“Shaman are spiritual guides and practitioners, not of the divine, but of the very elements. Unlike some other mystics, shaman commune with forces that are not strictly benevolent. The elements are chaotic, and left to their own devices, they rage against one another in unending primal fury.
It is the call of the shaman to bring balance to this chaos. Acting as moderators among earth, fire, water, and air, shaman summon totems that focus the elements to support the shaman’s allies or punish those who threaten them.These masters of the elements can also call upon elemental forces directly, unleashing torrents of lava and bolts of lightning against foes. The elements can create, destroy, support, and hinder. The experienced shaman balances the vast spectrum of these primordial forces into an array of diverse abilities, making shaman versatile heroes and valued members of any group.” - Game Guide.
Welcome, shamans new and old, to my guide to a better understanding of the elemental and shamanistic!
My idea behind this guide would be to encourage people to make more spiritual and/or elemental-attuned characters, to possibly create new initiatives in our community. The idea behind this all stems from in-character interactions in the shape of the Shaman Meetings, but also out-of-character where I have drawn inspiration from other amazing guides to roleplaying a specific concept, like Agetherian’s guide to the Arcane (Agtherian’s Arcane Addendum - Beginner Arcane and Mage RP Guide!) which I highly recommend if you wish to step into the world of the Arcane.
Although that isn’t why we are here today, instead I wish to share my interpretation of the established lore surrounding the elements and shamanism as a whole. I would like to remind you that I am no expert on the subject, but I believe I have a pretty good grasp of the lore surrounding shamans. If you find any contradictions or perhaps plainly false information, do comment on it so that we may improve together!
In the end, your character might not know all of the information this guide contains or perhaps they might even have different understandings on how the world works. I’m not creating this guide to prove others wrong, but instead to give someone the tools to understand. Shamanism is, after all, a living practice, something that changes from place to person. One character’s understanding isn’t inherently wrong, nor is another’s inherently right.
With that out of the way, let us begin in the stories of a more primordial world, where elements reign, where powers beyond ourselves war against one another and where we all fit in this great cycle…
Contents
- The elements and their origins.
1a. The Great Dark Beyond
1b. Azeroth - The concept of shamanism.
- The different elemental spirits.
3a. Spirit of Earth
3b. Spirit of Air
3c. Spirit of Fire
3d. Spirit of Water
3e. Spirit of Life/Wilds/Spirit
3f. The Decay - How shamans cast spells
- Tools of the trade
5a. Sapta
5b. Totems
5c. Enhancements - Shamanism and different cultures
6a. Draenei
6b. Dwarf
6c. Dark Iron
6d. Kul Tiran
6e. Pandaren
6f. Goblin
6g. Orc
6h. Tauren
6i. Troll
6j. Highmountain
6k. Mag’har orc
6l. Zandalari
6m. Vulpera
6n. Earthen - Elements across the great dark beyond
7a. Azeroth
7a-a. Deepholm
7a-b. Skywall
7a-c. Firelands
7a-d. Abyssal Maw
7b. Outland/Draenor
7c. Draenor (AU)
7d. Argus - A note on dark shamanism
- Sources
- Special thanks
- The elements and their origins
1a. The Great Dark Beyond.
Ever since the beginning of time, at the beginning of the Great Dark’s formation, there have existed magical energies of different kinds, and the most basic of building blocks were the elemental powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. These primordial powers now inhabit most of the cosmos, both known and not, sprawling across space as the very basic form of life. They feed off an energy called Spirit, which heavily influences their shapes, personalities and purposes. Some planets contain more Spirit than others, influencing the elements on a grand scale. As such, the elements between one world and another will never be the same.
The more Spirit the elements have to feed upon, the more peaceful an element can be by nature, while the lack of Spirit causes the elements to be more chaotic and violent. We’ll touch upon this concept again, yet it’s a very important and integral part of shamanism.
The elements, being such an intricate part of life, can be found in anything anywhere. From complex elemental lifeforms (from the basic primordial elemental to evolutionary complex creatures such as proto-drakes) to that of inanimate rock.
1b. Azeroth.
In Azeroth’s early days, there was constant conflict between the elements. The world soul housed within the planet had greedily consumed much of the world spirit, thus sending the elementals calling Azeroth home into a never-ending frenzy. There was constant war between the elements, and not for the sake of being victorious, but to continue the chaos the war caused. Yet in the end, the goal was oftentimes to house dominion over the larger area than the other elements. A hierarchy was established during these wars, where elemental lords came to power and ruled over lesser elemental spirits as their elemental nature bound them to do. These would be Therazane the Stonemother, Al’Akir the Windlord, Ragnaros the Firelord and Neptulon the Tidehunter.
When the old gods arrived on Azeroth, they capitalised on this weakened and divided state of the elements and subjugated them, forcing them to end their war and join their forces. They lived in servitude to their new masters and were used as tools of war against one another until the Pantheon found Azeroth. Through their war against the old gods, they imprisoned the elements to a respective newly created elemental plane, sealing them out from the material plane. Within the elements could continue their endless strife and wars with themselves without harming the world as a whole. We will go further in-depth on this later on.
- The concept of shamanism
“For millennia, since the primitive tribal cultures of Azeroth and Draenor, the natural elements of the physical universe have been celebrated, feared, and even worshiped. Mystics sought communion with the earth, air, fire, and water, and learned to tap into their raw power. In time, these spiritual guides came to understand that nature’s elemental forces aren’t wholly benevolent, but have, in fact, been locked in an unending conflict of chaos and primal fury that once consumed the physical realm. So began the calling of the Shaman, to bring balance to these volatile energies, leveraging their intensity to mend wounds . . . or inflict them.” - Legion class-hall overview
Ever since sapient races had discovered the primordial forces of the elements, there have been shamans to uphold balance or channel their primal power. Most notable are the orcs of Draenor and Tauren or the Wildhammer dwarves of Azeroth, who had deep spiritual ties to both their ancestral spirits and elemental ones of their respective lands. Through either trial and error or with guided hands, shamanism was brought into our world by those who listened.
While the concept of a shaman varies a lot between cultures, individuals and worlds, there are some points which are oftentimes universal between them. A shaman acts not as a champion, but as a mediary between the elemental and material, seeking a certain balance between elemental powers so that everyone may live with them in harmony. And through this offered peace and balance, the elements offer the shaman their powers and magic, a power borrowed. I believe Drek’thar explained this connection best in the book Lord of the Clans:
“…I am granted these things because I ask, with respect in my heart, and I am willing to offer something in return. I request only the barest needs for myself and my people. At times, I ask great things, but only when the cause is good and just and wholesome. In return, I thank these powers, knowing that they are borrowed only, never bought. They come to me because they choose to, not because I demand it! These are not slaves, Thrall…” - Drek’thar to Thrall, Lord of the Clans.
This is unique to shamanism in the world of Warcraft, as a shaman can not cast magic like a magi or a warlock does by sheer willpower, life force, or extensive knowledge. Instead, their power originates from mutual respect, and if this respect is broken somehow, then the power the elements would have offered is removed, stripping a shaman of their magic.
As a side note, this is one of the main reasons orcs of what is now Outland turned to the Fel, as the elements wouldn’t answer the call of their shamans after they had disrespected them and massacred the Draenei en masse.
Contrary to the Arcane magic incantations and rigid motions, the elemental magic is fluid and alive. Never the same and always changing with and without the shaman’s influence. And thus I would like to make a note that the experiences between two shamans are never the same. While they might have similarities, a pupil would possibly only find failure in mimicking their master’s proven ways, as they are not necessarily right for the pupil. This can also be the reason why there are nearly no written exact methods on how to contact the elements, as it’s forever changing depending on who wrote it.
- The different elemental spirits
The elemental spirit is a concept which lives on in every world the elements call home. They are oftentimes called the pinnacle of their kind and sometimes shown as the very extremes their respective elements can muster. While there is one coherent spirit for each element, there are also one or two others, depending on who you ask. That would be the spirit of Life and Decay.
Each of these spirits, or creatures as they are sometimes referred to, have distinct personality traits and temperament which are heavily influenced by a spirit’s elemental nature. Something we’ll go into more detail further below. These spirits are different from planet to planet, they are described to be similar in some ways yet very different in others between worlds, something touched upon in the story Unbroken (Outland’s spirits through the eyes of Nobundo) and Lord of the Clans (Azeroth’s spirits through the eyes of Thrall), I will mostly rely on Lord of the Clans for the following descriptions, as most often than not we find ourselves on Azeroth!
Something to note is that the elemental spirits of Azeroth and the elemental lords of Azeroth are not the same beings, as hinted at on many occasions throughout the expansive lore of Warcraft. A shaman has a connection with these spirits first and foremost, while they can also have bonds with specific elementals beyond these spirits.
3a. Spirit of Earth
“I am the Spirit of Earth, Thrall, son of Durotan. I am the soil that yields the fruit, the grasses that feed the beasts. I am the rock, the bones of this world. I am all that grows and lives in my womb, be it worm or tree or flower.” - Spirit of Earth to Thrall, Lord of the Clans
Earth influences stability and stubbornness.
Earth teaches patience in all things, and is oftentimes called the mother of life or Earthmother. While often portrayed as a supportive and protective spirit, its wrath destroys walls and levels cities to the ground.
It has also been shown that the Spirit of Earth can be called to heal another, more specifically by imbuing your weapon or magical foci with the element of Earth, this is shown in-game with Earthliving Weapon being used to boost a shaman’s healing capacity.
3b. Spirit of Air
“I am the Spirit of Air, Thrall, son of Durotan. I am the winds that warm and cool the earth, that which fills your lungs and keeps you alive. I carry the birds and insects and dragons, and all things that dare soar to my challenging heights…” - Spirit of Air to Thrall, Lord of the Clans.
Air influences cunning and madness.
Air grants a shaman a more lighthearted approach to life, often portrayed to infuse someone with warm laughter and being mischievous. It can carry a shaman into the air, making them hover or glide on the wind. Air teaches courage and bravery, always pushing one another forward. Air is often tied to the concept of freedom.
Yet while warm and lighthearted, its fury is never to be questioned. Air can produce great thunderstorms and channel massive tornadoes to strike its foes.
3c. Spirit of Fire
“Power again filled Thrall, and this time it was almost painful. Heat churned in his belly, and sweat popped out on his green skin. He felt an almost overpowering desire to leap into the nearby snowbanks… …Lightning danced its dangerous dance across the night sky. Thrall knew that it was his to command. The flowers that had strewn the broken earth exploded into flames, crisping and burning to ashes in the space of a few heartbeats. This was a dangerous element, and Thrall thought of the pleasant fires that had kept his clan alive. At once, the fires went out, to re-form in a small, contained, cozy area.” - Thrall experiencing the Spirit of Fire, Lord of the Clans.
Fire influences passion and fury.
Fire encompasses everything from the warm, cosy fireplace in the coldest of winters, to that of an erupting volcano. Fire grants the shaman the ability to bolster the morale of their allies and at the same time create great bursts of magma or fire to burn their foes.
It’s aggressive yet proud, Fire grants you as a shaman the courage to overcome any obstacle and to appreciate life through the warm passion that it shares.
3d. Spirit of Water
“The Spirit of Water flowed into him, calming and cooling the burn the Spirit of Fire had left behind. Thrall had a vision of the ocean, though he had never seen one before, and extended his mind to probe its darkling depths. Something cold touched his skin. He opened his eyes to see that it was snowing thick and fast. With a thought, he turned it to rain, and then halted it altogether. The comfort of the Spirit of Water within him soothed and strengthened, and he let it go with deep, heartfelt thanks.” - Thrall experiencing the Spirit of Water, Lord of the Clans.
Water influences tranquility and indecisiveness.
Water is the calmness of a tranquil lake, yet simultaneously holds the wrath of the seas within its domain. It offers reflection, clarity of mind and soothing of the soul. It, back on Outland, is responsible for why some of the Broken has not fallen into madness, unclouding their minds from their curse.
Often tied to the healing of both body and soul, this element is most often shown to be used to either hinder an enemy’s movement or miraculously heal the most grievous of wounds. However, the spirit of Water can inflict a freezing chill over an enemy and their ships, freezing them in place or causing great waves to overwhelm their enemies.
3e. Spirit of Life/Wilds/Spirit
“We are the Spirit of the Wilds, the essence and souls of all things living. We are the most powerful of all, surpassing the quakes of Earth, the winds of Air, the flames of Fire, and the floods of Water. Speak, Thrall, and tell us why you think you are worthy of our aid.” - The spirit of the Wilds to Thrall, Lord of the Clans.
Spirit influences bravery and naiveté.
This spirit’s power is mostly known for being used to communicate with those who passed beyond the Veil, the souls of the dead. Though it can also be asked to provide sustenance, something Thrall had done to aid the Frostwolves during his shamanistic training.
It is known that if a shaman can fully embrace this spirit, their ability to call upon the elements will increase, making it easier to communicate with them. Notably, the Earthen Ring saves the knowledge and teachings of Spirit to the more experienced apprentices and older shaman of the order, possibly due to the heavy weight the four primordial elements already have on the mind of a pupil.
This is also the same energy that monks draw upon to channel their mists and enhance their physical abilities. The Pandaren people call this energy “Chi”, which directly translates to Spirit. Yet Chi comes inwards, instead of relying on a spirit’s influence.
3f. The Decay
“Storm! Earth! And Fire! Bend to our will! We do not ask the elements for aid… The True Horde takes what it wants!” - Kor’kron Dark Shaman.
Decay influences efficiency and ruthlessness.
While not technically an elemental spirit, it still stands as the polar opposite of Spirit, Decay can and has been used to force the other primordial elements into servitude. Sufficient use of Decay can block practitioners of Spirit from communicating with the elements.
Those who bend the elements to their will using Decay are oftentimes called Dark Shamans, Dark Farseers or simply corrupted shamans.
If a primordial element is exposed to enough Decay, their spirits would be twisted and changed into new versions of themselves. Twisting them into rusted iron, burned-out ash, corrupted waters and poisonous air, described by the Dark Shaman boss encounter in the Siege of Orgrimmar raid.
Some well-known users of Decay from recent memory could be either the gnolls in The Azure Span, who have mastered the element of Decay, or the Kor’kron Dark Shamans back in the Siege of Orgrimmar, who used Decay to force the elements into submission, twisting them in the process.
- How shamans cast spells
“True knowledge and understanding will take years, but if you stay the course, in time we will be yours to call upon… but never to command. Yet if you respect us, and your motives remain unselfish, we will never abandon you.” - Spirit of Water to Nobundo, Unbroken.
A shaman never demands power, they only ask nor should they ever take their gift for granted. Through mutual respect and good deeds, the elemental spirits grant a shaman a portion of their infinite power to ward off the forces of evil or to aid their allies through visions.
As the Spirit of Water explains to Nobundo during their initial meeting, the elements will not willingly grant their powers to a cause that isn’t just or if they aren’t shown proper respect by the shaman (and possibly the people around them).
Shamans can call for quick and simple bursts of elemental wrath such as shock spells and surges of lava, but can also perform great rituals to grant them powers beyond comprehension. Shamanism is deeply rooted in ritualistic practices, and the longer or more complex the ritual the greater power they can call upon, be that great thunderstorms, seeing far beyond what mortal eyes can, or holding communion with the elemental spirits themselves to have a bite of their infinite wisdom.
Speaking of spellcasting, what about mana?
Mana is the resource which a spellcaster uses to weave and cast spells. Seeing that shamans themselves arguably do not cast their spells, but ask the elements to do so for them, I would conclude that they do not use mana as much as an ordinary magic user such as a mage. Mana in the past has always been referred to as being used mainly by the Orderly/Disorderly types of magic, which would be the Arcane and Fel. But also as a counter towards physical energy, mana could be the representation of mental energy, draining slowly the more you cast spells, which in turn makes you more and more tired as you go.
A way to explain why shamans use mana to cast healing spells would be, pure speculation here on my part, that they use a portion of their spiritual energy to heal another being better. Healing for a shaman is ultimately originating from Spirit.
Proficiency with communing or channeling the elements comes ultimately down to the shaman and their ability to channel Spirit, yet some characters might be more strongly attuned to specific elements than others. While I can find little information on this subject, the concept isn’t impossible. It could relate to that your character’s personality goes better in line with that of a certain element, the patience and stubbornness of Earth or perhaps the burning passion of Fire.
Alternatively, a shaman might have a better connection with a certain element due to them getting better along with the element in mind. May it be that your character has a strong connection to the spirit of Water due to a mutual understanding or lengthy camaraderie between the two of you. Much like the crude practices of a geomancer, who focuses solely on Earth’s domain, yet would they then be called a shaman who should generally seek balance?
Although, in the end, this is purely speculative, while completely in the realm of possibility there’s not a lot of lore to go on when it comes to picking favourites within the elemental world.
- Tools of the trade
Shamans use a variety of different tools, often tied to their respective cultural backgrounds. In this segment, I will briefly touch upon the most common tools shown either in lore or in-game.
5a. Sapta
Back in vanilla, sapta was used to connect or communicate with the elements of the world through the various shaman-specific quests. Yet what is a sapta?
Sapta is mostly related to an elixir of sorts, created with a variety of items spanning from anything between literal dirt, herbs and/or trophies of your enemies. An Earth sapta was created with the use of felstalker hooves, as an example. Sapta is oftentimes infused with spiritual/elemental magic, increasing its effects on the consumer, though this is not always the case.
While not shown in-game anymore, much of the community has embraced the idea of using sapta to better connect with the elements and to aid their pupils in more easily reaching the elements and their influence.
Sapta can also notably be used by non-spiritually inclined people to see manifestations of the elements.
5b. Totems
Totems are the bread and butter of shamanistic tradition and a shaman’s most common way to weaponize or amplify the blessings granted to them by the elemental spirits of their world. Their shape, size and material used are often tied to either cultural or personal preference, while a Tauren might opt for large and heavy totem poles, a Draenei might opt for a more crystalline creation. Yet while some materials can channel the elements better than others, it matters little to the spirits if a totem is made of wood or crystals. It is proof of consideration that the shaman put into their work and word, wanting to create a connection between the two, which is ultimately the tipping point for many elemental spirits.
A totem can have many uses, yet each totem has only one specific use more often than not. Be it to call on Water to create great falls of healing rain or maybe a totem to call on Earth’s binding power to cripple their enemies movement.
5c. Enhancements
Not to be confused with the Arcane school of Enchantment, yet the different ideas serve a similar purpose. A shaman can imbue an item with elemental magic of different kinds to reach different outcomes, infuse it with icy Water and you might slow an enemy down by striking them with your weapon. Infuse your staff with Earth to give your spells a protective boost, and so on. The possibilities are in theory endless, but shown in-game by Frostbrand Weapon to hinder your enemy’s movements, Flametongue Weapon to empower your offensive spells, Earthliving Weapon to strengthen your healing abilities and Maelstrom Weapon to strike as fast as lightning. This is also true for the case of abilities such as Lava Lash and Stormstrike, elementally imbuing your strikes to cause further harm is something very common and is often utilized by a shaman if the elements deem your cause worthy.
- Shamanism and different cultures
As there are so many cultures and traditions around shamanism within Warcraft’s great expansive lore, I’ll try to quickly skim over the different in-game alternatives to the elements. However, remember that this is a general overview of their respective cultures and thus not set in stone how each shaman of their race might approach the elements as a whole.
There is also lore for other races to embrace shamanistic cultures, yet they are not represented by the class’s in-game choice. Thus, I won’t focus on them, believing that there is too little lore behind the option. However, this doesn’t mean that your race can’t have shaman within their midst, it is but very rarely the case.
6a. Draenei
Led by the great Farseer Nobundo, the Draenei people slowly embraced the teachings of the elements. Though somewhat reluctantly at first as many believed that Nobundo’s teachings would get in the way of the Light’s.
These are the people who were the first to connect with the elemental spirits of Outland after Draenor’s destruction. The elemental spirits of Outland reached out to Nobundo, sensing his good heart and soul.
Draenei’s totems are often made out of crystalline structures or great works of stone, a homage to the importance of crystals within their culture.
6b. Dwarf
Originally only practised by the Wildhammer clan, shamanism is now a widespread practice across all dwarf-kind. These people have shown a great connection to the elements of both Air and Earth in the past, with the Gryphon Riders’ lightning-imbued Storm Hammers to prove such a connection.
The in-game depiction of their totems reflects that of their Wildhammer origins, wooden totems decorated by gryphon feathers.
6c. Dark Iron
Once bound to the Firelord Ragnaros through a cursed ritual performed by their late Emperor Dagran Thaurissan, these people have finally found the freedom they yearned for. Imbued with the element of Fire, their feats of elemental control are legendary.
The in-game depiction of their totems is that of elementally imbued anvils, possibly reflecting their tempered approach to the elements and great forges.
6d. Kul Tiran
While shamanism is largely unknown to the Kul Tiran people, they still embrace the elements to aid in construction, bless their ships, and manoeuvre them on the seas. Dorian Atwater is one example of a Kul Tiran ‘shaman’. While she has never heard the word shaman, she can call upon the elemental powers within Azeroth and manifest elementals to aid her in her work. These people also show a deep connection to the vast oceans, hinting at a voice coming from the depths. This could be referring to a powerful elemental, though that much is speculation.
Shown a deep affiliation with the element Water in both action and beliefs.
The in-game depiction of their totems shows a depiction of their nation’s crest, possibly reflecting their pride as a people. There are also hints of kraken imagery, possibly representing a connection to their order of tide sages.
6e. Pandaren
Peace, tranquillity and patience. The Pandaren approach to the elements is an interesting one, as the depiction of elementals within both the Wandering Isle and Pandaria is that of playful and peaceful beings, very much contrary to that of the rest of Azeroth. A Pandaren shaman often works to appease these playful spirits with either action, song or perhaps a dance. Yet their approach is a friendly one, always. It is speculated that the Pandaren shaman is often a wanderer or protector, choosing to appease a particular spirit or wandering between many to offer their friendly aid to the affected villagers.
The in-game depiction of their totems shows a deep connection to their order of monks. They often use barrels as a base, which could point towards a connection between the Brewmasters and shamans.
6f. Goblin
A deal’s a deal, and a contract has been made! A goblin shaman most often approaches the elements with a deal more often than not more beneficial to the goblin than the elemental in question. Keeping true to their often-depicted selfish greed, there are times when Goblin shamans have turned upon their own contracted elementals to further their position or rank. Something which more often than not comes back to bite them in their bottoms.
The in-game depiction of their totems is that of great machinery, a feat of engineering which is something special for the goblin race. Goblins have been depicted more often than not binding specific elementals to their totems, more often than other races, which in turn fuels their primordial powers.
6g. Orc
Balance, peace and honor. These are the values of an orc. Ancestral connection is very important and the shamans, through the channeling of the Spirit of Life, can connect with them. Often seen as the ‘original’ shamans within the Warcraft universe, as they were the first to fully embrace the teachings of the elements back on Draenor before the creation of the Horde.
However, the elements severed their connection with the Orcish people when they decided to turn against the Draenei people. Since the creation of Thrall’s Horde, the Orcs have had to retrace their steps back on Azeroth under the guidance of the few shamans left within their kin, many of whom were of the Frostwolf clan.
The Orcish totems reflect their warrior past, depicting that of axes and weapons made of wood and metal in-game.
6h. Tauren
The importance of the Earthmother and connection to their ancestors. Ancestral connection is very important and the shamans, through the channeling of the Spirit of Life, can connect with them. The original creators of the Earthen Ring sometime before the war of Three Hammers, created to grant their people wisdom and clarity through communion with the elements of old. Shamans within the Tauren tribes were the spiritual and ancestral guides of their people, deeply in tune with the spirits of those who passed the Veil. To be a shaman within Tauren culture is a role followed by great honour and respect from others of their people.
The Tauren people also served as the early shamanistic guides for the other Horde races, where the orcs had to relearn their ancient history and the trolls embraced a more elemental path for power.
The in-game depiction of their totems is that of great totem poles, mimicking those who are prominent within their architecture and culture already. Along their totem’s faces would be stories of ancient pasts, heroic deeds and ageless wisdom.
While probably purely a game restriction, the Tauren styled totems were used by every shaman race back in vanilla!
6i. Troll
The line between shaman and priest is a thin one in trollish culture, yet there are all too many tribes to list here, we will focus on the playable Darkspear tribe.
The Troll’s connection to the spirits has always been a close tie, though they’ve not until recently called this shamanism. The Trolls do not create bonds with the elemental spirits nor do they make contracts with them, instead they commune with the great Loa, where some have their domains dabble in elemental magic such as Akunda Loa of Storms.
The in-game depiction of a troll’s totem would be a wooden tiki mask, presumably symbolising their culture and faith towards the Loa.
6j. Highmountain
The elements are an integral and very important part of Highmountain culture. Three of their four tribes are directly associated with the elements: the Rivermane with Water, the Bloodtotem with Earth, and the Skyhorn with Air.
Like their Tauren cousins, they revere and honour their shamans, who serve as spiritual guides for their people.
Their totems, which depict a totem pole associated with the animal kingdom, relate to those of their Tauren cousins.
6k. Mag’har orc
Balance, peace and honor. The Mag’har from the alternate timeline keeps much of the same ideals from the orcish culture that we know. Staying true to the elements until being turned against them by foreboding visions of the future.
These orcs didn’t lose their connection to the elements as a result of embracing the Fel, yet the elements left many orcish shamans of the Iron Horde as a direct result of their conquest of Draenor. This made many shamans turn to the void to control and imprison elementals to their cause, tapping their power as their own. Yet many orcs remained true to their peaceful nature, neglecting that of the Iron Horde’s advance, most notably the entire Frostwolf clan and a minority of exiles from the Shadowmoon clan.
The in-game depiction of their totems is made of great tusks of beasts they’ve felled in honorable hunts, now brandishing the symbol of the Horde to show their allegiance to their new-found kin.
6l. Zandalari
The Zandalari are a proud people and a very rich one at that! Mimicking the Darkspears and most of the troll kind’s approach to shamanism, the Zandalari commune with the great Loa to gain control over the elements.
The in-game depiction of their totems is that of an effigy of their chosen Loa, made from a base of wood and brandished with golden paints and jewellery.
6m. Vulpera
The Vulpera are a mysterious people who have not had much lore made for them just yet. Thus, there’s no specific mention of shamanism and its place within their society. However, one can make a few educated guesses with what little there is.
Vulperan shamans would possibly fulfil the same role as priests would, much like in troll lore. Paying great respect to the sands of the dunes they traverse and the water they drink. And it is possible that they wouldn’t know the concept of shamanism previous to joining the Horde, seeing their connection to the land much like the Kul Tiran’s see their connection to the seas.
The in-game depiction of their totems is that of a small fox, possibly depicting themselves and the struggles they face within the Vol’dun desert. These could be connected to the Vulperan custom to create lucky charms, channeling the spirits through these pieces of art. Or perhaps a homage to their communal way of living, giving the spirits and dead proper respect.
6n. Earthen
How Earthen approaches shamanism is currently unknown other than the example of the Stormriders. Where Stormward Lufsela showed a certain connection to the elemental plane of Air, and with the aid of Thrall, was able to commune with the elementals which call Skywall their home and summon several Stormrooks from the elemental plane.
This is hinted to be a connection of respect and honorable intentions, and by following the teachings of Thrall one could argue that they indeed use the power of Spirit to commune with the elements like a traditional shaman would.
There is also the idea that Earthen being creations of the Titans, that the Earthen would use a mixture of Arcane and Spirit to “force” the elements to do their bidding, although there’s not much to go on and even less to make such an assumption about.
The in-game depiction of their totems is that of a hammer infused with a large crystal, most likely reflecting their past as builders and a homage to their race crest. The crystal is a nice addition though, possibly the main elemental foci within this totem.
- Elements across the great dark beyond
As mentioned before, the elements are different depending on what world they might inhabit. While we only know of the elemental nature of two worlds currently, there is much to go over still. Here I’ll briefly go over the most important things to note about the worlds we can normally access and worlds which hold spiritual importance to our characters.
7a. Azeroth
In the early days of Azeroth’s shaping, the elements ran rampant on the planet’s surface. Being nurtured, or lack thereof, by the dwindling presence of Spirit on the planet, the elements of old spread chaos and destruction wherever they went. In a constant state of conflict and war, the elements raged against each other in their respective approach. Some opt for espionage and careful strikes like Al’Akir the Windlord did, while others go for a more brutal and forceful approach like Ragnaros the Firelord. This conflict was always present in the early untold years, never-ending for the elements didn’t wish for it to end, driven by their inherently violent and destructive nature.
The Elemental Wars were only interrupted by the arrival of the Old Gods, where the elemental lords had to make an uneasy alliance after many great losses to try and drive the forces of the Void back. Yet this was to no avail, they ultimately lost to these powerful entities and the unlimited amount of underlings they spawned. Yet instead of finding a permanent way to rid Azeroth of the elements, the Old Gods would decide to enslave these elemental lords to their will, subjugating them and making them lieutenants of their armies. And without the elements to keep the Old Gods’ expansion in check, they would spread their influence all across the world.
Once more, after untold years, the Pantheon of the Titans would find Azeroth and despise the state in which it found itself. Showing great care for the burgeoning world soul housed within the planet, the Titans waged a great war against both Old Gods and their elemental slaves. A war the Titans would ultimately find themselves victorious in, imprisoning the Old Gods who had fused themselves to Azeroth in great titan installations, but also the elements to a pocket dimension later known as an elemental plane, rounding up all the elementals they could find and putting them in their respective prisons so that Azeroth might finally find order and stability.
The Titans bound the elements to their respective elemental planes, the strict hierarchy was kept even after much internal conflict and civil war. These planes were bound to a single element and housed their respective elementals: Deepholm for Earth, Skywall for Air, the Firelands for Fire, and the Abyssal Maw for Water. On many occasions throughout Azeroth’s rich history, the elements bound to these planes have influenced the proceedings on the material plane and found ways to escape their orderly prison.
Not all elementals were captured and sealed away by the Titans, some stayed hidden and continued their machinations on the material plane, influencing wildlife and flora alike. Many of the remaining elementals slowly evolved into many of the creatures we see still to this day, such as proto-drakes and gryphons.
7a-a. Deepholm
Deepholm is a place entirely made of stone, crystal and metal. An expansive cavern where no sun reaches, no rain falls or wind blows. Instead, this place is lit up by luminescent crystals, leading the way for the earth elementals which call this place its home. Great magnetic forces are at work in Deepholm, creating earthquakes and grand displays of floating rock in its wake. Yet still, Deepholm is surprisingly hospitable to us mortals contrary to the other elemental planes.
Something to note is that almost all denizens of Deepholm hold a deep anger towards the Black Dragonflight after what Deathwing did to their plane, destroying the World Pillar to usher in the Cataclysm and leaving the plane greatly scarred.
It is led by Therazane, the Stonemother, who has held her title of leader since the Elemental Wars of old. It is home to the World Pillar, which keeps the elemental plane from collapsing into Azeroth.
7a-b. Skywall
In a realm of constant storms and lightning, a mortal stepping foot in this plane would simply be blown asunder by the extreme winds. Yet this proves quite hospitable to the Air elementals who call Skywall their home.
We see glimpses of Skywall in the Throne of the Four Winds raid and through the dungeon Vortex Pinnacle back in Cataclysm, where Skywall is shown as an expansive sky with platforms built on thick clouds.
Today led by Thunderaan the Windlord who stands with the Earthen Ring. But the Air elementals of old joined the forces of Deathwing to usher in the Cataclysm upon Azeroth under the leadership of Al’Akir.
7a-c. Firelands
With unbearable heat, sulfurous stench and rivers of magma, the plane of fire is very inhospitable to anything other than the Fire elementals.
Being the home of the ever-power-hungry element of Fire, there has been much conflict within and outside of this plane. The previous Firelord Ragnaros tried numerous times to invade Azeroth, most recently by joining Deathwing to usher in the Cataclysm but also called from the plane of Fire by the Sorcerer-Thane Thaurissan to smite his enemies, yet tricked by the Firelord and instead cursed his people to be the unwilling servants of the Firelord.
Back in the Legion expansion, the Earthen Ring aided in the civil war held on Firelands to push Smolderon to become the new Firelord, succeeding in doing so and getting their aid against the Legion invasion.
Currently, it is unknown if Smolderon still holds dominion over the Firelands after being defeated in the Emerald Dream and his essence absorbed by Fyrakk’s weapon. Some argue that he would return to the Firelands as all fire elementals would do following their death, and others argue that with his essence consumed by the axe Fyr’alath, he should be considered dead properly.
7a-d. Abyssal Maw
The Abyssal Maw is an endless ocean that changes from salty brine to fresh and clear, infinite waters going in all directions with no land in sight. Deep within these endless waters, which teem with elemental life, lies the Throne of Tides, where the current ruler of the seas surveys his realm.
The Abyssal Maw is not shown in great detail, but the Throne of Tides is a dungeon from Cataclysm, shown as Naga infiltrating the plane of Water and laying siege to the Throne.
The plane is ruled and led by Neptulon the Tide-hunter, having the position of leader since the Elemental Wars, much like Therazane—a wise leader who seems to care much for the land of mortals—often shown coming to its aid in times of need and depicted as the easiest to contact of the four elemental lords.
7b. Outland/Draenor
Unbound by the Titan’s order, yet shattered by the destruction of their home, the Furys of now Outland struggled to survive. Yet with the aid of Nobundo and his new shaman followers, they are being led into balance once more. A hierarchy was established still during Draenor’s infancy, Incineratus the Fury of Fire, Aborius the Fury of Water, Gordawg the Fury of Earth and Kalandrios the Fury of Air.
The elementals of Draenor and Outland are called furies.
The elements of Draenor, now Outland went silent when the orcs were deceived and turned against the Draenei people who they brutally tried to exterminate from the planet. Believing their cause to not be just or honorable, the elements together turned their backs towards the orcish people and in turn lost almost all their shamans along the way. While quite saturated with Spirit, which flowed in abundance all across the planet, they lost the respect and worship they enjoyed and nurtured within the orcish clans. The Fel that the orcish Horde later turned to would send the elements into disarray and dampen their power, limiting them in how they could influence the world as a whole, yet they did their best to restrict the amount of food and water the orcs had access to, drying up rivers and turning farmland of the past into barren plains.
Four years before the opening of the Dark Porta, the elements tried to come together and overthrow the Fel-abusing orcs by infusing a single elemental with all four elements. And so as the planet was dying, Cyrukh the Firelord was created by fusing all the elements into one, creating one huge elemental being to lay waste to the Horde and stop their abuse towards Draenor. From a volcano in Shadowmoon Valley, he would burst out with fiery wrath, laying waste and destroying much of the present Horde ranks there. Many orcs, especially old shamans now turned warlocks, saw this as a sign that the Fel they had embraced had angered the elements. Cyrukh was ultimately defeated by Gul’dan and his Shadow Council, by infusing the elemental with fel energies until he would explode in a fiery inferno, causing cracks to form in the earth and Fel to replace the rivers of Water that once flowed through the valley. This would mark the absolute end of the connection between the orcs and the elements, no longer the Horde would be able to turn back to the elements, even after being redeemed.
When Draenor shattered as a result of Ner’zhul’s ritual, the Spell of Conjuration, the elements followed the fragments sent into the Twisting Nether. Ultimately bound to the land even if shattered beyond recognition. This further diminished their powers over their homeland, leaving them an empty shell of what they once were.
Ultimately, the Furies of Outland would find themselves a new people to use as their champions, their shaman. Putting their faith in the broken draenei Nobundo, they taught him all there is to know of the elemental spirits and the world around him, and each element blessed him with their power to push forward into the mountains where he would ultimately meet with the Fury’s and most notably granted him, and later on his people, reprieve from the clouded mind the Broken curse/condition brought to the past draenei, now turned broken.
7c. Draenor (Alternate Universe, Warlords of Draenor)
Much like our version of events, alternate Draenor was mostly untouched by the Pantheon and left to their own devices and up to the point where the orcs were originally deceived to drink the blood of Mannoroth events remained largely the same. Yet in a world so rich with Spirit, they took the shape of slumbering giants and mostly peaceful beings. But a hierarchy was established still, Incineratus the Fury of Fire, Aborius the Fury of Water, Gordawg the Fury of Earth and Kalandrios the Fury of Air. However, it’s speculated that Gordawg didn’t reclaim his place among the Furys after his death, allowing Stonegar to pick up the mantle after the events of Warlords of Draenor.
The elementals of Draenor and Outland are called furies.
The alternate version of Draenor was not shattered by Ner’zhul’s Spell of Conjuration, nor were the furies suppressed by the extensive use of Fel magic, the elements of Draenor were strong as ever when we went to this alternate reality back in Warlords of Draenor. Instead, some elemental Fury’s were taken prisoner by the void-using Pale Orcs and adventurers tasked to either free or destroy them so that their spirit might rejoin the cycle of rebirth.
As a reflection towards the main universe line of events, Cyrukh was present even if the elements didn’t band together to form him. Instead, Gul’dan infused an elemental fury with such an amount of Fel magic until it would be forced to do his bidding, aiming to use this spirit to sever the tie between Draenor and the element once again. Though ultimately he failed in this mission, his plans were thwarted by adventurers from Azeroth.
Even in this timeline, the elements left many shamans of the Iron Horde, as they deemed their conquest unjust and their brutal ways dishonorable. This made many Iron Horde shamans turn to the Void, using this energy to become dark shamans and force the elements into doing their bidding. Only serving to anger the elements further, the elements granted their boon towards the adventurers and forces from Azeroth to defeat those who had wronged them.
7d. Argus
Sadly, nothing is known about the elemental nature of Argus. It’s possible that the amount of orderly magic (Arcane) that planet was influenced by made the elements of this planet dormant. Or perhaps they were never present at all. It’s all speculation. Though we’ll probably never return to Argus in the foreseeable future, nor did the Draenei have any shamanistic traditions before the Broken adopted it on Outland, and thus I would suppose the information about Argus’s elementals is of little importance.
- A note on dark shamanism
In the shadows of shamanism lies a darker path—one that seeks control rather than balance. Through this search for total control of the primordial powers of the world, Dark Shamanism was born—a sub-sect of shamanism in which every aspect is twisted in a more morbid and dominating image.
Dark Shaman is shown in-game most recently by the Gnolls of Azure Span, using the power of Decay to control the primordial powers of their homeland to wage war against the Tuskarr and the Dragons who call this place their home. However, they are not alone in doing so. Shown back in Mist of Pandaria, Garrosh’s horde used both the power of Decay and Void to subjugate the elements to their absolute will.
Dark shamans have the power to cut ordinary shamans off from the elements, preventing them from reaching out through their use of Spirit and communicating with these primordial spirits. They can even cut shamans off in a larger area, something Thrall spoke of in the Siege of Orgrimmar raid and the quests that led up to it. The Dark Shaman of Garrosh’s True Horde had corrupted the elements to such a degree that they wouldn’t listen or react as normal to the use of Spirit. If either twisted to such a degree that they didn’t wish to be calmed or prevented from feeling such emotions is not mentioned, however.
- Sources
Here are some of the sources I’ve directly used while working on this guide, although much have come from my own general understanding of the lore… Sadly I can’t post hyperlinks in these forums yet, but I think you get the idea!
Shaman - Warcraft Wiki (https:// warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Shaman)
Element - Warcraft Wiki (https:// warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Element)
Elemental - Warcraft Wiki (https:// warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Elemental)
Elemental spirit - Warcraft Wiki (https:// warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Elemental_spirit)
Words of Wind and Earth - Warcraft Wiki (https:// warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Words_of_Wind_and_Earth#The_Fist_of_Ra-den)
Elemental Plane - Warcraft Wiki (https:// warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Elemental_Plane)
Shaman races - Warcraft Wiki (https:// warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Shaman_races)
Lord of the Clans - by Christie Golden (2001)
Unbroken - by Micky Neilson (2007) (https:// worldofwarcraft .blizzard.com/en-us/story/short-story/unbroken)
- Special thanks
… to Haiku, who helped me wrap my head around Vulpera and added some much-needed flair to their approach to shamanism.
… to everyone (I’m looking at you fellow guildies and friends) who proofread, added their thoughts and helped me channel my madness to make something useful for others. Naming all of you will be impossible, but you know who you are.
… to you who read this far and haven’t gone completely mad like myself!
… the grammar and spelling checks built into Google Docs and Grammarly. English is difficult!
May the spirits guide your characters trough their individual stories!