Teldrassil

Teldrassil (meaning "Crown of the Earth" in Darnassian, and pronounced TELL-druh-sill) was a World Tree situated on the eponymous island off Kalimdor's northwestern coast. Created shortly after the Third War by the night elves, Teldrassil served as their home and primary base of operations, its thick crown housing the capital city of Darnassus. Other major settlements on the tree included Rut'theran Village, Dolanaar and Shadowglen. Owing to its size, Teldrassil possessed its own unique ecosystem with a various flora, fauna, and vast twilit forests.

According to Broll Bearmantle, as a World Tree, Teldrassil was linked to the very health of Azeroth, affecting not merely its immediate surroudings, but those lands beyond the island, and a Teldrassil that was not well could not properly maintain the balance between nature and decay. The new tree was not blessed by the Dragon Aspects at its birth, unlike its predecessor Nordrassil, which would ultimately leave it vulnerable to corruption from the Emerald Nightmare. However, just before the Cataclysm, it would receive the blessings of Alexstrasza and Ysera. All known lingering corruption was finally purged during the Cataclysm.

Teldrassil served as the largest bastion of Alliance power in Kalimdor, and maintained naval connections to the mainland, the nearby Azuremyst Isles, and the distant Eastern Kingdoms. Many young and ambitious night elves began their journey out into the world from the verdant shelter of the World Tree. During the War of the Thorns—roughly a decade after its creation—Teldrassil was burned down by the Horde under the orders of Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner, killing many of the night elves dwelling in it.

Birth
After the cataclysmic events of the second invasion of the Burning Legion, Malfurion Stormrage became trapped in the Emerald Dream. In Malfurion's absence, Archdruid Fandral Staghelm took over leadership of the night elven druids, and convinced the Circle of the Ancients in Darkshore that it was time for the night elves to create a new World Tree and regain their immortality.

The Circle of the Ancients and the wise druids led by Fandral combined their powers to grow an immense tree in the Veiled Sea. They called the tree Teldrassil, meaning "crown of the earth" in Darnassian. The night elves made their new home of Darnassus in the boughs of Teldrassil, creating a forest of mighty trees and flowing rivers, bathed in the endless night that fell over the lands of the elves from the dawn of time. However, the tree did not restore the night elves' immortality; Nozdormu, whose blessing on Nordrassil had been the source of their immortality, saw the night elves' wish as arrogant and refused to bless Teldrassil.

World of Warcraft


Over time, the land atop Teldrassil fell into the shadow of a sinister presence. Local creatures such as furbolgs and grell went mad, and satyrs appeared, intent on further corrupting the land. Giant turtles and threshers known to inhabit the waters surrounding Teldrassil began fleeing the tree to beach themselves and die on Darkshore. The source of this corruption remained a mystery for some time until the conflict of the Emerald Nightmare spilled into the waking world.

During the Scourge Invasion, Teldrassil was attacked by the Scourge.

Stormrage
After Malfurion was freed from the Emerald Nightmare, he flew to Darnassus, and discovered that a remnant of a great evil had been grafted into Teldrassil by Fandral. By grafting Xavius' fel-tainted branch into Teldrassil, Fandral had given Xavius, as well as the evil behind his transformation into the Nightmare Lord, a tie to both Azeroth and the Emerald Dream.

Malfurion managed to remove the corrupt branch and eventually restore the tree to a state closer to what it originally should have been. Alexstrasza, impressed that the tree could prosper alone without her influence or her kin's, blessed it belatedly. She later blessed it again, along with Ysera this time, during the wedding of Malfurion and Tyrande Whisperwind—a blessing which protected Teldrassil to its final day. The tree flourished even more under the gifts from the Life-Binder and the Dreamer, though it still cannot return the night elves' immortality without a blessing from Nozdormu.

Cataclysm
Around the time of the Cataclysm, the worgen arrived to the cleansed Teldrassil. When Malfurion Stormrage checked the heart of the World Tree, there was no apparent corruption. The archdruid, however, remained vigilant as he knew that pockets of the taint remained in the Emerald Dream, so Teldrassil was still vulnerable.

Some time later, Teldrassil's recovery slowed, and signs of the Nightmare's corruption resurfaced. Though already burdened by political tension and the vast destruction unleashed by the Cataclysm, the night elves worked to find the cause of their World Tree's ailment. They discovered that this was no new corruption, but lingering remnants of the original corruption, being pushed out by Teldrassil itself. With the corruption having been buried deep within Teldrassil, it would have been impossible to strike at the source without killing the world tree itself, but the Aspects' blessing allowed Teldrassil to force the taint to the surface in a form that the night elves could destroy. The Bough of Corruption was the one last remnant of Xavius on Teldrassil, and was the source of the Fel Moss that tainted the gnarlpine, the timberlings, and other creatures.

Battle for Azeroth
Teldrassil was burned down by the Horde under the orders of Sylvanas Windrunner. It was the largest fire Azeroth had ever seen. Many survivors escaped to Stormwind City via portals, where they settled in the area around Olivia's Pond, with injured refugees in the Cathedral of Light and Stormwind Harbor and other small groups scattered throughout the city. Other survivors sailed to the beaches east of the besieged Lor'danel. From there, preparations were made to evacuate them to Azuremyst Isle while other night elves stayed in Darkshore to continue fighting the Horde.

During a meeting with Tyrande, King Anduin vowed to recover Teldrassil, but was apparently unable to directly assist the night elves for the rest of the Fourth War.

Zidormi is present at Darkshore near Lor'danel, and is able to send players back in time to see the region along with Teldrassil before the War of the Thorns.

Geography
The majority of Teldrassil's upper reaches resembles a mid-sized forested island. Darnassus occupies a large chunk on the western side of this tree-island, while the towns of Aldrassil and Dolanaar dot the remaining forest. All forms of terrain exist here, including streams, lakes, hills, and mountains. The waterways were created and continue to be fed by the dew collected by the massive World Tree, and the night elves manipulated the waterways around Darnassus to maintain the splendor of the Temple Gardens.

The entire zone of Teldrassil is, in fact, one huge tree, grown on an island off the coast of Kalimdor. As such, there are no ore deposits here and the night elves are not known as crafty blacksmiths or miners. However, because the tree is so full of life, herbs are numerous.

Teldrassil contains no dungeons, raid dungeons, micro dungeons, or battlegrounds. It is the starting area for the night elves and contains a very sheltered 1-5 leveling area, Shadowglen. The night elf capital city of Darnassus can also be found in this zone, though the travel hub is actually located at Rut'theran Village (accessible by portal from Darnassus).

At the tree's base, there are some pieces of wooded land between its roots, one of which has an abandoned furbolg house on it, as well as Rut'theran Village.

Although Teldrassil is only the size of a mid-sized island in width, its sheer height dwarfs many other islands.

Maps and subregions


A detailed area map (lists all creatures). A topographic map of Teldrassil.

Travel hubs
Rut'theran Village is connected to Darnassus by a portal. Players can also reach Rut'theran Village by boat from Stormwind or Valaar's Berth.

This is also the only way for Horde players below level 60 to get to the island by themselves. One can attempt swimming from Darkshore using Swim Speed Potions and health potions, but this is not recommended.

Flight paths from Dolanaar

 * Darnassus, Teldrassil

Flight paths from Darnassus

 * Dolanaar, Teldrassil
 * Rut'theran Village, Teldrassil

Flight paths from Rut'theran Village

 * Darnassus, Teldrassil
 * Lor'danel, Darkshore
 * The Exodar, Azuremyst Isle

Boat destinations from Rut'theran Village

 * Stormwind, Elwynn Forest
 * Valaar's Berth, Azuremyst Isle

Notable characters
Teldrassil is home to several night elves of status. From the top of the tree Aldrassil, Tenaron Stormgrip sends promising young elves out into the outside world. In Dolanaar, Tallonkai Swiftroot leads the effort to fight back the corrupted furbolgs and satyr of the Great Tree, while in his small tent near Lake Al'Ameth, Denalan seeks to understand the nature of the strange affliction seeping into Teldrassil.

Chapter 1: Shadowglen


The night elf hero began their quest in Shadowglen. The instructor Ilthalaine introduced himself and impressed upon the hero the importance of balance in nature. The spring rains led to an overpopulation of nightsabers in the surrounding area and Ilthalaine politely asked the hero to cull them a bit. Upon returning, the hero overheard Ilthalaine telling Huntress Sandrya Moonfall and Dentaria Silverglade that there were no new recruits ready yet. Without giving more details, Sandrya warned him that they were running out of time—a battle was fast approaching the roots of Teldrassil. Dentaria left Ilthalaine to his work and turned to the hero, telling them that their help in battle would be needed soon. Ilthalaine then sent the hero to collect fel moss from grellkin nearby, concerned that there is still lingering corruption within Teldrassil. The hero's return with the fel moss confirmed Ilthalaine's fears—there was still corruption within Teldrassil. Ilthalaine concluded that the hero was now ready to join the fight and sent them to their class trainer for further instruction.

After learning a few new abilities, the hero's trainer directed them to assist Dentaria Silverglade to the north of Aldrassil. Dentaria was pleased to see the new hero had progressed so quickly through their training and was ready to get to work. Dentaria asked the hero to gather rare flowers to help her cure their friend Iverron from the venom of the webwood spiders. While Iverron recuperated, Dentaria asked the hero to make contact with the dryad Tarindrella north of Aldrassil to investigate the spider threat. Tarindrella confirmed that the spiders still suffered from corruption—and further, were more susceptible to it than other wildlife on Teldrassil. She and the hero slew a great many of them and in doing this they discovered that the corruption was not the result of mind control or some other effect—it was due to the corruption of their broodmother Githyiss the Vile. Upon killing Githyiss, they discovered a furbolg totem—the Gnarlpine had installed a totem to corrupt the broodmother and her offspring that they would attack the nearby night elf settlements. Tarindrella brought the hero back to Dentaria to complete their training and departed to further investigate the source of the Gnarlpine corruption.

Dentaria sent the hero on a final mission to complete their training—learning some of the recent events in night elves' history. A ritual at the nearby moonwell helped the hero recall the recent events confronting their people—the Battle of Mount Hyjal in which the Burning Legion was defeated but night elves lost their immortality, the release of Illidan Stormrage from his prison and the disappearance of Malfurion Stormrage to the Emerald Dream. The ritual complete, Dentaria sent the hero to Tenaron Stormgrip with a vial of the waters of the moonwell—evidence that their training was completed. Tenaron agreed it was time for the hero to move on from basic training and begin addressing the issues of their people. Tenaron sent the hero on to Corithras Moonrage in Dolanaar.

Chapter 2: Council of the Forest
On the way to Dolanaar, the hero met the satyr Zenn Foulhoof who promised them "things you never dreamed of having" in return to a variety of "reagents" culled from the corpses of forest dwellers. When the hero returned with the items, Zenn revealed that they had been tricked and thanked the hero for being so gullible.

Upon arriving in Dolanaar, the hero was admonished by Sentinel Kyra Starsong, Syral Bladeleaf and Sentinel Shayla Nightbreeze who told them that their actions aiding Foulhoof had offended the Council of the Forest and demanded that the hero acquire some corrupted seeds to play a trick on Foulhoof to be redeemed. The hero collected the seeds and Zenn gobbled them up without hesitation. The ruse worked, and within moments Zenn was turned into a frog.

The success of the trick redeemed the hero in the eyes of the Council, which then asked the hero to attack Fel Rock which had been taken over by a small army of corrupted grellkin. Syral Bladeleaf asked the hero to purge the army while Tallonkai Swiftroot had a more specific target in mind—the satyr Lord Melenas who had marshalled them together. When the hero returned with Melenas' head the Council's agents thanked them and returned to their normal duties.

Sidestory: Reminders of Home
While in Dolanaar, a cooking supplies vendor Nyoma asked the hero to bring a recipe book to her friend Sister Aquinne, who is studying to become a Priestess of the Moon in Darnassus. Nyoma told the hero the easiest route to the capital would be to fly by hippogryph which they could arrange via the local flight master Fidelio. Fidelio told the hero that everyone in Dolanaar is so proud of Aquinne's devotion to Elune and gives the hero a suggestion of where they might find her in the city before sending the hero on their way. When the hero delivered the book Aquinne was ecstatic and promised to use it that very evening. Aquinne wrote a thank-you note and asked the hero to deliver it back to Nyoma. Leora, the flight master in Darnassus, explained to the hero the importance of meeting the flight master whenever they reach a new place so that they might arrange easy travel back there in the future. The hero then delivered the letter to Nyoma, who thanked the hero and lamented she hasn't had the opportunity yet to visit Aquinne in person yet.

Chapter 3: Starbreeze Village
Athridas Bearmantle in Dolanaar informed the hero of a troubling development. The warden of the nearby Ban'ethil Barrow Den--Gaerolas Talvethren—has not reported to him recently. Athridas asked the hero to investigate. Before the hero departed, Tallonkai asked the hero for another favor. He explained that he used to live in Starbreeze and when he left because of the increasing Gnarlpine activity, he left behind a good-luck charm, an emerald dreamcatcher which he had received from Gaerolas. The hero agreed to retrieve the amulet.

The hero arrived in Starbreeze to find the village ransacked by the Gnarlpine. Gaerolas was found mortally wounded by the furbolgs and pleaded with the hero to notify Athridas before the furbolgs could reach the barrow den as he would be unable to make it back. He identified their leader: Ursal the Mauler. The hero returned to Dolanaar after retrieving the Tallonkai's amulet and delivered the disturbing news to Athridas.

When the hero presented the amulet to him, Tallonkai noticed immediately it was missing its emerald. He surmises that the Gnarlpine mystic Ferocitas the Dream Eater must have it, and asks the hero to slay the furbolg to retrieve the gem on their next trip to Starbreeze. The hero agreed and returned with the gem.

Athridas warned the hero that the druids sleeping in the Ban'ethil Barrow Den would be forever trapped in the Emerald Dream if their physical bodies were to be killed while they are asleep. The hero set out to retrieve the tools necessary to peacefully break wake them so that they could flee safely. While collecting the items from the Barrow Den, the hero was attacked by the body of Oben Rageclaw, which the Gnarlpine had found a way to animate and use to attack intruders. The hero assisted Oben's spirit in determining how the Gnarlpine had done this and ultimately at Oben's request the hero slew his physical body.

When the hero returned to Athridas with the items, Athridas sent them to kill Ursal, the last remaining obstacle to saving the druids. With Ursal dead, Athridas was able to complete the ritual and the druids escaped safely.

Chapter 4: Lake Al'Ameth
Syral Bladeleaf notified the hero that package had arrived for Denalan, an herbalist with a camp near Lake Al'Ameth to the south and asked them to deliver it. Denalan thanked the hero for the package and asked for the hero's help investigating why the timberlings were becoming so violent when the healing of the world tree should have pacified them. The champion set out to collect timberling seeds and sprouts for Denalan's experiment to find the cause.

Denalan asked the hero to bring one of the specimens to his colleague Rellian Greenspyre to help the druid with his own efforts to purge the timberlings' corruption. Rellian thanked the hero for the seed but lamented that it was likely beyond his skill. The timberlings near Wellspring Lake to the north were the most corrupted in particular, and Rellian sent the hero to slay them and collect their mossy tumors so that they may be burned. Denalan suddenly arrived with important news: he had discovered that the corruption stemmed from Oakenscowl, a large timberling who had the largest tumor of all. The hero slew Oakenscowl and returned the gargantuan tumor to Denalan and Rellian for study.

Chapter 5: The Vengeance of Elune
Corithas Moonrage, after observing the hero's growing power and understanding, instructed the hero to visit the moonwell under the Oracle Tree for another vision. At the moonwell, the hero learned of Archdruid Fandral Staghelm, the leader of the Cenarion Circle and the most powerful druid in Azeroth after Malfurion and the reverence he is due in spite of his conflicts with Tyrande Whisperwind. After viewing this, Corithas sent the hero to a final moonwell to rendevous with Tarindrella for another attack against the corruption of Teldrassil. On approaching the moonwell, the hero saw a final vision about the most recent events—Archdruid Staghelm and his closest followers have left the Night Elf society without a word, but Malfurion has awoken from the Emerald Dream and reunited with Tyrande. Alexstrasza and Ysera have finally provided their blessings to Teldrassil, allowing the tree to begin to grow properly. Hope for a better future dawns anew for the Kaldorei.

After the vision, Tarindrella informed the hero that she has located the source of the corruption near the tree's edge. She provided the hero with a blessing using the collected power of the moonwells that allowed the hero to destroy the Bough of Corruption. With the source of the corruption destroyed, Tarindrella sent the hero to return it to Corithas, who in turn directed the hero to bring it to Tyrande. Tyrande explained that the disappearance of Staghelm is worrisome but Malfurion's return has given her hope in spite of the dark days ahead.

Resources

 * Cloth:
 * Linen Cloth
 * Herbs:
 * Peacebloom
 * Silverleaf
 * Earthroot
 * Mageroyal
 * Swiftthistle
 * Leather:
 * Ruined Leather Scraps
 * Light Leather

Wild creatures

 * Beasts:
 * Boars
 * Nightsabers
 * Owls
 * Tarantulas
 * Humanoids:
 * Timberlings
 * Satyrs
 * Worgen
 * Furbolgs
 * Grells
 * Harpies

In Cataclysm
Teldrassil has been moved closer to Darkshore, and Rut'theran Village has been ripped from the side of the tree and is now an island.

With the Flight Master's License implemented, it is now trivial for any level 60 Horde and up to bypass both Rut'theran Village and Darnassus by flying up the side of Teldrassil. With Teldrassil's shifting of location, it is also possible to use a flying mount with Expert Riding to fly across the deep water separating Rut'theran Village and the mainland of Darkshore.

Areas affected:


 * Dolanaar – flight path added
 * Gnarlpine Hold – filled with corrupted mobs that swarm down the hill towards the Pools to fight the ancients
 * Lake Al'Ameth – Strange Fruited Plant from Gnarlpine Hold has been moved here
 * Rut'theran Village – half destroyed; boat to Stormwind City sails from here
 * Shadowglen – target dummies and mailbox added
 * Other – both Denalan and Rellian Greenspyre appear to exist in two places at once – where the Skinning/LW trainers are there is a place where both of them are together - this is likely due to Blizzard's desire to cut down on some quests' travel time

Kalidar


Kalidar was the name Blizzard had originally used on their preview website as well as on several concept maps and in the World of Warcraft DVD for the island off the northwestern coast of Kalimdor where Teldrassil was grown. The night elves moved their capital to this island. The Circle of the Ancients and the wise druids pooled their power to create a World Tree which eventually outgrew the island and the night elves built the city of Darnassus atop it. The island now takes the name of the tree as well, and a twilit forest covers it.

An unreleased quest by Shayla Nightbreeze referenced Kalidar. Further, most of the objects seen on Teldrassil (trees, bridges, etc) are all labeled as "kalidar" in the game files.

Official website
Taken directly from the official site:

''Kalidar, the new home of the reclusive Night Elves and a stunning testament to the power of their magic and their connection with nature. After the cataclysmic events that followed the invasion of the Burning Legion, the Circle of Ancients and powerful druids combined their powers to grow an immense new world tree on Kalidar. They called the tree Teldrassil, meaning "crown of the earth" in their native tongue. The night elves made their new home in the boughs of Teldrassil, creating a forest of mighty trees and flowing rivers, bathed in the endless night that fell over the lands of the elves from the dawn of time. However, the calm of the enchanted forest has slowly fallen into the shadow of a sinister presence. Crazed furbolgs and fouler beasts have appeared in Kalidar, and it occupies all the attention of the vigilant Sentinels and the wise druids to ensure the safety of their new home.''

''A sprawling city of moonstone and wood, the night elf capital of Darnassus stands as a shining beacon atop Kalidar. Within its mighty walls are housed countless druids, hunters, and warriors, led by the priestess of Elune, Tyrande Whisperwind. A stunning marvel to the ability of night elven craftsmen, the ethereal Temple of the Moon rises above the tree line, balanced by the druids' meticulously cultivated meditative grove. Trade from the main continent bustles through the city's trade quarter, where night elves, dwarves and humans alike haggle for wares and services. Delicate bridges and pathways crisscross the serene waterways of the city, the pristine waters reflecting the glowing light from the moons above.''

Development

 * It is possible that the backstory of the island originally being called "Kalidar" was later dropped, since the European townhall was updated to have all references to "Kalidar" replaced with the word "Teldrassil", while the US townhall had been taken down.
 * Latter sources like the Wolfheart novel and the Ultimate Visual Guide refer to the island as Teldrassil.
 * There exists unused files for a "Kalidar" battleground map.

In the RPG
Teldrassil, meaning "Crown of the Earth", is the massive second World Tree. It is a marvel and unlike any location you could have ever visited. Within the massive tree's branches are entire cities of elves — and the homes of less friendly creatures as well. Located on an island off the coast of Darkshore, Teldrassil is isolated from the rest of Kalimdor, and generally is a safer and more tranquil place. It is best known for being the location of Darnassus, the cultural center of the night elven race and one of the most impressive cities in the known world.

Things are a bit wilder outside Darnassus' gates, but there are several other friendly villages as well. Small communities of night elves thrive, and one can find a few camps of furbolgs and wildkin as well. These last two groups are uncorrupted, but can nevertheless be dangerous.

The island takes the name of the tree as well, and a twilit forest now covers it.

History
Even though Nordrassil was healing, it would take another century or two for the World Tree to regain its former glory and power. Unreconciled with their loss of immortality, a splinter group of druids led by Fandral Staghelm were planning to create a second World Tree.

Malfurion Stormrage entered a deep coma, and sleeps in his base at Moonglade. No one knows why, and no one knows how to wake him. His absence leaves control of the druids to Fandral Staghelm, who has become the new archdruid. Before his coma, Malfurion opposed Fandral's plan to grow a new World Tree. After Malfurion fell into his coma, Fandral met with the other druids and, without Malfurion to argue against him, convinced them of the wisdom of creating a new World Tree, and them, most believing that Fandral was right about the tree, created Teldrassil, and erected a new capital in its branches. Despite a widespread distrust of Teldrassil and Fandral, the city of Darnassus remains the focal point of night elf culture and life.

Realizing they needed help to survive in this new world and to oppose the Horde, which chose their continent as its new home, the night elves reluctantly joined the Alliance. Commerce began between Theramore and the night elves, as the two cultures shared values and ideas. The night elves remained withdrawn, however. There are still many places considered too sacred for dwarves or humans to venture into, and only when they’re drunk do they really loosen up around other Alliance races.

In Darnassus the atmosphere is a bit strange; there's a mix between carefree, joyful elves and grim citizens with suspicions similar to those of the druids in Moonglade. The druids and priests of Elune here are keenly aware that the tree is being corrupted, and both sides try their best to combat the effects with minimal success. More interestingly — and perhaps more dangerously — the druids and the priests are beginning to blame each other for the mess.

A few of the non-elves here (a few human paladins and two dwarves from the Explorer's Guild) can give you an outsider's perspective, and you can get a pretty blunt summary: Archdruid Fandral Staghelm hates Tyrande Whisperwind's guts. At least, things certainly seem that way. The archdruid questions High Priestess Whisperwind's leadership abilities, and that causes strife in the community. Tyrande was the companion to Malfurion Stormrage, the greatest of all druids, and many elves see the rift between their orders as both shocking and appalling. The situation hasn't reached the point where people choose sides, but things could get there, and that could turn real ugly real fast. The dwarves there suggest someone needs to wake up Malfurion before circumstances get messy. With an unstable political climate and the growing corruption of the World Tree, danger lurks within Teldrassil.

The World Tree's decay begins to accelerate, and the Cenarion Circle is unable to find the source. Rather than continue to explore the slow destruction of the tree, the druids finally agreed with the priests of Elune that they need outside help. They sent champions to find the only beings who may be able to save the World Tree — the Dragon Aspects. If the champions could gain the blessing of even a single Aspect, the corruption could halt for a time — perhaps forever. With the blessing of more than one Aspect it could reverse the damage that had already been caused.

Geography
The majority of Teldrassil's upper reaches is open forest, and it resembles a mid-sized forested island. Darnassus takes up a large chunk on the western side of this island, and smaller cities dot the remaining forest. All forms of terrain exist here, including streams, full-sized lakes, and a few hills that non-dwarves might consider mountains.

RPG notes

 * It has been described in the RPG as a both an "island continent" and simply an island.

Notes and trivia

 * The Horde version of the Darkshore Drilling War Campaign mission mentions night elves "streaming out of Darnassus" and posing a threat to Shatterspear Vale, despite it having been burned with Teldrassil. The mission is either supposed to take place during the War of the Thorns despite being unlocked later, or is a mistake since the Alliance version takes place after the war.
 * A piece of concept art in The Art of World of Warcraft was originally labeled as ldrassil, seemingly a typo for Teldrassil. The same picture was later properly labeled as Teldrassil in Ultimate Visual Guide.
 * While Teldrassil looks like a stump in World of Warcraft, this is due to engine limitations. Artwork such as The Comic and concept art for the Warcraft film, as well as the tree's appearance after the Burning of Teldrassil, show that it's canonically a whole tree. Chris Metzen wanted this to be reflected in the zone in classic World of Warcraft, but the developers were unable to make a gigantic 3-dimensional tree work with the technology at the time due to the game engine being based completely off height-mapping, which heavily limits terrain possibilities. This led to the zone's in-game state, which is essentially a flat area located atop a huge pillar with branches sticking out of the side. Metzen was greatly disappointed by this; as a compromise, a smaller giant tree was included in the zone.
 * According to the World of Warcraft: Game Manual, the corruption of Teldrassil was of Burning Legion origin, but other sources state that the tree was corrupted by both the Emerald Nightmare and the demons.
 * Pine Nut Bread is often formed into the shape of a leaf to honor Teldrassil.
 * Prior to Cataclysm, the only way for Horde players to get to Teldrassil was via ship from Auberdine.
 * As is the case with all of the other World Trees, the suffix "-drassil" comes from, the world tree, in Norse mythology.
 * After the Burning of Teldrassil, it was originally impossible to approach the tree's remains in-game due to an invisible wall. It is now possible to approach the stump far enough to get your stamina back after passing through Fatigue waters, but getting very near will cause the player to be teleported back to the beach next to Lor'danel.

Kalidar

 * From the official site