Mag'har Clans
- This article is about the alternate universe group. For the main universe group, see Mag'har (faction). For other uses, see Mag'har (disambiguation).
 Mag'har Clans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Main leader |
 Overlord Geya'rah |
| Formerly |
 Warchief Grommash Hellscream † |
| Secondary leaders |
 Kaz the Shrieker |
| Formerly |
 Draka Durotan † |
| Race(s) |
   Mag'har orc  Ogre  Gronn Ogron Gronnling Goren |
| Capital | Hammerfall |
| Formerly | Hellsreach Citadel |
| Base of operations | Hall of the Brave, Go'Shek Farm |
| Formerly | Beastwatch, Evermorn Hold |
| Theater of operations | Azeroth |
| Formerly | Alternate Draenor |
| Government | Tribal chiefdom |
| Language(s) | Orcish, Ogre |
| Sub-group(s) | |
| Affiliation | Horde |
| Formerly | Independent |
| Status | Active |
“The Mag'har stand with the Horde, whether we are at peace or at war.”
The Mag'har (or the Mag'har Clans)[1] are the union of the uncorrupted orcs of the alternate Draenor, who refused the dark bargain of Gul'dan and banded together to drive out the Burning Legion. After the defeat of the Legion at Hellfire Citadel, the survivors of the Iron Horde, the Frostwolf clan, and the Laughing Skull clan united into a single clan under the leadership of Warchief Grommash Hellscream.
As the orcs and draenei lived alongside each other for years, the latters soon became fixated upon the Light and were compelled by the naaru to spread their influence across Draenor. A few Mag'har orcs were converted willingly, while others had the Light forced upon them to join an army known as the Lightbound. Decades later, the planet began to die and each side accused each other of causing this. At the beginning of the Fourth War, Eitrigg and the Horde adventurer arrived on Draenor in the middle of the war between the Lightbound and the Mag'har, led by Yrel and Grommash respectively. A group of Mag'har led by Overlord Geya'rah, the daughter of Draka and the deceased Durotan, eventually fled to Azeroth and pledged their loyalty to the Horde.
Amid the armistice at the end of the Fourth War, the Mag'har Clans were granted Hammerfall in the Arathi Highlands as a place for their people to make a fresh start on Azeroth.
History
The Iron Horde
This section concerns content related to Warlords of Draenor.
- Main article: Iron Horde
With the aid of the bronze dragon Kairozdormu, Garrosh Hellscream managed to escape from his trial at the Temple of the White Tiger. Using the Vision of Time, both traveled to an alternate Draenor — where Garrosh was never born — with the hope of constructing a new Horde to defeat the Burning Legion. After murdering Kairoz, Garrosh managed to convince the alternate Grommash Hellscream to rally the orc clans of this alternate world into an Iron Horde, an army free from demonic influences who would ravage Azeroth with the iron star technology the former warchief had brought with him.[2]
When Gul'dan summoned the clans to the Throne of Kil'jaeden to drink the blood of Mannoroth, Grom refused and slew the pit lord.[3] Gul'dan and his Shadow Council agents were later shackled beneath the Dark Portal to power the gateway between worlds. After the Ironmarch was pushed back by the combined forces of the Alliance and Horde adventurers, Archmage Khadgar led the heroes of Azeroth ventured to Draenor in a campaign to stop the Iron Horde. The Frostwolf clan led by Durotan and Draka, the Laughing Skull clan led by Kaz the Shrieker, and the draenei led by Yrel and the Council of Exarchs eventually joined forces with the outsiders against the Iron Horde, leading to a series of crushing defeats for the orc army.
Following the deaths of most of the orc warlords, Gul'dan approached Warchief Grommash with his offer once more. The Warchief refused, but Kilrogg, Warlord of the Bleeding Hollow, accepted, delivering the Iron Horde into the hands of the Legion. Gul'dan used his fel magic to twist and corrupt the Iron Horde's stronghold of Hellfire Citadel, and within he successfully summoned Archimonde and Mannoroth. Upon the demon lords' death, Grommash proclaimed that Draenor was free, and he, Yrel, and Durotan turned their attention to rebuilding their world.[4]
Battle for Azeroth
This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.
- Main article: War between the Lightbound and the Mag'har
The Mag'har's first steps on Azeroth.
In time, the orcs and draenei worked together to drive the Burning Legion from alternate Draenor and lived together in peace for years. The Mag'har orcs also subdued Draenor's remaining ogre clans. But without demons to fight, the draenei became fixated upon the Light. The naaru then compelled them to spread their influence among the orcs. A few were converted willingly, while others had the Light forced upon them.[5] The Lightbound and Mag'har later accused each other of killing the planet.[6]
While decades had passed on Draenor, only a handful of years had passed on Azeroth. At the beginning of the Fourth War, Eitrigg and the Horde adventurer arrived on Draenor in the middle of the war between the Lightbound and Mag'har, led by Yrel and Grommash respectively. Having been unaware of this, the Horde still intended on recruiting the Mag'har to their cause. A group of Mag'har led by Overlord Geya'rah, the daughter of Draka and the deceased Durotan, fled to Azeroth while Grommash held off Yrel and died nobly in battle.[7]
After arriving on Azeroth, the Mag'har pledged their loyalty to Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner and the Horde.[8] They subsequently claimed the Hall of the Brave within the Valley of Honor as their new impromptu home. Overlord Geya'rah later remarked to Mag'har adventurers that the Mag'har face a new future and that they had to make their mark upon the land. To this end, she sent them to meet with Ambassador Blackguard at the Orgrimmar Embassy, and then to go forth and claim victorious across Azeroth.[9] After said adventurers proved themselves to the Horde, a pleased Geya'rah honored them with a symbol of their proud lineage.[10]
Throughout the Fourth War, several Mag'har clan members participated in the War Campaign, the Battle for Darkshore, and the Faction Assault on Stormsong Valley.
When the Horde split between the revolutionaries of Varok Saurfang and the loyalists of Sylvanas Windrunner, the Mag'har sided with the Warchief.[11] During the conflict, Saurfang challenged Sylvanas to a Mak'gora, which ended in his death and Sylvanas' abandonment of the Horde.[12] In light of Sylvanas's betrayal, the Mag'har bent the knee to Saurfang's revolutionaries, and were given amnesty. Sometime later, Overlord Geya'rah had taken to leading marches throughout the city, warning the Mag'har to be on the lookout for Sylvanas's loyalists. She called for them to remember that while Sylvanas was a strong warchief she only fought for herself, not for the Horde. She declared to her troops that a great leader must have more than strength, that they must be true to their people, and live and die for them. She ordered them to not forget this and that they must not repeat Sylvanas's mistakes.[13]
In N'Zoth's Vision of Orgrimmar, the Mag'har refused to drink the blood of the Old God and were slaughtered for their defiance. The only survivor was Geya'rah, who wanted the corrupted Thrall dead.[14]
After the fall of N'Zoth, the Horde formed a council style leadership in place of a Warchief, with Overlord Geya'rah representing the Mag'har orc clans.[15]
Shadowlands
This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.
Under the Lich King Bolvar Fordragon's command, the Four Horsemen acquired fallen champions of both the Horde and Alliance through the battlefields and graveyards of Azeroth,[16] including the Mag'har orcs. Thus the Knights of the Ebon Blade welcomed a new generation of death knights in preparation for times ahead.[17] They were later sent by Highlord Darion Mograine to Orgrimmar, in order to join the Horde once more and help protect the world.[18]
Dragonflight
This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.
During the course of the war against the Primalists on the Dragon Isles, the Mag'har Clans, along the orcish people of Durotar and Outland, saw the rebirth of the Kosh'harg celebration.[19]
The War Within
This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.
Amid the armistice at the end of the Fourth War, Overlord Geya'rah and the Mag'har were granted Hammerfall as a place for their people to make a fresh start on Azeroth.
Following their arrival to the Arathi Highlands, they had peace with Stromgarde, however when Danath Trollbane instilled his niece, Marran as his regent when his duty drew him to Stormwind City, things changed. Within months of her regency, she called upon the 7th Legion, while claiming that it would help Stromgarde do its part, protecting farms from predators. However, their patrols began roaming farther and farther from their base and what had been once amicable encounters between their forces gave way to violence. In response, Geya'rah called upon the Kor'kron to help them train and deter action from Stromgarde.
After receiving word that the Alliance were attacking the Go'Shek Farm, the Mag'har and Kor'kron forces followed Geya'rah into battle. While Thrall sought to sway Geya'rah to stand down, Aggra was able to recruit the elementals to aid in reducing the fighting, and Jaina Proudmoore did her best to reduce casualties while seeking to stop Marran.
Having come to see the battle upon the Go'Shek Farm as one without honor, Geya'rah sounded a horn and called for the Mag'har and Kor'kron to hold and called upon the 7th Legion and Stromic army to do the same. The Alliance followed suit and when Marran protested, she found herself arrested by Danath Trollbane himself, who formally apologized to Thrall, Aggra, and Geya'rah for her actions and offered reparations, which Geya'rah rejected as she didn't want to punish his people for Marran's actions and only wanted to quash the animosity between them. Danath eagerly offered his support in that endeavor.[20]
This section concerns content related to The War Within.
Geya'rah and the Mag'har were later amongst the Horde reinforcements that arrived to Khaz Algar for the fight against Xal'atath,[21] with the Warsong serving as guards for the Horde embassy within Dornogal.[22]
By the time of the Winter Veil, Danath Trollbane and Eitrigg have been working together for some time to calm the tensions in the Arathi Highlands since Regent Marran's treason.[23]
Clans
Several decades[24] passed on Draenor after the war in Draenor ended. Relations between Mag'har orcs and draenei warmed up, with draenei scholars teaching orc children how to read and write.[25] For the Mag'har, the memory of green, fel-corrupted orcs became a faint memory.[26] But peace only lasted until the naaru arrived. After that, Yrel and her Lightforged draenei fought against the Mag'har orcs.
During the Mag'har orc race unlock questline, when Eitrigg asks for troops from Grommash Hellscream, he was about to send some of his troops to help the Horde on Azeroth until Yrel's unprovoked attack. According to Lantresor of the Blade, whole Lightbound army comes to attack on Mag'har. When the Mag'har escape to Azeroth there isn't much forces in-game, this is because of the game mechanics. According to Steve Danuser, a lot of orcs got caught up in that teleport spell and Mag'har have a significant fighting force along with a fair number of "guests"[27] (gronns, gronnlings, ogron, ogres, garn, goren, botani, and saberon).
Technology
The foundation of the Mag'har technology is the iron star: a coal-fired centrifugal engine which can be used to turn wheels, belts, and chains, allowing for the construction of crude vehicles and siege weapons including tanks, cannons, and chariots. They use all of the technology previously used by the Iron Horde.
Alongside these weapons, the Mag'har make use of warbeasts. Tamed by the Thunderlord clan, these beasts range from massive clefthoof, who were bred as both packbeasts and weapons of war,[28] and the mighty gronn, who have been wholly subjugated by the time of their introduction to the Horde. Alongside them, ogres work as servants, adding to the Mag'har's already formidable arsenal of weaponry.
Even after their exodus to Azeroth, the Mag'har are capable of replicating their technology using Azeroth's materials. As a result, Mag'har weaponry has been quickly adopted by the Horde since their introduction, such as on the siege of Norwington Estate, invasions on Tiragarde Sound, as a flagship in Nazmir, and as a full invasion force in Stormsong Valley as a few examples.
Known members
Notes
- The crest of the Mag'har is identical to that of the Horde prior to joining it. It is unknown if this symbol already existed in orcish culture, or if they were influenced by their interactions with the Horde.
- The Mag'har appear to also still use the iconography of the Iron Horde in a few locations. At Hellsreach Citadel, a massive Iron Horde banner can be seen next to one of the new train tracks. The crest of the Iron Horde also appears on any of the Mag'har's technology, though this one may be a symptom of asset re-usage.
- It is unknown if the Bonechewer clan was a part of the Mag'har. World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 4 reveals that the Bonechewers initially aided Grommash, but then later stood against him and are not seen again afterward. As clans like the Frostwolves and Laughing Skull would later join the Mag'har despite standing against the Iron Horde, the Bonechewers may have as well.
Speculation
|
This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore. |
Due to the appearance of Swellthrasher in Drustvar in the Horde War Campaign, the recruitment of the Mag'har Clans into the Horde may have, lorewise, happened before the Horde invaded Kul Tiras. Alternatively, it could mean that some Laughing Skull Orcs returned to Azeroth with the Horde forces after the war in Draenor, as hinted at by the War Drummers and a few other orcs wearing Frostwolf Orcs gear.
Gallery
Mag'har Crest concept
Mag'har Warder
Mag'har Impaler
Mag'har Blademaster
Mag'har Warrior
Mag'har Limbflayer
Mag'har Darkcaster
Mag'har Ripper
Mag'har Giantslayer
Mag'har Outrider
