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 Essay: Nature Religion
Gilthas
Posted: Jul 20 2005, 01:28 PM


Advisor unto the Ancients
**********
Posts: 1614
Class: Druid


(From the World of Warcraft pen-and-paper RPG, Chapter 14, Magic in Warcraft)

Nature
This branch of divine magic is almost entirely the province of one race. Night elves follow no faith but that of Elune, while honoring the other Ancients. Although all night elves pay tribute to Elune, those who truly hear her soft song choose the healer class and follow the path of either the druid or the priest.

Most of the inhabitants of northern Kalimdor — namely the night elves, but also the furbolgs and the satyrs — worship or revere the Ancients. The night elves worship Azeroth’s only deity, the eternal moon goddess Elune. They revere most of the other Ancients, especially Cenarius, the only Ancient to spend considerable time on the physical plane. They also honor the moon goddess’s companions, including Agamaggan, Aviana and Malorne. The furbolgs venerate the bear twins, Ursoc and Ursol; and the evil satyrs revere Lord Xavius. The Ancients rarely interfere with life on Azeroth, but these races hold fast in their fervent beliefs that the Ancients exist and are watching events unfold.

Adherents from these races do not receive their power directly from the Ancients they worship; their faith allows them to tap into an inner spark, focus divine energy and cast spells.

Elune
The Kaldorei venerated Elune, the moon goddess, even before they discovered the Well of Eternity ten thousand years ago. They revered her fellow Ancients, honoring them highly, but reserved their true adoration for the Lady they believed slept within the Well of Eternity during the daylight hours.

She has earned the right to be called a goddess, as she is the most powerful of Azeroth’s Ancients. She has protected the world throughout the ages, guiding her children and calming violence. She refuses to raise her hand in anger, and fights her battles by using her magic to force all around her to lay down their arms.

Her power was formidable, and she guided all races well until arcane magic tainted the world and brought the Burning Legion to the land. She watched in horror as arcane magic perverted her children and allowed demons to nearly destroy the world that she had nurtured. After the war, she helped to heal the land, working with the night elves in seclusion to protect the forests. Her work was destroyed again with the coming of the Horde and the return of the Burning Legion, and no one knows if she will attempt to help Azeroth a second time.

Night elves revere her unconditionally, and other races are beginning to recognize her as the one power that could bring peace to the world. Races such as the furbolgs and even the tauren respect her power even if they follow other paths of faith. Some Alliance races are joining the night elves to follow the path of Elune, seeing that she is the path to peace.

Cenarius
Cenarius is the son of Elune and Malorne. He was the self-appointed protector of the forests and friend to the night elves. He worked directly with the night elf druids, but many other races also venerate him for his protection.

Cenarius played a key role in the War of the Ancients by waking the sleeping dragons and convincing them that the world needed their power. Like his mother, he helped the night elves repair their shattered world after the war, although he did so by working side-by-side with the beings of the forests.

Cenarius fell in battle to the demon-maddened Grom Hellscream during the Third War. However, the night elves believe he sleeps in the Emerald Dream while his wounds heal, and that he will some day join them again.

Other Ancients
There are other Ancients recognized by those who follow the path of natural divine magic. Some are reported to have fallen during the War of the Ancients, but many residents of Kalimdor’s forests believe that they merely sleep in the Emerald Dream, waiting to be called to aid Kalimdor again.

Malorne the Waywatcher, who takes the form of a great stag, is theorized to be older than Elune herself. He is her companion and the father of Cenarius. His image is one of peace and steadfast determination, and he spent many of the world’s early years patrolling the forests to protect the night elves and other races from harm. Night elf histories have him falling in battle during the First War with the Burning Legion, but they believe he has returned to Elune’s side or sleeps in the Emerald Dream.

Furbolgs and night elves revere the bear twins, Ursoc and Ursol. They were friendly and helpful in the early days of Azeroth’s history, attending festivals and delighting children. Ursoc was a brewer, making ales that even today the furbolgs try to mimic; and Ursol was an artisan, carving statues from dead trees. These brothers fought against Queen Azshara and her demon army and fell in battle ten thousand years ago.

The night elves and especially the quilboar honor Agamaggan, the boar who grew massive upon his diet of troll flesh. He was instrumental in the first defeat of the Burning Legion, and fell at the hands of the pit lord Mannoroth.

Aviana was a raven blessed by Elune to be a messenger. Elune and the other Ancients granted the raven powers until the bird became an Ancient herself. She studied magic with the Kaldorei until she felt the pull of arcane addiction and turned from that path. She is revered by those who believe that one can turn one’s back on the evil of the arcane.

Some, particularly the naga, pay homage to Queen Azshara, the Kaldorei queen who drove her people to ruin. She plumbed the depths of the arcane and was the ultimate sorceress. Some say that Azshara has become an Ancient and lurks beneath the waves, biding her time to reclaim her worldly power.

Lastly, the satyrs of Kalimdor’s perverted forests worship Lord Xavius, a former student of Queen Azshara and her arcane arts. He sows discord and mistrust, and his satyr children take their trickster natures from his guidance.
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