Sign inMalfurion Stormrage
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Malfurion Stormrage is the first night elf druid, a student of the demigod Cenarius and the founder of the Cenarion Circle. He led the resistance against the Burning Legion in the War of the Ancients and again at Mount Hyjal in the Third War. In Classic he is missing, his spirit lost in the Emerald Dream, and he reaches players only as a vision in two level 60 quest lines.
Biography
Malfurion and his twin brother Illidan grew up in the night elf empire ten thousand years ago, and both loved the young priestess Tyrande Whisperwind. Malfurion studied under Cenarius and became the first mortal druid, while Illidan turned to arcane magic.
When Queen Azshara and her Highborne used the Well of Eternity to bring the Burning Legion into the world, Malfurion led the resistance. He realized the Well itself was the Legion's doorway and chose to destroy it. The Well's collapse caused The Sundering, which tore the continent apart. Tyrande chose Malfurion, and Illidan, who had secretly saved some of the Well's waters to create a new well atop Mount Hyjal, was imprisoned for it.
Afterward, Malfurion taught the art of druidism to other night elves. The druids spent long periods asleep in barrow dens, their spirits walking the Emerald Dream. When the Legion returned in the Third War, Tyrande woke Malfurion with the Horn of Cenarius. He rallied the druids, joined Thrall and Jaina Proudmoore, and destroyed Archimonde at the World Tree by unleashing thousands of wisps on him. The cost was the night elves' immortality, which had been tied to the World Tree.
Some time after the war, Malfurion returned to the Dream and did not come back. In Classic, his body lies in Moonglade and only the leaders of the Cenarion Circle and the Sisterhood of Elune know what happened to him.
In World of Warcraft
Malfurion Stormrage never walks the world in Classic. He appears through the Dream twice, both times in content for level 60 players.
Shrouded in Nightmare
When the Dragons of Nightmare, the four corrupted green dragons Ysondre, Lethon, Emeriss and Taerar, began appearing in patch 1.8, each of them could drop a [Nightmare Engulfed Object]. Players take it to Keeper Remulos in Moonglade with Shrouded in Nightmare. When Remulos cleanses the object in Waking Legends, a vision of Malfurion appears and speaks with him about the green dragons' fall and the Nightmare spreading through the Dream. The object turns out to be Malfurion's own ring, and the reward is [Malfurion's Signet Ring].
The Scepter of the Shifting Sands
The second appearance is in the green branch of the quest line that opens Ahn'Qiraj, added in patch 1.9. Sent by the bronze dragon Anachronos, players travel to the depths of Sunken Temple, where Malfurion's spirit gives them [[forever:quest:8733]]. He explains that the green dragon Eranikus has been corrupted by the Old Gods and must be redeemed, not killed, and that his plans must be kept from Archdruid Fandral Staghelm.
The branch continues with [[forever:quest:8734]] and [[forever:quest:8735]], in which players collect fragments of the Nightmare's corruption from the four Emerald Dream portals, and ends in Moonglade with [[forever:quest:8736]], where Tyrande arrives to cleanse Eranikus. The green shard goes back to Anachronos to help rebuild [[forever:item:21175]].
Malfurion's distrust of Fandral was one of Classic's longest-running hints. It was not explained until years later.
Later history
- Stormrage (2010). Richard A. Knaak's novel reveals that Fandral had helped trap Malfurion in the Dream and that he had been weakening Malfurion's body using the [Morrowgrain] that players gathered for the Cenarion Circle. Malfurion escapes, defeats Fandral, and drives back the Nightmare.
- Cataclysm (2010). Malfurion returns to the game at Mount Hyjal, finally marries Tyrande, and helps the night elves accept the worgen of Gilneas into the Alliance.
- Legion (2016). He leads druid players through their order campaign and the Emerald Nightmare raid.
- Battle for Azeroth (2018). After Teldrassil burns, he rules beside Tyrande in exile and nearly dies fighting Varok Saurfang in Darkshore.
Trivia
- "Shan'do" means "honored teacher," the title his druid students use for him.
- In Warcraft III his name is shortened to "Furion," which is why many older players still call him that.
Sources
Categories: Characters