The Spectrum of Classes

This spectrum diagram illustrates the position of WoW's nine playable classes in the class balance. It is two-dimensional: rigour is read along the horizontal axis, while tactic is read along the vertical axis.

Rigour: Any given class uses a certain balance of physical abilities (using a weapon and/or shield) and magical abilities (casting spells) in combat. The classes to the right place an emphasis on the magical, with the priest and mage being magically pure. Classes closer to the centre are hybrids, who appreciate a combination of the magical and physical. The druid enjoys most a balance of the two rigours. The mana line divides the spectrum into those who use mana and those who use other power sources. To the left are the classes who place emphasis on the physical, with the warrior and rogue being physically pure and to the left of the mana line. Hybrid classes near the centre can tweak their respective balances through talent specialisation, though pure classes at the extremes are resolute about their respective masteries.

Tactic: Any given class uses a certain balance of tenacity and ferocity when engaging in combat. Tenacious classes will mitigate the damage taken in an attempt to outlast the opponent. The tenacious warrior will reduce the damage taken initially through heavy armour, while the tenacious priest will heal the damage that is taken. Ferocious classes maximise damage dealt to end combat as soon as possible. The rogue and mage place emphasis on this. Tactic can be tweaked by all classes through talent specialisation. The classes at the junctions (warlock and hunter) enjoy the versatility that class pets bring, so as to exercise a level of control over this balance.

It would be important to note that I cannot find a place for the new death knight class in this spectrum. This may be due to the youth in their class development; Blizzard simply has not yet found a niche that they can fill. It may suggest any of the following:

1. There are no more niches that a death knight (and future hero classes) can fill, and they are doomed to be patchworks of any of the nine original classes. In fact, death knights possess some of the qualities of paladins and warlocks.
2. The domain of the death knight and other hero classes lies outside of this spectrum.

Flagging for PvE

WoW's PvP flag is a game mechanic introduced in its earliest days, where it marks the player for player-versus-player (PvP) activity. While very simple, it also has ramifications on the player's experience of player-versus-environment (PvE) content. Needless to say, the flag does not need to be permanently up for a PvE raid.

In fact, the PvP flag should not be permanently up for a PvE raid. Patch 2.4.3 introduced the following change:

Zoning into an instance on a PvE realm will now drop your PvP flag.

The game approaches flaggable actions conservatively. While targeted attacks towards enemy players or targeted aid towards PvP-flagged friendly players will raise the flag, incidental attacks or aid will not. This means that:

• Area-of-effect (AoE) heals (e.g. Prayer of Healing) cast by an unflagged healer will not affect flagged players, unless the flagged player was targeted on spell cast.
• Raid-wide buffs (e.g. Prayer of Fortitude) cast by an unflagged buffer will not affect flagged players.
• Healing a flagged player flags the healer.
• Buffing a flagged player flags the buffer.

It would be safe to assume that a majority of players disable PvP. It is therefore best that, for a PvE raid on a PvE realm, any permanently raised PvP flag should be lowered! This is done though the player's portrait's drop-down menu shown above.

There is yet another important note for PvP flags. Many PvP quests written into the Quest Log will keep the flag up until completed or abandoned. If the flag stays up 5 minutes after disabling PvP, this may be why.

Random Ramblings to 7 July 2009

Biomolecule
A molecule that can be produced by any organism. As would be expected, they make up much of the mass of organisms. The ones used in building a cell are glycerides (making up lipids (such as fat)), nucleotides (making up DNA and RNA), amino acids (making up proteins) and saccharides (making up carbohydrates).


Sucrose, a disaccharide biomolecule found in table sugar.

Network effect
A concept in economics that describes how certain goods or services become more useful the more consumers there are consuming it. Examples include operating system software (which allow greater compatibility between computer systems) and social networking facilities (where a single consumer can meet more people where more consumers are using it).

Queen's Counsel (QC)
Barristers in Australia are lawyers who specialise in presenting cases to courts. QC is the rank of barrister higher than junior and lower than Senior Counsel (SC). They are well known for their superior expertise in presenting such cases and the exorbitant fees they charge for this privilege.

Random number generator
Program code which allows a random numerical value to be generated. It is commonly used in programs to process instructions in random ways. In WoW, a /roll slash command runs the RNG to produce a random integer between 1 and 100. I use the phrase "Lady RNG" to evoke the concept of Lady Luck.

Scanning system (of a display)
A display's screen consists of a grid of cells (pixels), where each pixel's light output can be individually changed. The display would change each pixel by scanning from left to right on a single line, then from the top line down. An interlaced scan would scan alternating lines over two passes to render a full frame. A progressive scan would scan all lines in one pass. While interlaced scanning requires less information to render a moving picture (since only half of the frame is rendered in a pass), progressive scanning avoids interline twitter (where otherwise still objects seem to jiggle up and down). The i in 1080i implies that the scanning system used is interlace, while the p in 1080p implies that the scanning system used is progressive.

Stare decisis
The doctrine of precedent in as followed by courts. It translates from Latin to "to follow previous decisions". Under this legal principle, courts are normally required to apply the details of previous court cases to the current case if the facts involved are sufficiently similar. This provides for predictability for court rulings, but (by itself) does not allow judge-made law to change in accordance with changing values held by society.

(DSL line) Synchronisation
When a DSL modem is connected to a line, its clock is initially out of sync with the clock of the DSLAM upstream. Line synchronisation is the process through which each offset their clocks so their rhythms coincide with each other. The rhythm is needed for both the modem and AM to send and receive signals properly, since the electrical pulses are to be slotted in between the regular beats. During this process, the quality of the line is also checked. Line sync is the status of when the two are properly synchronised. Line sync can be lost when excessive interference enters the line.


The regime of a DSL internet connection.

Theobromine
An alkaloid substance which is most commonly found in cocoa and chocolate, having the chemical formula C₇H₈N₄O₂. It does not contain any bromine, but rather is named after the scientific name for the cacao plant (Theobroma cacao, of which the genus is Greek for 'food of the gods'). As is can be produced when caffeine is decomposed, it is a stimulant drug (increasing nervous system activity). It is infamous for causing poisoning in animals (in particular dogs) because they cannot digest it as fast as humans can.


A stack of chocolate pieces. The brown ones contain theobromine.

The Clock-cycle Model of Chain Casting

Chain casting is an action where multiple spells are cast in succession with minimal delay between them. This is a crucial skill in raiding, where (provided that the person does not upset a mob's threat table) it improves individual performance, whether tanking, healing or dealing damage.

There are striking similarities between how one chain casts and how a computer's processor works. The following will draw parallels between the two, and may allow the chain casting process to be treated differently to frantic button-mashing. It would be important to know that the central processing unit (CPU) is the component of a computer that follows a series of instructions to produce a series of results. Only spells with cast times of some multiple of the global cooldown will be considered.

Processing an instruction <--> Spell casting
The instruction (in computing) is the atomic unit of a CPU's entire workload. the CPU can only digest one instruction at a time (though if it has n cores, it can process n instructions at the same time), and will do so in sequence.

When casting a spell, the player selects a target, decides which spell to cast and presses the appropriate button (in any order). The player does this repeatedly and sequentially while chain casting.

Clock generator <--> Global cooldown
A crystal oscillator which can provide a clock signal to a computer system.

By itself, the CPU has no concept of time and thus cannot process instructions (which take time). A clock generator provides a rhythm (the clock signal) to the CPU. As a certain amount of time passes between beats (clock cycles), the CPU can use this rhythm to perceive time. It will then process however many needed instructions in a clock cycle (or vice versa). The frequency of the clock generator is measured in hertz (Hz), or cycles per second.

The global cooldown (GCd) is the minimum time that needs to pass between spell casts, which (when not modified by Haste Rating or Bloodlust/Heroism) is 1.5 seconds. This corresponds to a frequency of 2/3 Hz. (As a side note, Haste Rating can reduce the GCd to 1 second and increase the frequency to 1Hz.) This GCd can provide a rhythm which avoids the need for button-mashing. Some long-cast spells (e.g. Greater Heal) take whole multiples of one GCd to cast, which can be spread over several multiples without losing the sense of rhythm (simply miss a few beats).

Clock multiplier <--> Chain casting ability

An interface showing a system's system clock settings.

The clock multiplier multiplies the clock rate by a certain number n, so that the clock signal actually used by the CPU is n times faster than the clock signal from the clock generator.

A novice player may be able to cast 1.5 second spells over 3 GCds (frequency of 2/9 Hz), which, if the GCd was used for the 'clock signal', would cast on a 'clock multiplier' of ~0.33.

Overclocking and resulting overheating <--> Practice and resulting fatigue
Overclocking the CPU involves setting its clock multiplier higher. This hastens the clock signal in use and causes the CPU to work faster. However, by working faster, the CPU also generates more heat. If it cannot withstand the heat, it will start introducing errors in its work.

With practice, the player can chain cast close to the maximum 'clock multiplier' of 1. However, if they keep this up, they will get tired (if done repeatedly, they may suffer burnout). In normal raiding, the practical maximum is not usually needed, and the player can afford to work suboptimally to keep their energy levels up.

Interrupt handling <--> Situational awareness
A (software) interrupt is an instruction for the CPU to stop processing a set of instructions (a process) and start processing another. It allows a single CPU to run several processes at the same time (multitask) by simply switching between them.

Raid encounters rarely involve simply casting spells at fast as possible. There are almost always random events to respond to. The player would chain cast as normal, then interrupt it to respond promptly to events needing attention. For example, a tank healer responsible for two or more tanks would need to switch constantly between them, devoting most of their attention to the target tank. Some attention would be reserved for recognising the healing needs of the other tank(s), as well as responding to the environment.

Something to consider
A Brunel University study found that working to a rhythm reduces fatigue. By casting in time with the GCd (or some other rhythm), less energy will be used and the player will be able to more easily sustain their performance in a raid.

Playing the Blame Game

For many frustrated raiding groups, there are boss NPC encounters that stump them so many times. Those bosses might allow only a small margin of error; no matter how much knowledge and experience those players possess, a simple mistake made by any of them can snowball into a wipe. While still existing in all encounters, it is these ones that causation is most evident.

Simply, causation is the relationship between an event and its effect, such that the event causes the effect. Using this concept while diagnosing a raid wipe, the effect of the wipe can be credited to the event of a particular person's (or persons') misconduct (and therefore can be identified as something to avoid next attempt) if a causal relationship can be established.

Consider the following...
To demonstrate this type of troubleshooting, I will use a theoretic (though still plausible) attempt under the Archimonde encounter in the Battle for Mount Hyjal raid, the encounter in which causation may be the most evident. It would be important to note that, at level 70, the typical nontank health is ~7500. Archimonde has the following abilities:

• Air Burst; Tears of the Goddess. The affected will die from fall damage if the fall is not interrupted.
• Fear
• Doomfire
• Soul Charge/Soul Charge/Soul Charge; Archimonde casts one of these any time after he gains a Soul Charge buff from a player death.
• Grip of the Legion, producing a curse-dispellable debuff.
• Finger of Death and Hand of Death, which Archimonde cast to expedite the wiping process. (I have had my share of crude jokes about these abilities.)

Consider the following plausible scenario, where A is Archimonde, B and C are dps, H is a tank healer and T is the tank:

A casts Air Burst on B. B fails to break their fall (using Tears or otherwise) and dies from fall damage. Archimonde gains a Soul Charge (the silencing sort), which he immediately uses and cuts every nontanks' health by half. A then inflicts H with Grip, which C, who is the only curse dispeller in range, cannot dispel under the silence. A then casts Fear, making H run out of range of C into a Doomfire. H cannot heal through this much damage and dies. T is left vulnerable and A gains another Soul Charge. A uses it and kills both T and all melee dps. A starts spamming Finger of Death, eventually leading to a wipe.

Follies in diagnosing the raid wipe
The raid, diagnosing this wipe, would reasonably ignore all events after the tank's death and attribute the fault to the healer, who caused T's death by insufficient healing. (In the extreme case, T would be blamed for the wipe because they died!) Unfortunately, doing only this will not provide a full picture of the attempt. The insufficent healing was under extenuating circumstances, after all!

Diagnosing the raid wipe by buck passing

A buck and a set of playing cards used in poker.

H is now said to hold the buck. If H can attribute their fault to someone else's fault through causation, they are said to pass the buck, with such an action being called buck passing. Under buck passing between players, the buck will ultimately stop at a single player or group of people, who can be deemed ultimately at fault.

It would important to note that the effect of a preceding event is also the event of the succeeding effect. The following series of events can be constructed from the scenario, ordered according to reverse chronology and linked by causation:

1. There is no one in melee range alive after the second Soul Charge and, after A's spamming Finger of Death, the raid wipes.
2. T fails to receive sufficient healing and dies.
3. H suffers unhealable Grip and Doomfire damage and dies.
4. C is silenced from the Soul Charge and H is Feared out of range, so C cannot dispel H's Grip.
5. B fails to break their fall when A casts Air Burst on them and dies, earning A a Soul Charge.

From this, the following series of causation can be derived:

1. The raid wiped because the T was dead and not reducing A's damage to the raid in general.
2. T was dead and not reducing A's damage to the raid in general because H was dead and not healing.
3. H was dead and not healing because H suffered unhealable damage from Grip and Doomfire, which would have been healable if C dispelled Grip.
4. H suffered unhealable damage from Grip and Doomfire, which would have been healable if C dispelled Grip, because C was silenced by the Soul Charge from B's death, and by the time C could cast spells again, H was feared out of range.
5. C was silenced by the Soul Charge from B's death, and by the time C could cast spells again, H was feared out of range because ...

The series of events and causation can be merged into a chain of fault, which allows for a buck to be passed along it. By the time the diagnosis reaches point 5., the buck would have stopped at B, where B cannot blame anyone else. Here is where the ultimate fault rests, because if it were not for this player's action, the whole chain of events would not have happened! The raid would then consider this something to learn from and maybe would even discipline the player at ultimate fault.

Junctions of preceding causations
Could anyone along the series of events have introduced their own fault along the way, continuing the chain of events? If they did not introduce the fault, could the chain of events have terminated? Certainly (e.g. considering event 4., if C did not notice a 0.5 sec window of opportunity to dispel the curse from a H barely in range), but these can be ignored for any of the following reasons:

• The preceding causation would have made it unreasonable for this person to have acted properly, e.g. if C was too distracted at considering the Soul Charge that they did not notice said window of opportunity.
• A properly established causation can make said fault insignificant, and the chain of events would proceed the same way even if it did not exist.
• For all practical purposes, the possible said fault is unlikely to happen. Whether it actually does is out of the scope of ordinary World of Warcraft raiding and can (depending on disposition) be predicted by divination or actuarial science.

What if a proper causation holds yet the extra fault stays significant, if both (or more) were required for the series of events to continue? For example, considering event 3., there was in fact a second healer nearby (named J) which made the damage unhealable because they were not healing H? 3. then becomes a junction of two preceding causations: had C dispelled H's curse, J's healing would not have been needed, and had J healed H, C's dispel would not have been needed (at least for the meantime). Here, the buck splits into two, and they are passed up two separate branches of series of causation: while the raid figures out why Grip was not dispelled, they are, at the same time, figuring out why J was not healing H. The chain of fault then becomes a tree of fault.

Groups at fault
Consider causation 5. Say that B, while Air Bursted, was whispered to by another player D who was warning them (at the very last minute!) that they were airborne. This whisper distracted B so B ended up not interrupting their fall. There is then this following segment of the chain of events:

1. B fails to break their fall when A casts Air Burst on them and dies, earning A a Soul Charge.
2. D whispers to B about the Air Burst and B becomes distracted.

There is then the following chain of causation:

1. B fails to break their fall when A casts Air Burst on them and dies, earning A a Soul Charge because D whispered B about the Air Burst, distracting B from breaking their fall.
2. D whispered B about the Air Burst, distracting B from breaking their fall because D anticipated B to fail to break their fall when A casts Air Burst on them and die, earning A a Soul Charge.
3. B, as a matter of fact, fails to break their fall when A casts Air Burst on them and dies, earning A a Soul Charge because D whispered B about the Air Burst, distracting B from breaking their fall.
4. D whispered B about the Air Burst, distracting B from breaking their fall because D anticipated B to fail to break their fall when A casts Air Burst on them and die, earning A a Soul Charge.
5. B, as a matter of fact, fails to break their fall when A casts Air Burst on them and dies, earning A a Soul Charge because D whispered B about the Air Burst, distracting B from breaking their fall.
6. etc...

In this case, the buck is endlessly passed between B and D! This signifies that a group of people are at ultimate fault, where the faults of these people (in this case, B's and D's) are mutually dependent on each other. This is despite that the chain of events does have a definite beginning. Inspecting the series of events overall, it can be observed that if this group had not been at fault, the whole series of events would not have occurred! The raid would then consider this something to learn from and maybe would even discipline the group at ultimate fault.

Of course, another person or group could have caused said group to be at fault; the group does not need to be at ultimate fault. This would extend the chain of fault further.

Methodology
The person or group at ultimate fault is the person/group who started the chain of events, and had they not done so, the chain of events as it is known to have occurred would not have existed. To find this person/group under buck passing:

1. Construct a series of events from the wipe backwards. Each event should involve a single player's actions that make them at fault, and should exclude any actions beyond player control (e.g. the boss' behaviour).
2. Construct a series of causation, connecting events together using "because" or "causes". Note where (if at all) the buck seems to pass between the same people and deal with it (no pun intended) accordingly.
3. Merge the series of events and series of causation into a chain of fault. Analyse for any junctions (where an event joins several preceding causations) and groups at fault (where members are blaming on each other) and amend the chain of fault accordingly.
4. Pass the buck up the chain of fault. Where the buck(s) stop(s), the person(s)/group(s) holding it/them are deemed to be at ultimate fault.

Writing Cheques

A cheque is a written instruction by a person (the drawer) to their bank (or other financial institution) (the drawee) to pay cash to another person (the payee). It must not be subject to any conditions. While cheques are not commonly used these days, many drawers still enjoy the delay in its clearance if they consider the payee suspicious.

There are several markings made on a cheque, which essentially answer the following questions:

1. Should the cheque be cashable by any bearer of the cheque, or only by the payee named on it?
2. Should the cheque be able to be redeemable in cash at the bank counter, or should it be credited to a bank account?
3. Does the payee want to make the cheque payable to another person?
4. Should 3. be allowed to happen?

1. Bearer and Order cheques

• If a cheque is payable to bearer, the person who presents it to the bank counter can cash it for themself, regardless of who is named payee on it. A bearer cheque will have the words "or bearer" or no such additional words printed on it, such that, if the payee is named A.B., the instruction reads "Pay A.B. or bearer", "Pay cash or bearer" or "Pay cash".
• If a cheque is payable to order, only the payee has rights to cash the cheque. An order cheque will have the words "or order" or "to the order of" printed on it, such that the instruction reads "Pay A.B. or order" or "Pay to the order of A.B.".
• A bearer cheque can be made payable to order by crossing out the words "or bearer", such that it reads "Pay A.B.". An order cheque can be made payable to bearer by not stating a name or making it payable to either "cash" or a fictitious person (e.g. "I love you"). The instruction for the 2nd case would read "Pay cash or order".

2. Cheque crossings
A cheque is crossed when two parallel lines are drawn along the cheque's face. Doing this means that the cheque cannot be redeemed in cash at the bank counter, and so must be credited to a bank account. If the cheque is not crossed, it becomes redeemable in cash.

3. Indorsements
For a cheque payable to order, the payee (acting as transferor) indorses the cheque when they write instructions on the cheque to make it payable to another person (the transferee). If the transferee is named X.Y., it would read "Pay X.Y. {signed} A.B.". Since a cheque payable to bearer can be cashed by anyone, there is no need for any indorsement for them.

4. /NOT NEGOTIABLE/
A bearer cheque is crossed 'not negotiable' when the words "NOT NEGOTIABLE" are written between the parallel lines. Most importantly, this means that the payee will not be able to indorse the cheque. However, this also means that, if the bearer stole the cheque from another person, they do not have ownership rights to the cash. Both of these cases mean that:

• The bank is not obliged to cash the cheque for the bearer.
• If the bank cashes the cheque, the drawer suffers a loss and they can sue the bank for related damages.

Also...
"Cash" is not a true entity, but rather it signifies that the cheque should be payable to bearer. It may be baffling, but solace can be taken in the instruction's making grammatical sense.

It is interesting to note that any marking made reduces the rights of other persons to cash the cheque. For example, if "or bearer" is crossed out in a bearer cheque, it becomes payable only to the named payee, while a similar marking over "or order" in an order cheque keeps it an order cheque payable only to the named payee. When a marking is made (presumably in pen), the only way to void it is for the drawer to cross it out and sign it off. These schemes support the nemo dat rule:

Latin: nemo dat quod non habet
English: no person can pass a better title than they possess

The Origin of (Warcraft) Species

No fantasy universe is complete without an evolutionary history of all of its living (and unliving) races. In the case of Warcraft, this is not at all uninteresting. All deviations from common ancestors can be explained in one word: corruption.

I will give a brief account of the player races of Azeroth in three logical sections, grouped according to three unique circumstances. These are:

1. The Seed Races, as created by the Titans;
2. Aliens, which more or less were introduced into the Azerothian environment;
3. The long-eared and bovine races, whose ultimate origins are not recorded by any surviving written sources.

The Seed Races

When the Lord God made the universe, there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land...

Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into its nostrils and the man began to live.

Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit.

Genesis 2:7-9, GNT

Azeroth as it (mostly) is today started with the Ordering thereof. During this period, the Titans began shaping the natural features of a then chaotic world. At the same time, they created three so-called "Seed Races" from living stone, to inhabit the world: earthen, vrykul and giant. As they were made of stone, they were (in the Warcraft meaning of the word) immortal. In shaping Azeroth, the Titans encountered the Old Gods, who were innately evil and symbiotically attached to this world. In destroying the Old Gods, the Titans would also destroy Azeroth, so they were forced to imprison them deep below the surface.


The "matrix" of nucleotide building blocks in DNA.

However, the Old Gods were able to propagate the Curse of Flesh, a "matrix destabilisation". In effect, it softened many of the Seed Races, shortening their lifespans dramatically and rendering them mortal. In creating the earthen, the Titans went through three iterations. The Series One experiments were a failure, not only because the resulting form was well short of ideal, it also succumbed to the Curse. This species is currently known as the troggs. The Series Two experiments produced the intended form (that of the dwarves), but the results were still susceptible. The Titans succeeded with their goals with Series Three, giving birth to earthen proper. The earthen were able to withstand the Curse, and stay stone-like to the present.

There was only one iteration of the vrykul, which succumbed to the Curse. They survive to this day.

At some time after the Pantheon (the ruling council of the Titans) left Azeroth, Vrykul mothers gave birth to children who were noticeably smaller and physically weaker than normal. King Ymiron (vrykul society's head of state) ordered them culled, but many mothers opted to abandon them instead. These children were shipped off to the Eastern Kingdoms (they were inhabiting Northrend), where they developed as humans.

Throughout Warcraft history, the Burning Legion (a demonic nation) have been trying to conquer Azeroth. In their third bid, their Supreme Commander Kil'jaeden converted the orc warlock Ner'zhul into the Lich King and tasked him with concocting a Plague of Undeath to (among others) be spread among the citizens of Lordaeron. Ner'zhul was successful, and was able to task Kel'thuzad with transporting it to the Eastern Kingdoms. There, Kel'thuzad formed the Cult of the Damned out of oppressed Lordaeron citizens and tasked them with propagating the Plague. It would kill the infected after a typical three days, then raise them as undead beings. These would do the bidding of the Lich King, as they had lost their free will in the raising process. The playable Forsaken undead regained their free will after a Nathrezim (dreadlord) raid on Lordaeron, which somewhat waned the hold of the Lich King over many of the undead.

The giants were created by the Aesir (storm giant) Titans to help with shaping Azeroth during the Ordering and when the Titans left. The direct creations were the mountain and sea giants, who were respectively tasked with shaping mountains and seas. From the mountain giants developed the frost giants. The giants have mostly resisted the effects from the Curse of Flesh, though Archavon the Stone Watcher reports having felt a soft face on himself.

The origins of the mechagnomes are currently unknown, though most have felt the destabilising effects of the Curse. These mechagnomes developed into the current gnomes. However, Gearmaster Mechazod found a way to cure affected gnomes of this Curse, effectively returning them to their robotic selves. Most gnomes would refuse this cure.

The Aliens

The eredar race originally lived on the planet Argus. However, Sargeras, a formerly Vanir (earth giant) Titan, was seeing a folly in the Pantheon's ways and started forming the Burning Legion to reverse their work. He offered the three eredar leaders (Archimonde, Kil'jaeden and Velen) great power in exchange for their loyalty. The former two accepted, and as a result much of eredar society transformed into the man'ari eredar, who joined the Burning Legion. Archie and KJ became high-ranking officers in it.

Velen, being a prophet, foresaw horrid visions of the Legion's actions, and as a result was inclined against joining. Naturally, for conflict-of-interest reasons, Velen and the uncorrupted eredar under his care were forced to flee Argus and was chased throughout the Twisting Nether, hopping worlds until they managed to find the secluded Draenor. There, they developed into the draenei and coexisted with the native orcs.

The Legion eventually found the draenei in Draenor. They introduced warlock magic to the orcs after appealing to them and their leader the then-shaman Ner'zhul. Orcs originally have brown skin, but exposure to such demonic magics will turn it green. This will occur even in orcs that do not practice such magic but are in regular proximity to practitioners.

The Mag'har section of orc society remained untouched by corrupting fel energy. They lived in Garadar, which was originally intended as isolation from the red pox outbreak pre-dating the arrival of the Legion. Nonetheless, it also isolated these orcs from practising warlocks, and their skin remains brown to the present.

The draenei fled again from Draenor, though some opted to stay behind. These draenei were particularly susceptible to demonic corruption, and many degenerated into the Broken and Lost Ones.

Some orcs have also been drinking the corrupting blood of the pit lord Magtheridon. over time, this turns them into the current fel orcs, characterised by great physical strength, red skin and all manner of protrusions.

The long-eared and bovine races

The Zandalari trolls existed since the beginning of the world, though their creation is unknown. As troll society expanded, trolls started inhabiting different climates, eventually adapting to their respective environments. The ice trolls living in Northrend developed pale blue skin and hardy hair. The sand trolls living in Tanaris developed golden-yellow, coarse skin. The skin of forest trolls living in Lordaeron is able to support plant life. The skin of jungle trolls (of which the playable Darkspear trolls are part) is covered with nice, soft fur (they would be very nice to hug!) which produces a purple appearance.

At the centre of pre-Sundering Azeroth lay a huge inland ocean called the Well of Eternity. It radiated arcane energy from the Twisting Nether and nourished all natural life. The night elves had developed on its shores, and there is a controversial theory that the Well's energies caused them to mutate from trolls. Nevertheless, the high elves are those night elves who utilised the Well's power in arcane magic. Abuse of such led to the Great Sundering, which tore the single continent into Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms and destroyed the Well of Eternity. Arcane magic being addictive, the high elves developed peach-coloured skin. The playable blood elves are those high elves that, instead of fighting the addiction, chose to continue gorging themselves with arcane, demonic and holy satisfaction.

Some high elves were thrusted deep into the ocean during the Great Sundering. While some drowned, Queen Azshara secured an agreement with the Old Gods which allowed many to survive without air. These high elves became the naga.

The tauren and taunka are ancient races existing before recorded history. They are believed to have been created by the Earth Mother. However, there are theories equating the Earth Mother to the night elf god Elune, Therazane the Stonemother, Alexstrasza the Life-Binder (leading the Dragon Aspects), the Vanir Titan Eonar the Lifebinder and the Titans in general.