I was thinking of the geological history of Azeroth and how life would evolve, and I thought I’d share some notes to see what people think. I bet we have some geologists, evolutionary biologists and lore enthusiasts here that can give their take. I know some stuff might be contradictory to the established lore, but I was going for a more “neat” timeline and more interested in scientific speculation, rather than being 100% faithful to the lore.
- 4.6 – 4.45 billion years ago: proto-Azeroth forms from a proto-planetary disc. A Mars sized object crashes into proto-Azeroth, later forming the “White Lady”. A second, smaller object later crashes into the planet, forming the “Blue Child”.
- 4.5 – 4.3 billion years ago: Azeroth world-soul “bleeds” through the impacts, blood crystalizing into structures like Beledar.
- 3.8 billion – 600 million years ago: The rise of microbial life. Evolution speeds up with the effect of two moons and Azeroth’s world-soul.
- 600 million – ~600,000 years ago: Dinosaur analogues and the ancestors of dragons dominate the planet. Small mammals exist.
- 600,000 – 500,000+ years ago: Old Gods arrive through impact events, causing tectonic upheaval, ecological collapse in many regions. Localized extinction of reptilian mega-fauna. Mammals expand.
- 450,000 – 400,000 years ago: As the foundation of the Black Empire is laid, intelligent Proto-Troll/Proto-Haranir, with 5-digits, tool use, and language arise.
- 400,000 – 150,000 years ago: Black Empire dominates, preying on the indigenous intelligent population as slave labour, or sacrifice. Trolls begin to diverge from the base species. Proto-Haranir begins to decline due to predation and competition. Trolls, with robust regeneration, stronger muscles, and optimized three-digit hands thrive, and become the dominant lineage.
- 150,000 – 120,000 years ago: Arrival of the Titans and the Ordering of Azeroth. Titans wage a war of conquest against the Black Empire by establishing scientific/military outposts, and synthetic constructs. Y’Shaarj is killed, and the Well of Eternity, a mega-lake connected to rest of the Kalimdor through river systems, is formed where the wound is. The other Old Gods and Elemental Lords are defeated and imprisoned. The war causes large scale ecological damage. Keeper Freya establishes ecological repair stations across Azeroth.
- 120,000 – 30,000 years ago: The Titan War causes the extinction of surface dwelling Proto-Haranir. Some migrate underground, forming the modern Haranir. Some settle near the Well of Eternity. The powers of the Well of Eternity causes rapid speciation of Proto-Haranir into Night Elves, and uplifting of many of Azeroth’s intelligent species (Pandaren, Tauren, Furbolgs, Tuskarr, etc.).
- 60,000 – 20,000 years ago: Trolls form the first mortal civilization, and spread throughout the Kalimdor super-continent. Dragon-aspects are empowered by the Titan-Keepers. Dragon Civil War between the Primal Incarnates and the Aspects.
- 20,000 – 16,000 years ago: Apex of the Troll Empire. Concluded with the Aqir-Troll Wars. Aqir Empire is destroyed and fragments.
- 16,000 – 10,000 years ago: The Rise of the Night Elves. Empowered by the Arcane energies of the Well of Eternity, Night Elves eclipse the Troll civilization in decline, and establish a continent spanning empire. Curse of Flesh leads to the introduction of humans. The first empire of Pandaren form after a successful slave revolt against Mogu.
- 10,000 years ago: War of the Ancients. First invasion by the Burning Legion leads to the Sundering, the third cataclysmic event in the planet’s history. The explosion of the Well of Eternity leads to 80% of Kalimdor’s landmass to sink, and the remaining landmasses to form distinct continents. Continent scale climate, and geological shifts. End of the Kaldorei Empire, and contraction of the spread of the Elven species. Large migratory movement of intelligent species. An era of isolation as Dragon Isles, Pandaria, and new-Kalimdor hide behind veils of mist. Beginning of ethnogenesis events for High Elves and Nightborne.