The forces of the Old Gods are a vaguely united "faction" of all the entities and organizations that serve the Old Gods. This page is an attempt to list them. In recent times its members either serve the Old Gods directly, or just ally with Deathwing, to achieve their own objectives with the support of the Old Gods.
Although they suffered a crushing defeat long ago, and the Old Gods along with most of their minions had been imprisoned, the Old Gods' activities on Azeroth have been steadily increasing, culminating in the Cataclysm, when they launched a major offensive in a attempt to expand their influence and eventually reshape Azeroth to their wishes. As the Old Gods are behind most of the plots in Warcraft one way or another, this list of forces under their "control" is expansive.
A cult created out of the now defunct Twilight's Hammer orcish clan, they now enslave the elements around them and give their lives for promises of eternal power.
The Twilight Council are a group that also lead the cult, it is presumed they rule solely after the death of Cho'gall, it's only known member is High Priestess Azil.[8]
Before Cho'gall or the Twilight Council the cult acted on the orders of the Abyssal Council a powerful group of elemental nobles.[9]
The cult has various members the most notable are:
Many Bound elementals have been found serving the Twilight Hammer member.
Black Dragonflight and the Servants of Deathwing
Led by the Aspect of Death Deathwing the Worldbreaker, formerly the benevolent Neltharion the Earth-Warder, Aspect of Earth and the Black Dragoflight, driven mad and corrupted by the Old Gods.[17][18]
The remnants of the world tree Vordrassil, which houses the city Grizzlemaw, is under yogg-saron influence together with it's inhabitants, the polar furbolg.[35]
The Iron dwarves are capable of bending the stone giants to their will by the use of runes, turning them into Runed Giants.
Many Night elf druids have betrayed the Cenarion circle in Hyjal, and joined Ragnaros, using his power instead of nature called the Druid of the Flame.
Used to work for the old gods before the imprisonment in the Elemental planes.
Organization and former members
Before the coming of the titans, the old gods had control over the elementals and they acted on the battlefield, the same cannot be said in current times when the old gods are still weakened by the titans' attack and imprisonment eons ago, they whisper and corrupt powerful individuals so their armies can help them complete the Hour of Twilight, the mysterious objective of their forces.
The Faceless ones and the forgotten ones directly serve the old gods and the old gods fancy Hydra demigods, like Akumai and Garhzilla has pets.
Silithid led by a Qiraji Prophet
Ahn'Qiraj
Ahn'Qiraj is a fortress city in southern silithus, and it's the home of the qiraji a race descended from the aqir, that were shaped by C'thun, from the silithid. They first threatened the world with the War of the Shifting Sands, where they were sealed inside their own fortress city.[36]
They tried a new offensive but utterly failed against the Might of Kalimdor, ending with the death of the Twin Emperors, rulers of the qiraji, and with them their master C'thun.[58]
Cho'gall and the Twilight Hammer took over Ahn'Qiraj while he mutated, and tried using C'thun's corpse to corrupt the Med'an the soon-to-be Guardian.[59]
Ulduar's Corruption and the Iron Army
Ulduar is where the old god Yogg-Saron was sealed, but it wasn't strong enough to stop his influence from spreading over the milleniums, corrupting the Prime-designate Loken[27], the other Titanic watchers (Frejya, Hodir, Mimiron and Thorim)[60][61], and other titanic constructs, like giants[31][32].
With control over the Forge of Wills, the corrupted Loken started creating a new army like many other's of the titan's creation's (earthen, giants and vrykul) but made of iron instead of stone and empowered by runes.[62]
However the Explorers League together with the Kirin Tor and the Horde mounted an offensive against Yogg-Saron's forces and managed to kill him and save the corrupted watchers, except for Loken which was killed earlier by heroes in the Halls of Lightning, and with the death of the Prime designate, Algalon the observer came to Azeroth to judge its corruption in order to re-originate it.
Deathwing servants
Neltharion the Earthwarder[17] was corrupted during the War of the Ancients into the service of the Old Gods, and with him his dragonflight, and renamed himself Deathwing. [18]
However he suffered wounds too great in the events of the Day of the Dragon and had to retreat into Deepholm to heal himself[63], beating the stone dragons into submission to serve him[22], in his absence Sintharia his mate, and his two sons Onyxia and Nefarian took over his dragonflight.
Onyxia tried to control Stormwind much like his father tried to control Lordaeron, but was eventually found and killed by Varian in her lair.[7]
Nefarian tried to create a new army, he recruited the many races of the Dark Horde, and stole the eggs of the other dragonflights and created the short lived Chromatic Dragonflight, among other experiments, he was killed by heroes.[64][65]
Sintharia travelled to Outland to recruit the Fel Horde, [66] and experimented with egg of the Nether dragonflight to create the most powerful dragons in Azeroth: the Twilight dragons, however she was killed by her own creation Dargonax.[21]
With the Cataclysm, Deathwing and his flight returned and resurrected Sinestra and Nefarian as undead, the latter which resurrected his sister onyxia, reinforced by Sinestra creation the Twilight Dragonflight, they allied with the elemental lords, Ragnaros of the Firelands, and Al'akir of the Skywall, and together with the Twilight Hammer they work to bring the Hour of Twilight.[16]
Emerald Nightmare
The emerald nightmare is a infection of corruption in the emerald dream, a realm designed as the titans plans for Azeroth, sparked by the Old God N'Zoth[51]. It turns makes sleeping people into "Unwaking" and turned some of Ysera's noble brood into shadows of their former selves.[50]
It's led by the Nightmare Lord Xavius, the first satyr, but was beaten back to the Rift of Aln by Malfurion. however the Nightmare still influences Azeroth, as shown by the regrowth in Southern Barrens during the Cataclysm.[50]
Twilight Hammer Cult
The Twilight Hammer Cult is a former orcish clan off the planet Draenor that has turned into a destructive cult hell-bent of reshaping the world of Azeroth. Originally based in Sithilus in the mist of the cataclysm they have been found to recruit member of both the Alliance and The Horde with doomsayers claiming the destruction of the world itself and promising its members glory and power. Other then the Horde and Alliance they have influenced weaker or desperate factions, including the almost extinct sand trolls and the rebellious dark iron dwarves, led by Cho'gall and the Twilight Council, they attempt to claim the Twilight Highlands for the Old Gods who they believe the world's true masters, and eventually all of Azeroth itself.[67] More recently with the fall of Cho'gall at the hands of Azeroth's champions Archbishop Benedictus now dubbing himself the "Twilight Father" has risen to guide the remains of the cult.
Empire of Nazjatar
In the end of the war of the ancients, after the shattering happened, queen azshara and the highborne tried their best to keep the waters at bay, but struck a pact with a mysterious power that turned them into the reptile Naga.[68]
Now as underwater inhabitants in a sunken city they worked their way into shaping a underwater empire, enslaving many aquatic races like murlocs, and taming many beasts like tube wyrms, coualt, dragon turles and snap dragons, with Azshara leading them and against beings like Leviroth and the Kvaldir[69].
In recent times they have begun invading land, controlling the echo isles for a short while[70], and some supported Illidan in the outlands before his death in the hands of Akama and Maiev[71].
In the Cataclysm they have begun a campaign in Vash'jir against the elemental lord of water, Neptulon and his servants in a attempt to obtain his trident that controls the seas, and his realm the Abyssal maws[72].
Elemental Planes
In ages past, the Old Gods controlled the elementals through their lieutenants, the elemental lords. However, the lieutenants were defeated by the Titans, and then imprisoned within the Elemental Planes.[73]
Nowadays, the Old Gods have little control over the elementals. Only Al'akir and Ragnaros allied with Deathwing, the Old Gods' tool, while Therazane and Neptulon directly oppose them.[16]
Skywall and Al'akir
Free from the imprisonment of the Skywall, Al'akir and his air elementals quickly joined forces with Deathwing in a attempt to obtain the re-origination device the titans left in Uldum. To fight the Tol'vir, his ancient enemies, he called the support of the Conclave of the Winds and Skywall's many denizens.[74]
Firelands and Ragnaros
Ragnaros allied with Deathwing when he was promised to burn Azeroth together with his minions, without Therazane or Neptulon interference, he decided to start with the world tree of Nordrassil with the support of the Twilight Hammer[16], prompting the druids of the Cenarion Circle and the Ancient Guardians to oppose him, he was beaten back to the Firelands by Cenarius, Hamuul and Malfurion[75], and after some days of preparations, the druids are prepared to invade the Firelands and kill Ragnaros forever.[76]
Deepholm and Therazane
Therazane however hasn't liked the old gods plans for Deepholm her prison, after Deathwing broke the world pillar, endangering her plane and azeroth [77], and a invasion by the twilight hammer[78], she and her kin made a temporary alliance with the earthen ring to solve those problems[79], that the old gods indirectly caused.
After the pillar is rebuilt she requests the Hero for help her rebuild Deepholm, damaged by the old gods' forces.[80]
Abyssal Maw and Neptulon
Neptulon was attacked by the naga backed by the old god's faceless ones, in a attempt to conquer his realm, and after a confrontation with Lady Nazjar and Ozumat he was beaten back to the Abyssal Maw, the heroes attempted to rescue him[81], but ultimately failed as Neptulon was quickly taken away by Ozumat.[82]
Beyond Azeroth
More old gods exist beyond the five of azeroth, but it takes significant power to summon them[42], and their influence can be seen, mostly in the Outlands.
The Sethekk and the Dark ConclaveArakkoa serve a mysterious master, and the latter group, magically augmented by Gul'dan's curse, attempt to summon their master, which they call it a ancient and powerful evil. He looks similar to C'thun, another old god, and when the hidden mob name is revealed, he's called a Summoned Old God.[42]
The Black Blood of Draenor are oozes and the oozes of azeroth have been various times associated with the old gods, and it's very similar in name to Black Blood of Yogg-Saron, a ore made from the blood of the Old god Yogg-Saron.[83]
Harbinger Skyriss is a servant of the old gods, a qiraji prophet much like Prophet Skeram of Ahn'qiraj, is imprisoned in the Arcatraz of Tempest Keep. According to A'dal, he seeks to usher his masters' vision of conquering all of the worlds in the universe. [84]
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.
Capital?
It can be argued that the Old Gods' prisons are the capitals of their forces. They are: