First War #3: The Massacre of Telmor

"First War" series — First War #3. 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 Massacre of Telmor was the moment the war between orcs and draenei could no longer be undone. Telmor was a draenei village hidden by magic, where whole families lived. The orcs found it and killed almost everyone there, children included. For some orcs, it was a victory. For others, like Durotan, it was the first sign that their people were turning into something terrible.

Telmor, the hidden village

The draenei had learned to hide. After fleeing Kil'jaeden for thousands of years, they protected some of their villages with spells that made them invisible to anyone who did not know where to look. Telmor was one of them.

For the orcs, who were already being prepared for war by Gul'dan, a hidden village was proof that the draenei had something to hide. Kil'jaeden's lie, that the draenei were plotting against the orcs, seemed confirmed.

The attack

Warchief Blackhand forced Durotan to lead the attack, alongside Orgrim. Durotan had been to Telmor before and remembered the spell that hid the city. With that memory, he broke the illusion and left Telmor exposed. The attack was fast and brutal. The draenei defenders were killed, and the orcs did not stop at the warriors: they also killed those who could not fight.

Telmor was the first great massacre of the war. Until then, there had been ambushes and isolated clashes. After Telmor, it became a war of extermination.

What Telmor did to the orcs

For many orcs, the massacre was celebrated as a victory and a show of strength. Gul'dan and the warlocks used the victory to feed the hatred even more.

But not everyone celebrated. Durotan, of the Frostwolf clan, was shaken by the massacre he himself had been forced to lead. He understood war, but he did not understand killing children. Telmor planted a doubt in him that would grow until he became the only chieftain to refuse Mannoroth's blood, in the next episode.

Read more: The history of the orcs before Azeroth.

What Telmor did to the draenei

For the draenei, Telmor confirmed what Velen feared. The orcs were no longer neighbors, but Kil'jaeden's weapons. The draenei gathered the survivors and began strengthening the defenses of their largest city, Shattrath, the City of Light.

Velen knew the war would reach it. The question was when.

Read more: Velen: ten thousand years fleeing Kil'jaeden.

The war escalates

After Telmor, the war grew quickly:

• More draenei villages were attacked, one after another.
• Gul'dan's warlocks gained importance, because fel magic worked in war.
• Chieftains who hesitated started to be seen as weak.
• The clans, which used to live apart, began acting as a single army.

That army still had no name. Soon it would be called the Horde.

Episode timeline

1. The orcs, convinced by Kil'jaeden's lie, begin hunting the draenei.
2. On Blackhand's orders, Durotan breaks the spell hiding Telmor, and the Horde attacks.
3. The people of Telmor are killed, including those who could not fight.
4. The draenei gather the survivors and fortify Shattrath.
5. The clans begin acting together, as a single army.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Telmor | The draenei village hidden by magic, destroyed in the first great massacre of the war. | | Draenei | Velen's people, who had been fleeing Kil'jaeden since leaving Argus. | | Durotan | The chieftain of the Frostwolf clan, forced to lead the attack and shaken by the massacre. | | Gul'dan | The warlock who used the victory to feed the orcs' hatred. | | Velen | The draenei prophet, who began preparing Shattrath for war. |

Where to see it in WotLK

• Terokkar Forest and Nagrand, in Outland: the ruins of draenei villages and the Broken draenei who survived the war.
• Shattrath: the draenei city, rebuilt as a refuge of the naaru.
• The Exodar, on Azuremyst Isle: the descendants of the draenei who managed to escape Draenor.

Frequently asked questions

What was the Massacre of Telmor?

It was the first great orc attack on a draenei village, Telmor, which was hidden by magic. Almost all of its people were killed.

Why did the orcs attack Telmor?

Because Kil'jaeden and Gul'dan had convinced them that the draenei were a threat. The hidden village seemed to confirm the lie.

What did Telmor change in the war?

After Telmor, the war between orcs and draenei became a war of extermination, and the clans began acting as a single army, the Horde.

"First War" series

← Previous: First War #2: The Orc Chieftains Next → First War #4: The Fall of the City of Light

• First War #1: The clans of Draenor
• First War #2: The Orc Chieftains
• First War #3: The Massacre of Telmor (you are here)
• 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