Proverb: The Vials of Eternity

Proverb is a column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns!

The Great Sundering

One of the lore-richest eras in Warcraft history is the War of the Ancients, in large part due to the trilogy by Richard A. Knaak. I confess that I have only read the first book in the trilogy, but I am working on the rest.

The War of the Ancients took place about 10,000 years ago. In short, a sect of night elf sorcerers, called Highborne, wielded arcane energy using the power of a body of water called the Well of Eternity to summon the Burning Legion into the Azeroth, and a great war ensued. The origin of the well is unclear; some sources claim that the Titans created the well when they were shaping Azeroth, but this conflicts with some of the implications in the War of the Ancients trilogy. In any case, it was a endless fount of magical energies that attracted the interests of demons and sorcerers alike. When the war between mortals and demons came to the Well at the Battle of Zin’Azshari, Illidan Stormrage filled seven vials with waters from the well. When the night elves were able to seal off the demonic portal at the Well, a great cataclysm occurred, called The Great Sundering of the world (also referred to as The Cataclysm, which is why most people are certain that this will be the theme of the next WoW expansion). The single continent of Kalimdor shattered into several land masses, and the Well of Eternity became a swirling vortex in the center of the Great Sea known as the Maelstrom.

Illidan created a second Well of Eternity on the top of Mount Hyjal using three vials from the original Well. The night elves condemned the creation of a second Well, as reckless use of the first one nearly destroyed Azeroth. Illidan was condemned to confinement, and was not released until about 10,000 years later, during the Third War. At some point, he gave one of the vials to the Highborne, which ended up in the hands of Dath’Remar Sunstrider. Dath’Remar and the Highborne were exiled, and fled to the east. They washed up in Tirisfal and founded the new high elven nation of Quel’thalas. There, they built the wondrous city of Silvermoon and used Dath’Remar’s vial to create the Sunwell.

I suppose his jailers didn’t think to search his body, as he seems to have retained the remaining 3 vials during his imprisonment. Soridormi later claims in the Burning Crusade that they were thought to be lost, but it doesn’t seem like they looked very hard. Upon his release and exile from Kalimdor, and his defeat at the hands of Arthas, Illidan fled to Outland with with new lieutenants, Kael’thas Sunstrider and Lady Vashj. Kael’thas became the second in the Sunstrider dynasty to posses a vial, though players in The Burning Crusade recover this vial and the one held by Lady Vashj and give them to Soridormi, who uses them to create the portal in the Caverns of Time that goes to the Battle of Mount Hyjal. The vials were not consumed, and Soridormi retains these two vials.

The final vial is not quite accounted for, as Illidan should have been the possessor. Illidan was killed by players at the Temple of Karabor (Black Temple), and his vial was not mentioned. It is unclear if he really held the vial at the time of his death or if he chose another person to claim it, or if he even lost it. It is possible that someone else claimed the vial after his death. If the next expansion really is Maelstrom based, I predict we will see the three remaining vials again. With Nozdormu’s possible insanity and his possible role of leader of the Infinite Dragonflight, Soridormi may play a major role. I bet Nozdormu will eventually need to be defeated, and with the theme of the former site of the first Well of Eternity, maybe we will see the current Hyjal open to players and Azshara may have some nefarious scheme with the vials.

Thanks for the comments on the last post! I always learn a lot from our readers, so keep helping me learn about the history of Warcraft. Let me know what you want to see in future editions of Proverb, and if you like more speculation or my recounting of the lore.