The eredar are a race of supremely talented magic-wielders who arose on the planet Argus countless millennia ago. Exceptionally skilled in magic, their mastery of the arcane arts were renowned throughout the scattered worlds of the Great Dark Beyond. [2] Led by a triumvirate of wise and powerful leaders — Kil’jaeden, Archimonde and Velen — they built a vast civilization of wondrous cities and a peaceful way of life on their home world.

However, 25,000 years ago, the Dark Titan Sargeras shattered the tranquility of Argus by offering the eredar immeasurable knowledge and power. [3] The eredar were a knowledge-seeking race, as such Kil’jaeden and Archimonde accepted Sargeras’ offer. The titan bathed the eredar in his fel might, and turned them into demonic members of the Burning Legion. Velen and his followers however managed to flee Argus with the help of the divine naaru, who would rename them draenei, or “Exiled Ones”.

The draenei refer to their corrupted brethren as man’ari (pronounced man-ah-ree) [4] , or “unnatural beings”. The word “eredar” designates both the demonic, man’ari eredar as well as the original eredar race, of which the draenei are representative, but mostly for the former as it has developed a negative connotation. The original eredar are also referred to as the Ancient Eredar. [5] The man’ari now act as some of the most powerful weapons in the Burning Legion’s arsenal. [3] Skilled sorcerers in both fel and shadow magics, they are often found in command of contingents of demon forces. [6] When facing eredar of great power, large armies are useless for the most part. Their corruptive powers over mortal souls are such that only the strongest-willed can even stand face to face with them. [7]

Contents

History

Long ago, on the planet of Argus, the noble and enigmatic [8] eredar race arose. They are one of the oldest known races in the universe. [9] They were extremely intelligent and had a natural affinity for magic in all of its forms. Using their gifts, they developed a vast and wondrous society, [10] in which art, science, magic and technology were all as one. [11] Their society was powered by argunite. [12] [13] They were a >[14] though it had been a gift bestowed upon them by the naaru in ancient times. [15] The eredar were apparently ruled by political regimes under the rule of multiple capable persons. The Second Duumvirate consisted of Kil’jaeden and Velen. [16] [17] Velen was an exceptional master of holy magic, who once used T’uure, a holy artifact of the naaru, to cure a curse that robbed the eredar of their mental capabilities. [18] An order of eredar mages called the Wakeners under the leadership of Thal’kiel first delved into the Vo >[16] [19] The eredar hunted great horned beasts for sport, [20]

The dark titan Sargeras, in order to create a great Legion, planned to bolster his ranks by creating demons. [21] He was attracted by the eredar’s magical affinity, and contacted them under the guise of a benevolent being, promising their three leaders, Archimonde, Kil’jaeden, and Velen, vast powers and that he would use his power to transform their race into an even greater one so they may spread his universal union. A troubling vision soon came to Velen, who saw the eredar transformed into unspeakable demons. But despite Velen’s misgivings, Archimonde and Kil’jaeden agreed to join Sargeras’ Burning Legion. [22] The eredar were the first sentient race to pledge their allegiance to Sargeras. Knowing that other sentient beings would inevitably join the Legion, the eredar declared that their primary language, Eredun, would be the Legion’s common language. [21] Argus became a demon world, and the stronghold of the Burning Legion. [23]

With his fellow eredar already becoming corrupted by demonic power, Velen, along with those who would follow him, split from the man’ari — who were, by now, a “twisted demonic reflection of” the original eredar [24] — on Argus with the help of the naaru, renaming themselves the draenei, or “exiled ones” in Eredun. [22] The man’ari continued to call themselves “eredar” [24] under Kil’jaeden and were infuriated with what they perceived as a betrayal. They hunted Velen and the draenei across dozens of worlds for thousands of years as the draenei used a massive naaru dimensional ship called the Genedar to escape. Every time it seemed that the draenei had found a new home, the Burning Legion would fall upon them. One such world was Fanlin’Deskor, whose surface was ripped apart by the Legion, after which nothing was left behind. [25] The indigenous races of many worlds were oftentimes mutated by the eredar’s malevolent warlock powers and turned into demons themselves.

Both factions continued to use the Eredun language, though specific dialects have evolved: the demonic Eredun and Draenei languages.

The draenei traveled through most of the cosmos and eventually discovered another, safer world to settle down upon. They named this world Draenor, or “exiles’ refuge”. At first there was peace with the native orcs living there, and they struck up trade and diplomacy with the shamanistic race. But soon the draenei’s existence there was discovered by Kil’jaeden via his agent, Talgath. This time, however, Kil’jaeden dec >[22] The draenei used the dimensional ship known as the Exodar, a vessel of the great naaru fortress Tempest Keep to escape to the world of Azeroth to ally with the Alliance.

To this day, the draenei remain loyal members of the Alliance, and the man’ari, now the most stalwart enemy of the draenei, comprise the commanders and strategists of the Burning Legion. [9] [26] The eredar have rewritten Argus history books to paint Velen as a traitor. [27]