World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 by Blizzard Entertainment Page A
Authors: Blizzard Entertainment
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not strong enough to win.
Such restraint was unusual among the insectoids, but then, so was the mantid’s reasoning. They still fervently worshipped theOld Gods, believing that their ancient masters would one day rise from their prisons and reestablish their dominion over Azeroth. The best way to serve the entities was not to expend the mantid’s strength, but to conserve it, refine it, and sharpen it. The mantid would grow stronger without jeopardizing their survival.
Though a revered empress ruled over the day-to-day activities of the mantid, another group controlled the insectoids’ destiny. The members of this group called themselves theKlaxxi—meaning “priest” in their native tongue. They guided the actions of the empress and the mantid swarms in the hopes of preserving and strengthening their race. Rather than seek retribution on the trolls, the Klaxxi turned their gaze on another enemy.
Nearby dwelled themogu, mightytitan-forged who had guarded the Vale of Eternal Blossoms for untold ages. The mantid found themselves drawn to the mystical valley. They were not aware of it at the time, but they were attracted to the lingering presence of the slain Old God Y’Shaarj, whose festering heart had been locked away beneath the vale by HighkeeperRa.
To seek out the dark essence beneath the vale, the mantid launched a surprise attack against the mogu. The titan-forged narrowly withstood the swarm and drove them back to the kypari forests.
The Klaxxi did not consider their defeat a failure. The surviving mantid warriors had matured, grown more powerful and cunning. The Klaxxi patiently waited one hundred years before assaulting the mogu again. They dispatched a new generation of young mantid to besiege the titan-forged. Once again, the survivors returned stronger.
Thus began the mantid cycle. Every century, a new mantid clutch made war upon the mogu. The ferocious battles removed the weak from the swarm, and only the strongest returned to the kypari trees. Within only a few cycles, mantid civilization had become tightly honed and rigid, utterly focused on eradicating weakness and empowering the mightiest of their kind.
The mogu marked the change with concern. They launched a campaign into Manti’vess itself to ensure that the cycle would not come again.
The attack came at an inauspicious time for the mantid. It was decades before the next clutch of warriors would hatch. The mantid were few, and the mogu were many. Initially, the titan-forged devastated the insectoid ranks, even the strongest survivors of past swarms. Only one mantid, Korven, emerged to turn the tide of battle. Armed with blades forged of kypari amber, the warrior eviscerated the mogu ranks, thwarting their attack and sending them into retreat. So great was Korven’s skill that many mantid came to believe that he was capable of cheating death itself.
The high elders of the Klaxxi proclaimed Korven a “paragon” and promised his deeds would become legend among their kind. But the honored warrior was still not satisfied. He knew it was only chance that he arose in his race’s greatest hour of need. He did not want to leave the mantid’s defense to chance alone. The Klaxxi agreed and tasked him with finding a solution.
After years of experimenting with kypari sap, Korven discovered that a living creature could be preserved within an amber cocoon, potentially for thousands of years. If the Klaxxi placed their greatest warriors in these cocoons, they could be awakened whenever they were needed to avert disaster. Korven became the first to undergo this preservation. In honor of his deeds, the Klaxxi named him “Korven the Prime”—the first of many paragons to come. As he lay undisturbed in his amber tomb, the great cycle he had almost single-handedly saved continued on, remaining unbroken for countless generations.
MAP OF AZEROTH AFTER THE WAR BETWEEN THE TROLLS AND THE AQIR
T hough HighkeeperRa had not been seen in millennia, his loyal
Such restraint was unusual among the insectoids, but then, so was the mantid’s reasoning. They still fervently worshipped theOld Gods, believing that their ancient masters would one day rise from their prisons and reestablish their dominion over Azeroth. The best way to serve the entities was not to expend the mantid’s strength, but to conserve it, refine it, and sharpen it. The mantid would grow stronger without jeopardizing their survival.
Though a revered empress ruled over the day-to-day activities of the mantid, another group controlled the insectoids’ destiny. The members of this group called themselves theKlaxxi—meaning “priest” in their native tongue. They guided the actions of the empress and the mantid swarms in the hopes of preserving and strengthening their race. Rather than seek retribution on the trolls, the Klaxxi turned their gaze on another enemy.
Nearby dwelled themogu, mightytitan-forged who had guarded the Vale of Eternal Blossoms for untold ages. The mantid found themselves drawn to the mystical valley. They were not aware of it at the time, but they were attracted to the lingering presence of the slain Old God Y’Shaarj, whose festering heart had been locked away beneath the vale by HighkeeperRa.
To seek out the dark essence beneath the vale, the mantid launched a surprise attack against the mogu. The titan-forged narrowly withstood the swarm and drove them back to the kypari forests.
The Klaxxi did not consider their defeat a failure. The surviving mantid warriors had matured, grown more powerful and cunning. The Klaxxi patiently waited one hundred years before assaulting the mogu again. They dispatched a new generation of young mantid to besiege the titan-forged. Once again, the survivors returned stronger.
Thus began the mantid cycle. Every century, a new mantid clutch made war upon the mogu. The ferocious battles removed the weak from the swarm, and only the strongest returned to the kypari trees. Within only a few cycles, mantid civilization had become tightly honed and rigid, utterly focused on eradicating weakness and empowering the mightiest of their kind.
The mogu marked the change with concern. They launched a campaign into Manti’vess itself to ensure that the cycle would not come again.
The attack came at an inauspicious time for the mantid. It was decades before the next clutch of warriors would hatch. The mantid were few, and the mogu were many. Initially, the titan-forged devastated the insectoid ranks, even the strongest survivors of past swarms. Only one mantid, Korven, emerged to turn the tide of battle. Armed with blades forged of kypari amber, the warrior eviscerated the mogu ranks, thwarting their attack and sending them into retreat. So great was Korven’s skill that many mantid came to believe that he was capable of cheating death itself.
The high elders of the Klaxxi proclaimed Korven a “paragon” and promised his deeds would become legend among their kind. But the honored warrior was still not satisfied. He knew it was only chance that he arose in his race’s greatest hour of need. He did not want to leave the mantid’s defense to chance alone. The Klaxxi agreed and tasked him with finding a solution.
After years of experimenting with kypari sap, Korven discovered that a living creature could be preserved within an amber cocoon, potentially for thousands of years. If the Klaxxi placed their greatest warriors in these cocoons, they could be awakened whenever they were needed to avert disaster. Korven became the first to undergo this preservation. In honor of his deeds, the Klaxxi named him “Korven the Prime”—the first of many paragons to come. As he lay undisturbed in his amber tomb, the great cycle he had almost single-handedly saved continued on, remaining unbroken for countless generations.
MAP OF AZEROTH AFTER THE WAR BETWEEN THE TROLLS AND THE AQIR
T hough HighkeeperRa had not been seen in millennia, his loyal
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