A Personal Perspective
The Primary Races of Azeroth
Human - “The humans give me a mixed array of judgements. At one hand they are dangerous, too short lived and too quick to grasp at dangerous, volatile magics and just magic in general. Their rapid growth over the years is nothing but an astounding phenomenon, and many figures of their people have proven to have as much potential destruction as Deathwing. On the other hand, they’re an inspiration. I once thought their short lives to be a pity, and burden onto them. I see it now as a challenge by the gods. Their life is short, yet the press on, experience so much - put themselves through so much only to become something greater. In a simple span of a year for these humans, they can turn from a novice of the arcane to an skillful adept. I need to watch them more closely; dangerous, but very, very interesting.”
Kaldorei - “To be entirely honest I am unsure what to feel for my own people. Much of Azeroth’s pain is by our own doing. Our thirst for knowledge and power ultimately lead to the Legion’s invasion and attention on this realm. Ultimately, it lead to the loss of our immortality and hundreds of thousands of lives as penance for our sins. The fact that we have come so far, to go to such lengths to atone is...beautiful. Paleriver always said our people would one day incur fate’s wrath. How ironic that his foreshadowing was truth, rather than typical pessimism. I am unsure what to feel for my own race’s doings, but I am proud of my people regardless. if I didn’t have pride in my own people, what sort of Kaldorei would I be?”
Dwarf - “Ah, the Dwarves. The titans’ mythical and legendary image made... short and stubborn. Their ferocity in battle and tenacity in life is comparable to the Orcs. Truthfully I have not associated with many Dwarves to have an earnest opinion on them. Much of my knowledge of these people of stone come from others. Drunk, fierce, hearty, hospitable, and all-around pleasant to be around. The Tauren regarded them well in the past. I suppose I will do the same, if I ever were to befriend a Dwarf.”
Draenei - “Another enigma to me - the Draenei. The only Draenei I have had the privilege of frequenting in brief conversation is Masnira ( @enigmatic-elegance ). She is wise, too wise. She knows much more than she lets on, which is likely the truth in most of her alien people. I do not trust her completely, much less the magic she controls. You do not control the Shadow, the Shadow allows you to harness it, while feeding off your mind. I’ve seen several Priestesses of Elune fall to the madness. I wonder how far along the madness is Masnira? Singular Draenei aside, their people are two sides of a very strange coin. I hear tales and witness great valor and inspiration. Their prowess with magic even outshines the oldest Highborne’s ability. Their age and wisdom of lands-- planets-- I could not even begin to imagine piques my interest to no end. And yet... I see these powerful, l graceful people ‘slumming’ it within taverns within Stormwind. A dying people that leaves both a pitiful and glorious legacy. What... truly are the Draenei? A colorful race of clowns, whores and mystics? Or something so far beyond anyone’s understanding...”
Worgen - “The Nightbane were a curse to Azeroth, in my most blunt of opinions. Nature magic twisted and taken too far. The Gilneans.... are something else. While they are basically furry humans... I wonder of their future. Because of the curse, are their life spans extended? Will the curse ever subside, or will it take control of the Gilnean people entirely? The Worgen however, interest me. I will enjoy seeing their progress over the next century or so. Will they prosper, or fall to the curse? Hold on, I know of one Nightbane who wasn’t a curse: Graeldelon Bloodrage. Such a silly name, don’t you think? He was kind however. Perhaps too kind to the point where the lines between beast and man blurred. A guard dog, and almost nothing more. Imagining him commanding a troop? Nigh impossible.”
Forsaken - “Death is a natural part of life. To die means to return to the earth and let your spirit rest. We, as druids, are taught to not take death lightly, but to not grieve too heavily either. It is the natural cycle after all. I forgot this teaching when my mother died, I screamed at the heavens for my mother to return. The forsaken are an abomination that must be eradicated. I respect the tenacity of Sylvanas - to create an empire out of corpses and former Scourge, but respect does not mean acceptance. Greymane had best succeed in destroying Sylvanas and her people. While his judgements are clouded because of revenge, I agree with his wishes. Revenge is petty, even I as one who sought revenge, know of its unsatisfying return. We must destroy the Forsaken in time, for now we must unite to destroy the Legion.”
Orc - “Filth, every single one of them. They come from a foreign world and do not even attempt peace, no thanks to the humans and their like mindedness. War, and more war. Instead of focusing on the greater threat, we chose to focus on each other - to form this Alliance and Horde to pit our races in devastating wars, and for what? Glory? Honor? Land? Idiotic. At least some of their people have sense. The Shamanistic Orcs of the Earthen Ring seem to have a better idea for peace, and what it means for Azeroth. Thrall is a fool, Hellscream was a greater fool. I’d rather the lesser of two evils upon the mantle of their ‘warchief’. With their kind so bloodthirsty and hungry for battle, peace and unification is but a distant dream.”
Gnome - “They amuse and terrify me. Their contraptions and machinery see to the advancement of the Alliance, but...everything just explodes or some other malfunction! Keep their machinery away from me, but keep the company close. They are amusing in the way they speak, and maybe some of the most friendly people in all of Azeroth. Of course, much like the dwarves I’ve had very little experience with their race. There was this one Gnome however... very sweet but much too sexualized and flirtatious. I will need to at ‘extremely malleable’ to my observations. For their size, they sure can intake larger things...”
Sin’dorei - “I detest the Highborne, but the Sin’dorei? Truthfully, I respect and pity them. A proud, powerful race that simply had fate play against them, thus making them hostile with nearly all races. Thus, making them a dying, nearly extinct race much like the Draenei. They are trapped and alone, though the Horde has accepted them, it doesn’t seem like a pleasant relationship. The Alliance would never consider their assistance, and that ideal is reciprocated by the Sin’dorei thanks to Jaina Proudmoore and past humans. I would like to meet a Sin’dorei, within neutral ground, under friendly terms. Maybe make business deals with such a creature. I had heard their food and drinks are exquisite...”
Troll - “I once fell in love with a Troll, you know? Though ‘empires’ were at ‘war’, if you could call it that, there were still those that hadn’t a care to give for the conflict and much preferred to simply live life freely, without judgement from elders or leaders. A more...rebellious time in my life to be sure. We hardly understood each other but still...became friends. After the language barrier slowly closed, something more began to unfold. My own...personal experiences aside, the Trolls I believe to be a race similar to the Tauren in their way of ideals. Shamanistic, tribal, but as civilized as Stormwind’s roads. If... you can call Stormwind nowadays ‘civil’. Those within the Cenarion Circle - upon Val’sharah and Moonglade - amazingly kindhearted and mystic. While their ideas about our Wild Gods to be perceived as Loa is... strange and ultimately wrong, it is easy to look past that and find more similarities than differences. Just as the humans, the Kaldorei, the Dwarves - they fight for their beliefs and not just to conquer and create destruction. Not anymore at least.
Goblin - “Ah, the Goblins... I both love and hate their kind. I hate their pillaging of our native land for resources without even the slightest permission, war broke out because of those damned green midgets and larger green brutes. Their machinery is more volatile and terrifying than that of the Gnomes. What even is this ‘rocket fuel’? It powers much of their contraptions and seems extremely unstable. They rip Azeroth asunder to find the resource.... maddening. In hindsight, I’m not entirely sure who their are allied loyally to, themselves? Most likely themselves. The Cartels and those within Booty Bay are quite... friendly, if shrewd, and perhaps a bit lewd. If I can a silver coin for how many times I’ve had advances, I’d...likely have enough to exchange for a gold coin. If I had a gold coin for each time I was called ‘toots’? Enough to purchase a home in Stormwind. To me, them and the Gnomes share very little differences. Goblins are only larger, meaner, and much more green. Amusing really, if i had to choose between having relations with a Goblin or a Gnome... I’d rather apply myself to those green creatures.”
Tauren - “My favorite race of people on this land would be none other than the Tauren. If we all lived as the Mulgore Tauren do, the world would be united, peaceful, and ready to stand against any threat at any moment. Such powerful, stoic beings. As a Kaldorei, I have nothing but the utmost respect for them. As myself, I cannot help but feel oddly attracted and curious to the Tauren people. Powerful enough to shatter a tree with one fell swoop, yet instead of mongering for war, they choose to live peacefully and be one with their Earth Mother. Truly, there isn’t much I can say about the Tauren people. They are... indescribable with words to me. One would need to witness their overpowering sense of life and strength to truly understand why I hold such an infatuation with them. I’d much prefer Archdruid Runetotem leading the druid practice, but such a fantasy will stay just that.”
Pandaren - “I know little to nothing about the Pandaren people, other than the fact that their culture and food is extraordinary. I’ve managed to speak with one on a rare occasion of myself in the city. He told me that their lives were fairly peaceful and unburdened until the war between Azeroth’s greatest factions was brought to their island. So he says, I find it hard to believe that there would be a world without some conflict. Granted, he was quite the heavy drinker... I smelled his native brew the moment he spoke. A brew I tried myself and... well I understood why he drank it so much. I wish to visit Pandaria one day, just me and whomever wished to join me for an entire year. A vacation to escape from life and simply... experience a land so vastly diverse.”
(Tagging @everyone because I think it’d be neat to hear the views other people have on other races! Everyone sees things differently, what does your character see the world’s populace as?)
