The Pantheon were deeply interested in the Valar. They all gathered on the continent of Valinor to visit and entrust the restoration of Azeroth to the Titan Forge. While the Pantheon headed to Valinor, the Titan Forge began purifying the planet Azeroth, still warm from the previous war between the Elementals and the Old Gods.
Aman'Thul, Aggramar, Eonar, Khaz'goroth, Norgannon, and Golganneth walked toward the residence of the Valar on the continent of Valinor. They talked and exchanged knowledge with one another.
Aman'Thul then posed a question to the leader of the Valar.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Aman'Thul, leader of the Pantheon. If I may ask, who are you?" Aman'Thul introduced himself along with the other members of the Pantheon to the fourteen Valar.
Manwë, leader of the Valar, introduced their fourteen brothers and sisters to the Pantheon. The forms of the Valar appeared like manifestations of various elements; behind each of their heads was a glowing halo.
Manwë, resembling the element of wind, began to speak.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves, we are the Valar, the children of the Creator, Eru Ilúvatar. We were tasked with guarding the seed of the World Tree by the Creator, until new Valar were sent to replace us."
"So, were you the ones who once sang that song which could be heard throughout the Great Dark Beyond?" Aman'Thul asked curiously.
"Indeed. We followed the Creator's command to expand this planet and create the new continent we now call Arda. We built various creations in Arda, from flora and fauna to its ecosystems, until that tree grew."
"What is your purpose in coming here?" Aman'Thul asked again.
"We merely create life in Arda. Once the World Tree grows, we will return and let nature decide what comes next," Manwë answered.
The Pantheon and the Valar then began to warmly converse with one another.
Eonar, together with Yavanna and the other female Valar, discussed various kinds of plants. Eonar was very interested in Yavanna's golden and silver trees, which were said to ward off evil, as well as the World Tree full of life energy they guarded.
Meanwhile, Aulë and Khaz'goroth talked about the crafting techniques they mastered.
Aggramar and Tulkas sparred to test who was the strongest warrior among them.
Norgannon discussed the unique magic of the Valar, which allowed them to create things through song. This fascinated Norgannon and he wanted to study it further.
Likewise, Golganneth and Aman'Thul chatted warmly with the Valar, the atmosphere feeling like a relaxed tea party in a noble garden.
The Pantheon had confirmed that these Valar harbored no ill intent and that their creations would eventually help protect the world soul of Azeroth. Thus, they could breathe a sigh of relief.
While the Pantheon and the Valar exchanged information and talked, the Titan Forge remained busy handling the restoration of planet Azeroth.
The main concern of the guardians was the terrible wound left when Aman'Thul ripped Y'Shaarj from the world's crust. Unstable arcane energy continued to flow from the massive crack, spreading across all of Azeroth. The guardians knew that if this energy was left unchecked, it would destroy the world over time.
They worked tirelessly, creating magical shields around the open wound to contain the life energy leaking out. Gradually, the boiling energy began to subside and reach equilibrium. From that wound remained a large shimmering lake, which the guardians named the "Well of Eternity." From that moment on, this source of magical power flowed throughout the recovering world, helping life to grow and thrive everywhere.
After the wound had healed, the guardians strove to strengthen the newly formed world soul of Azeroth and stabilize its life force. For this purpose, Archaedas and Mimiron combined their powers to create two extraordinary machines: the Forge of Wills and the Forge of Origination. These two machines worked in tandem, channeling cosmic energy into the still-slumbering world soul of Azeroth.
The Forge of Wills was placed in the northern region, functioning to shape the emerging consciousness of the world soul. Meanwhile, the Forge of Origination was installed in southern Azeroth, tasked with regulating the deep earth's rhythm and reinforcing the world soul's form.
Once the machines were completed, the guardians began their work. Odyn led the effort to install the Forge of Wills in the northern mountains, which would later be known as the Storm Peaks. The Pantheon appointed Odyn as the Prime Designate for his bravery during the war against the Old Gods. The heavy responsibility of overseeing the prison of Yogg-Saron and maintaining the Forge of Wills was entrusted to him. Together with the other guardians, Odyn built the great fortress of Ulduar, which would become the main stronghold for the titan-forged in Azeroth. This fortress housed not only Yogg-Saron's prison but also the Forge of Wills and other machines created by the guardians.
Additionally, the Forge of Wills had another vital function: this machine could draw the life essence of Azeroth and give shape and consciousness to beings made of living stone and metal-not only giants but also various other kinds of titan-forged. This new generation of titan-forged would help the guardians bring order and balance to the world.
While the Forge of Wills continued producing new titan-forged, Highkeeper Ra led an expedition to install the Forge of Origination in the southern region. He was accompanied by stone-skinned beings newly created from the Forge of Wills: the Anubisath giants, lion-shaped Tol'vir, and the steadfast, unyielding Mogu.
On their journey, Ra discovered that the remnants of Y'Shaarj's physical form were scattered across the southern lands. When Aman'Thul ripped the Old God from Azeroth, fragments of the entity fell onto the surface, corrupting the soil with evil energy. The largest intact part was the frozen heart of the Old God, a sickly mass pulsating with Void energy.
Instead of destroying the heart, Ra chose to build a special underground chamber to contain and neutralize its evil. He and the other guardians understood that studying the heart could help them gain deeper insight into the nature of the Old Gods and other Void entities. Ra assigned his Mogu followers to guard the Vault of Y'Shaarj and tend to the surrounding lands.
Afterward, Ra continued his expedition westward. There, he and his followers installed the Forge of Origination in the land. The ground trembled beneath Ra's feet as the massive machine began to operate. The Highkeeper immediately sensed that the two forges worked synergistically, channeling healing energies through the core of the world. Ra and his followers built a vast fortress around the Forge of Origination, which would later be known as Uldum, the southernmost operational base of the guardians.
Like the Forge of Wills, the Forge of Origination had two functions. If Azeroth's flora and fauna fell into corruption, the tremendous energy stored within this machine could be unleashed to destroy all life on the planet, allowing everything to begin anew.
Highkeeper Ra commanded some Tol'vir and Anubisath to guard Uldum forever. He and his servants then moved northwest, to the area that would later be known as Silithus. This harsh and barren region became the site of an underground prison to contain the Old God C'Thun. Ra and his allies expanded the prison and built the great fortress of Ahn'Qiraj. After completing the work, the Highkeeper ordered the remaining titan-forged to guard the fortress.
Having finished his duties, Ra spent the following centuries exploring southern Azeroth. He watched over his titan-forged from afar, ensuring they carried out their sacred tasks with unwavering loyalty.
With the presence of the twin forges embedded in Azeroth, the guardians began reshaping the world's surface. To that end, they summoned a new generation of servants created from the Forge of Wills. Each loyal and powerful titan-forged was given a special role in arranging and protecting the world.
The Earthen, rock-skinned and noble-hearted, specialized in shaping mountains and carving the deepest tunnels within the earth's core. The mechanical Mechagnomes, designed by the guardian Mimiron, helped build and maintain the guardians' extraordinary machines. The stone-skinned Mogu were tasked with digging rivers and waterways flowing across Azeroth.
The responsibility of guarding many of the guardians' holdings was entrusted to two construction groups: the iron-skinned Vrykul and the carved-faced Tol'vir. To shape the environment, the guardians also deployed the strength of mighty stone and sea giants. They roamed across Azeroth, raising towering mountains and clearing the endless depths of the seas.
While the titan-forged busied themselves shaping the world, the Guardian Freya focused on filling Azeroth with organic life. She created the Emerald Dream, a vast and ever-changing dimension filled with nature spirits and pure magic. This ethereal realm served as a mirror to the physical world, guiding the evolutionary paths of the flora and fauna growing there.
In the Emerald Dream, strange spirits and alien creatures gathered and played joyfully in the mystical paradise that was their home. In this realm, the concepts of time and distance lost meaning-one day in the physical world could feel like decades in the Dream.
Freya wandered, seeking spots where the energy of the Well of Eternity was most concentrated. These areas created perfect conditions for new flora and fauna to develop. In these places, Freya built vast, diverse natural enclaves. She then spread life from these enclaves across the world. Important locations created by Freya include Un'Goro Crater, Sholazar Basin, and the Vale of Eternal Blossoms-all situated in the extreme polar regions of the world.
The largest creatures born from these enclaves were the giants known as the Wild Gods. Freya loved and cared for them like her own children. She often roamed the physical world alongside the Wild Gods, leaving forests and blossoming meadows in their wake. Yet, of all the places she visited, the most frequented by Freya and the Wild Gods was the great forested peak called Mount Hyjal.
Some believe Freya created the Emerald Dream out of nothingness. Others argue this strange realm has existed since ancient times in some form-a dream born from the sleeping world soul of Azeroth. It is said that Freya accessed this realm and shaped what is now known as the Emerald Dream as a means to communicate with the newly born titans.
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WILD GODS
Among the greatest Wild Gods born from the power of the Emerald Dream are:
Malorne, the Honored White Stag
Aessina, the Mother Wisp
Agamaggan, the Razorboar
Aviana, the Mistress of Birds
Ursoc and Ursol, the Giant Bear Kings
Tortolla, the Wise One
Goldrinn, the Great Wolf
Chi-Ji, the Red Crane
Niuzao, the Black Ox
Xuen, the White Tiger
Tulon, the Jade Serpent
On the slopes of Mount Hyjal, Freya bound the spirits of her beloved Wild Gods into the Emerald Dream. Tightly linked with this ethereal realm, the Wild Gods became symbols of Azeroth's health and vitality. Since then, Hyjal has served as both sanctuary and sacred ground for the Wild Gods.
As Freya's creations roamed the world, they encountered other strange life forms. These beings freely emerged from Azeroth's elemental past. When the guardians sealed the Elemental Plane, some spirits escaped exile. Their wrath subsided over time until they transformed into flesh-and-blood creatures. From these former elementals, various wildlife species-including proto-dragons-originated.
Over time, the guardians and their servants stabilized Azeroth's main continent, now filled with plants and creatures of every kind. At dusk, the titan-forged looked upon the world they had shaped and named the main continent Kalimdor: "The Land of the Ever-Shining Stars."
The Pantheon watched the entire process unfolding on the planet Azeroth and the tireless efforts of the Titan-forged from afar, specifically from Valinor alongside the Valar. Filled with trust that the sleeping world soul was in the right hands, they prepared to return into the Great Dark.
The discovery of Azeroth was clear proof that new titans might exist in the cosmos, sparking the Titans' enthusiasm to continue their search for new creations.
However, before departing, the Valar informed the Pantheon that they would soon be relinquishing their duties on Azeroth. They had received direct orders from Eru Ilúvatar to return, as new Valar and Maiar were to be sent to this world to replace them.
Hearing this news, the Pantheon grew curious and intrigued about who would take their place, so they delayed their journey briefly to wait for further developments.
The guardians on Azeroth welcomed this news with joy, comforted that their creators would not leave soon. Yet, on the other hand, they also felt deep sorrow at the impending departure of the Pantheon, the revered creators. Still, they were filled with pride for being honored to guard this precious world.
To commemorate the Pantheon's departure, Loken and Mimiron created a series of wondrous artifacts called the Disc of Norgannon. These artifacts served as living records, documenting all history and significant events occurring on Azeroth. Should the Pantheon ever return, they could clearly see what had transpired during their absence.
In their final act before leaving the world, Aman'Thul assigned the constellation Algalon the Observer as the guardian of Azeroth's skies.
The Titans could not ignore the possibility of corruption invading the world soul. If that happened, Algalon possessed the power to initiate the final procedure: activating the Forge of Origination to cleanse the world of all corruption and life, restarting everything from scratch.
Amid all these preparations, an unexpected event arose. Thousands of fire elementals that had escaped previous capture suddenly reappeared on the world's surface. As the Titan-forged scrambled to capture and imprison them, one of the Pantheon, Norgannon, stopped them.
Though the Titan-forged did not fully understand the reason behind this order, they obeyed their creator's command.
Norgannon then directed a deeply curious question to the Valar about how they created things through their song magic. He even mentioned "his brother," Melkor-who was said to have once created terrible creatures from fallen, vengeful fire elementals.
"Melkor, I heard you once created terrible creatures from fire elements. Can you show me how you transformed them all?" asked Norgannon.
The Valar were shocked and tried to refuse the request. Aman'Thul also expressed his anger at this demand.
"I am indeed capable, but I do not want to be imprisoned again by my siblings. I must ask for direct guidance from our Creator," Melkor answered cautiously.
Melkor then contacted Eru Ilúvatar and explained the Pantheon's request.
Eru Ilúvatar was surprised by this petition, but since the universe was not entirely his, he ultimately granted permission with one condition: the creatures to be created must become Maiar assigned to guard the World Tree.
Having received Eru Ilúvatar's approval, Melkor accepted the Pantheon's request. With his signature song magic, he began transforming the scattered fire elementals into Balrogs.
The fire elementals changed into terrifying beings known as Balrogs-entities of fire and shadow with fearsome power.
The Pantheon were deeply impressed witnessing the creation process of this magic. It was the first time they directly witnessed the wonders and power of the Valar's magic in crafting beings. They gained many valuable lessons from the experience.