illidan was slowly going insane, his Blood Elf and Naga followers were also digging deeper and deeper into the corrupting demonic magics available to them in Outland, and by the time of the expansion they will have become dangerous/evil enough that even the Blood Elves allied with the Horde will fight against them.

   Although the Draenei agreed to serve Illidan, it is likely that many (if not all) of them would break away after seeing the change coming over their allies - especially after having experienced the results of similiar events when the Orcs originally became corrupt and formed the Horde on Draenor. And with the re-opening of the Dark Portal, these Draenei could very well flee to Azeroth.

4. They have an extremely good reason to want to go back to Outland and defeat the demons there.

   Draenei on Azeroth, and apparently any other world beside Draenor/Outland, are affected with a severe homesickness - so much so that the majority of those currently on Azeroth have gone mad, while many of the rest have become so desperate and apathetic that they are even willing to accept help from Orcs (their most hated enemy) in the hopes that they can return home to Outland.

   Unlike these Draenei who have already sunk into their depression and madness, a group of Draenei newly arrived from Draenor would not be suffering the full effects of their homesickness. These Draenei would likely be much more active/fit than the others and would still have an intense hatred for Orcs, who they have still been fighting on Outland. Once they learned of the effects being away from Outland has on them, these Draenei would also become desperate to return to Outland and drive the demonic forces from it once and for all, so they might live there peacefully.

   With their hatred of the Orcs, and likely wariness of the Azerothian Blood Elves (due to the corruption among those on Outland), the only force capable of helping them in their goals would be the Alliance - just as the only force capable of helping the Blood Elves in THEIR goals is the Horde.

5. There is plenty of unused space in the Eastern Kingdoms, not far from where Draenei can currently be found.

   Draenei currently live in the Swamp of Sorrows, just north of the Blasted Lands. Only a bit further to the northeast, past Redridge, there is an unused zone visible on the world map. A group of Draenei newly arrived through the Dark Portal, and not wishing to live among their half-mad kin in the Swamp of Sorrows, could easily make their way to this zone. Other zones, such as the one east of Loch Modan and the Wetlands, could be connected to this first zone and used as their secondary levelling (10-20) area and/or location of their newly built capitol.

   However, placing the Draenei in the Eastern Kingdoms would upset the "continent balance" currently existing in WoW (equal races/starting areas per continent) and may cause problems with overpopulation. If Blizzard were to consider this important enough, there are several other areas that could support a new race besides the Eastern Kingdoms - from unused zones on Kalimdor to islands in the Great Sea. There is no proof that Blizzard considered the race balance between continents as a major factor of the expansion race choice however, and it is still possible that the starting areas for both races could be on the same continent.

6. They can provide assistance to the Alliance in Outland.

   Just as the Horde is said to have accepted the Blood Elves due to the strategic advantage provide by their connection to the Blood Elves already on Outland, which they hope will help in their fight against the Legion - the Alliance could accept the Draenei for THEIR knowledge of the current state of Outland, as well as the benefit provided by a race of master spies and assassins. This alliance would also seem to be one "of convenience", which is rumored to be one of the things Blizzard is going for with the Alliance race, and have somewhat unsteady relations between the Draenei and other Alliance races - similiar to the Forsaken and the Horde.

7. The Draenei would provide a more "Horde-ish" race for the Alliance.

   Just as the Blood Elves are giving the Horde a more "pretty" and "Alliance-like" race, the Draenei would provide the Alliance with a race that is uglier and more Horde-like in appearance. And just as the Blood Elves will theoretically draw more Alliance-oriented players to the Horde, this type of race could draw players who prefer the Horde's kind of races to the Alliance.

   The Draenei most likely to join the Alliance, those that have been on Outland until recently, would also likely be much more imposing and healthy/active looking than the homesick and insane ones currently on Azeroth. As any race being made into a playable race would have to receive a model upgrade of some kind (such as Blood Elves have already been shown to have received in the expansion) the playable Draenei would not necessarily look quite as bad as those potbellied, frail, and depressive looking examples we currently see in the Swamp of Sorrows. Having fought demons and Orcs for years, and become master assassins in the process, these Outland Draenei would likely be more muscular, fit (no potbelly), and fierce looking (no constant depressed expression on their face) - although they would still probably have the same 'dental problems' as the current Draenei do.

   There is also the possibility that a playable Draenei race could receive a 'prettier' model. According to Caydiem, the Draenei were once a beautiful race similiar to Humans - before the destruction of their world mutated them. It could be possible that a group of Draenei being made playable would somehow have avoided or reversed this mutation - meaning they would be close in appearance to the other Alliance races than to the Horde races. As an alternative, it might be possible that a major storyline of the Draenei (as mutated, but playable) could be finding a way to return themselves to their original, beautiful forms (much as the Blood elves are searching for ways to sate their crippling magic addiction) - eventually resulting in a character being able to choose to switch the 'ugly' Draenei model for a 'beautiful' Draenei model if they complete all the appropriate quests to find a cure.

8. At least as many possible classes as Blood Elves.

   Blood Elves are getting Warriors, Priests, Mages, Warlocks, with Rogues and/or Hunters still unannounced. So the Alliance race must have 5 or 6 possible class choices, to keep the current faction balance equal.

   Draenei are easily able to be Warriors, Rogues, Priests, and Hunters. Mages are also possible, based on the obsession among many Draenei of finding ways to open magical portals (an ability traditionally available to Mages) back to Outland - an interest which could easily lead them to study with the Alliance Mages. That gives them 5 class options to balance with the 5 options likely to be available to the Blood Elves. And even if Blizzard decides to give the Blood Elves 6 options (both Hunter AND Rogue) the Draenei have one more likely choice - Druid.

   Unlike any other known race from Draenor, the Draenei suffer horribly by being seperated from the world (Then there is the statement by Caydiem that the Draenei were mutated by the destruction of the planet - which doesn't seemed to have happened, atleast not so severely, to any other race on that world) which seems to indicate a special connection between their race and their homeworld - a connection that could easily be played upon to give them a "druidic" background and nature, making Druid a possible race choice.

   Warlocks are unlikely based on their past experiences with demons. Paladins are also unlikely since they have had little/no exposure to the religion of the [Holy Light].

   Even Shaman, which seems to be a part of their race in TFT, can be cut out: First off, the Alliance is not likely to EVER get a race with the Shaman class. Secondly, the Draenei have no lore-based history as a shamanistic race - the only evidence for them being shamanistic is the abilities of some Draenei units in TFT. In lore the Draenei are always kept seperate from the term "shamanistic" when the races of Draenor are spoken of (It is always "The shamanistic Orcs and the peaceful Draenei" - never "The shamanistic Orcs and Draenei") So the "shamanistic" traits apparently shown by their units in TFT could easily be glossed over, to be replaced with a more "druidic" culture that would support the Druid class as stated above.