Like any good fantasy setting,World of Warcrafthas an extensive pantheon of supernatural creatures and deities. From Eternal Ones and First Ones to Wild Gods and Loa, there is no shortage of godlike beings who act as both friend and foe forWorld of Warcraftplayers. ThoughWarcrafthas explored many of these entities over the course of several decades in games, books, and comics, there is always room for more.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflightis bringing focus back to its roots: the dragonflights and their connection with the titans. The godlike Pantheon has been established as a cornerstone ofWarcraftlore sinceWoW Classic, and the dragon Aspects beganappearing as early asWarcraft 2. Understanding the titans, their Keepers, and their connection to the dragons of Azeroth will be fundamental to the story of Dragonflight.
RELATED:World of Warcraft: Why Wrathion is a Big Deal for the Black Dragonflight
Remember the Titans - World of Warcraft’s Pantheon
The titan Pantheon is a group of godlike beings who helped shape the cosmos. Beings of Order, the titans originated from special planets which contained world-soul like Azeroth and Argus. These cosmic creatures are responsible for organizing and creating life on many planets across the cosmos, and their influence is keenly felt on Azeroth - even among theplayable races inWorld of Warcraft. Some, like Humans and Dwarves, descend directly from titanic creations, while most others came about indirectly through their actions.
As massive godlike beings, the titans had a lot to do across the cosmos. To handle things on Azeroth after their departure, the titans empowered nine titan-forged watchers to shape and safeguard Azeroth. These watchers were imbued with a fraction of the titans’ power and became known as the Keepers. The Keepers, in turn, shared blessings of the titans with theproto-dragons who would later become the dragon Aspects:
Much like their real-life mythological counterparts, both the titan Pantheon and their Keepers were fraught with strife and infighting. The seventh titan, Sargeras,betrayed his kin and eventually went on to form the Burning Legion, nearly wiping out the universe and slaying the Pantheon in the process. The now-weakened Pantheon is locked away at the edge of the universe, acting as jailer for their wayward brother. Likewise, their Keepers became compromised, with several falling prey to the Old Gods either through corruption or combat. Only six of the nine Keepers remain intact: Archaedas, Freya, Hodir, Mimiron, Odyn, and Thorim.
The Keepers and the Dragonflights
Like many things on Azeroth, the titan Keepers got involved in the history of the dragonflights early on. Before his death, Keeper Tyr aided the proto-dragons in defeating Galakrond, atitanic dragon who threatened all of Azeroth with his voracity. After their victory, it was by Tyr’s recommendation that the proto-dragons who would become the Aspects were empowered. Tyr was considered a close ally of dragonkind, evident by the fortress of Tyrhold on the Dragon Isles bearing his name.
Though most of the Keepers agreed with Tyr that the dragons would make excellent guardians of Azeroth, Freya in particular had a special relationship with them. Freya was the Keeper responsible for shapingthe Emerald Dream inWorld of Warcraft. As Eonar’s representative, she then charged Ysera - one of the two Aspects she empowered - with the protection of the realm she had created.
RELATED:A World Revamp for World of Warcraft is Long Overdue
Unfortunately, not all the Keepers agreed with Tyr’s decision toelevate the dragonflights ofWarcraft. Odyn, Prime Designate and leader of the Titan Keepers, was vehement against trusting others to protect Azeroth. Enraged by the actions of his kin, Odyn absconded to the sky with a section of the titan facility of Ulduar, relinquishing his title as Prime Designate in the process. His actions fractured the Keepers and allowed them to be compromised by the Old God, Yogg-Saron.
Titan Influence in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
As evident from the cinematic for Dragonflight, the hand of the titans and their Keepers will be felt keenly upon the Dragon Isles. The architecture of the dragons is inspired by their titanic allies, and their influence can be seen across all the new areas. Additionally, the Primalists - who act asthe main antagonists in Dragonflight- despise the titans. These primordial dragons and their worshippers oppose the Aspects and their alliance with the titans, and see arcane magic as aberrant.
The plot and setting for Dragonflight have set the stage for several titan Keepers to take the stage once more. Freya herself has been suspiciously absent since her firstappearance in Wrath of the Lich King, and with Ysera’s potential return foreshadowed in Dragonflight, Freya could have a role in her return. Though Archaedas was disabled during the original Uldaman dungeon, it is possible he could appear again, given a new wing of the ancient facility will appear inWorld of Warcraft: Dragonflight.
Additionally, Odyn himself could also play a role in Dragonflight. Though he has been an ally to players in the past, his actions and demeanor have led to a lot of problems. His hatred of the dragon Aspects could theoretically lead him to ally with the Primalists, though there is currently no evidence he will do so if he shows up at all.
Despite being dead, Keeper Tyr could appear in some form in Dragonflight as well. As a staunch ally of the dragons, his legacy will undoubtedly be felt in Dragonflight. However,evidence from the expansion’s alpha test suggests Murozond and the Infinite Dragonflightwill play a major role in the story. Some players hypothesize later patches will bring players to the time of theDawn of the Aspectsnovel to battle Galakrond himself. If this theory does come to pass, it is possible Tyr will make a physical appearance for the first time inWorld of Warcrafthistory.
World of Warcraftis available now on PC. The Dragonflight expansion is set to launch later this year.
