First War #2: The Orc Chieftains

"First War" series — First War #2. The story of Warcraft I, from the clans of Draenor to the fall of Stormwind. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

The corruption of the orcs began with a lie told to the most respected orc in Draenor. The demon Kil'jaeden appeared to the shaman Ner'zhul disguised as the spirit of his dead wife and convinced him that the draenei were a threat. When Ner'zhul found out the truth and tried to back away, Kil'jaeden switched pawns: he picked Ner'zhul's apprentice, Gul'dan. This episode shows how the chieftains were dragged into war and why the elements turned their backs on the orcs.

The false spirit of Rulkan

Kil'jaeden found the draenei on Draenor and decided to destroy them, but without showing himself. He looked for the leader the orcs trusted most, Ner'zhul, of the Shadowmoon clan.

Kil'jaeden appeared to Ner'zhul in the form of the spirit of Rulkan, the shaman's dead wife. The false spirit said the draenei were plotting against the orcs and that his people were in danger. For a shaman, the advice of an ancestor spirit was sacred, and Ner'zhul believed it.

The warning at Oshu'gun

Before leading the clans to war, Ner'zhul went to Oshu'gun, the sacred mountain, to speak with the ancestors. There he met the true spirit of Rulkan. She told him he had been tricked and that the creature speaking to him was a demon.

Ner'zhul tried to turn back. But he had already started preparing the clans for war, and Kil'jaeden was not going to accept losing his tool.

Gul'dan, the apprentice

Ner'zhul had an ambitious apprentice: Gul'dan. Kil'jaeden saw that Gul'dan wanted power more than anything else and offered him exactly that: fel magic, demonic power, in exchange for loyalty.

Gul'dan accepted. He learned warlock magic and began teaching it to other orcs, who became the first warlocks. Ner'zhul was pushed aside, and Gul'dan became the real power behind the clans.

Read more: Ner'zhul and the origin of the Scourge and The Council of the Black Harvest: the warlocks of Azeroth.

The elements abandon the orcs

As the orcs used more and more fel magic and got ready for war, the spirits of the elements stopped answering the shamans. Earth, fire, water and air went silent.

For the orcs, it was a shock. The shamans, who had always guided the people, were left without power. Many became warlocks, because it was the only power that still worked. This is the end of orc shamanism for many years, until Thrall brings it back with Drek'Thar.

The chieftains

The clan chieftains reacted in different ways:

• Blackhand, of the Blackrock clan, liked the idea of a war and the power that came with it. He would be chosen as Warchief, a figure Gul'dan could control.
• Grom Hellscream, of the Warsong clan, wanted battle and glory, and was always among the first to charge.
• Durotan, of the Frostwolf clan, distrusted everything. He did not like the new magic, and he did not like Gul'dan.
• Orgrim, Durotan's childhood friend, was also suspicious, but he fought alongside his people.

The war against the draenei was ready to begin.

Episode timeline

1. Kil'jaeden appears to Ner'zhul disguised as Rulkan.
2. Ner'zhul starts preparing the clans for war against the draenei.
3. At Oshu'gun, the true spirit of Rulkan reveals the lie.
4. Kil'jaeden swaps Ner'zhul for Gul'dan and teaches him fel magic.
5. The elements stop answering the orc shamans.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Kil'jaeden | The eredar demon who hunted the draenei and wanted to use the orcs to destroy them. | | Ner'zhul | The shaman of the Shadowmoon clan, deceived by Kil'jaeden. Later, the first Lich King. | | Rulkan | Ner'zhul's dead wife, whose spirit Kil'jaeden imitated. | | Gul'dan | Ner'zhul's apprentice, who accepted fel magic and became the first great orc warlock. | | Blackhand | The chieftain of the Blackrock clan, chosen as Warchief. | | Durotan | The chieftain of the Frostwolf clan, who distrusted Gul'dan from the start. |

Where to see it in WotLK

• Nagrand, in Outland: Oshu'gun, the sacred mountain of the ancestors, is still there.
• Shadowmoon Valley: the homeland of Ner'zhul and the Shadowmoon clan.
• Icecrown: the final destination of Ner'zhul's spirit, which becomes the Lich King.
• Ragefire Chasm, in Orgrimmar: the Searing Blade cult, a sect of the Shadow Council, shows that orc warlock magic still exists in WoW.

Frequently asked questions

How did Kil'jaeden deceive Ner'zhul?

He appeared disguised as the spirit of Rulkan, Ner'zhul's dead wife, and said the draenei were a threat to the orcs.

Who was the first orc warlock?

Gul'dan, Ner'zhul's apprentice, who accepted the power of fel magic offered by Kil'jaeden.

Why did the orc shamans lose their powers?

Because the elements stopped answering the orcs once they started using fel magic and preparing for war.

"First War" series

← Previous: First War #1: The clans of Draenor Next → First War #3: The Massacre of Telmor

• First War #1: The clans of Draenor
• First War #2: The Orc Chieftains (you are here)
• First War #3: The Massacre of Telmor
• First War #4: The Fall of the City of Light
• First War #5: The Opening of the Dark Portal
• First War #6: The Invasion of Azeroth
• First War #7: Meeting Medivh
• First War #8: The Guardian
• First War #9: The Emissary
• First War #10: Revelations
• First War #11: Confronting the Magus