Changes: Old God

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The Old Gods (aka, Old Ones, Elder Gods, elder beings, dark elders, dread elders) were malevolent deities who ruled Azeroth in the ancient past before they and their Elemental Lieutenants were defeated by the Titans. Very few mortals know of the Old Gods, fewer still consider them anything more than a legend. The maligned Old Gods - colossal beings of elemental fury - once ruled the world and the savage elementals that dwelt upon it.Template:Cite

History

Long ago, Azeroth was a primordial world filled with the hostile elemental servants of the Old Gods. When the Titans visited the world in their quest to bring order to the universe, they fought first against the Old Gods' lieutenants who were the elemental gods of Azeroth and the source of the elementals themselves, Ragnaros the Firelord, Therazane the Stonemother, Al'Akir the Windlord, and Neptulon the Tidehunter, then against the Old Gods themselves. Soon, the Titans defeated the Old Gods, then chained the raging beings beneath the earth where supposedly, they remain to this day.Template:Cite Then set about the long process of forming the lands and seas of Azeroth.

Number of Old Gods

File:Oldgod.jpg

The Master's Glaive contains the remains of an Old God or an Old God's minion.

Depending on the source, there are sources that imply that there were three, four or five old gods imprisoned. Some of these sources seem to imply that these numbers were the limit to the number of Old Gods. The roleplaying seems to imply there were more than five Old Gods, including those imprisoned or killed.

Deceased Old Gods

Of the initial Old Gods, it is believed that at one or more have been slain; their remains or the remains of one of their minions can be seen at the Master's Glaive in Darkshore. One or more is believed to have been buried in the Valley of Bones.

The quest giver Onu makes this reference to the Master's Glaive holding the remains of an old lord and the RPG also mentions that it's believed to be an Old God. Brann Bronzebeard speculates that a Titan killed one of the Old Gods here, or at least one of their minions.Template:Cite

Imprisoned Old Gods

Some sources state that five Old Gods were imprisoned under the earth.

The three or five Gods imprisoned beneath Azeroth continued to exert their will, though in limited ways.

They are characterized as the sleeping evil beneath the earth, whose telepathic whispers eventually become indistinguishable from one's own maddened thoughts.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]
They corrupted the great benevolent Dragon Aspect Neltharion, to create for them the extremely powerful Demon Soul which they empowered as well, to have Sargeras use to unintentionally set them free. The Demon Soul was taken from Neltharion by Malfurion, then taken from him by Illidan and put in the Sargeras-summoning matrix, then taken back by Neltharion, who shortly thereafter was struck away by the Old Gods, who wished to have the summoning completed. Malfurion picked up the Demon Soul after Neltharion dropped it, and used it (in conjunction with Illidan) to prevent Sargeras' entry. It was then given to the dragons, stolen by Nekros ten-thousand years later, taken back by the dragons, and then destroyed.
They corrupted some of the Highborne, and used them to lure the Burning Legion to Azeroth. Many of the Highborne were transformed into the Naga, who serve the Old Gods still.
They invaded Nozdormu's realm and managed to open a rift in time, that, as they had planned, tossed some beings back through time, beings that would change the way the war of the ancients took place, and give Sargeras a new chance to enter the world, and therefore give them a new chance to set themselves free. Their plans were although again crushed by the very same Malfurion Stormrage.
Since the Old God, or minion in the Master's Glaive is completely and utterly destroyed in all forms, and also according to Malfurion Stormrage, one of the three is behind the Nightmare corrupting the Emerald Dream (see also Hakkar the Soulflayer).
Still others assert that the ancient Sundering awakened something that dwelled in the deepest part of the ocean, something that will eventually burst forth in a tidal wave of destruction.Template:Cite This may be hinting at an imprisoned Old God, and seems to mirror descriptions made for rising of Cthulhu.
Developers speaking at BlizzCon 2007 stated that one of the Old Gods dwells within Azjol-Nerub in Northrend. It may be the Forgotten One faced by Arthas and Anub'arak.

C'Thun

C'Thun is the only one of the Old Gods to be named so far, having received that name from his servants, the Qiraji. He was defeated in Silithus in a battle which also may have resulted in the defeat of a Titan. C'Thun was believed to have been permanently defeated, but reemerged as the driving force behind the Qiraji. He is trapped deep beneath the ruined temples of Ahn'Qiraj, where he has exerted his will for thousands of years over the Qiraji, who in turn command the Silithid.

C'Thun is the final boss in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj.

Other Old Gods & Old God minions

Forgotten One

The forgotten ones are implied to either be Old Gods or the spawn of the Old Gods.

Hakkar the Soulflayer

Hakkar the Soulflayer is believed to be linked to the old gods.Template:Cite It is speculated that he is either an old god or the son of an old god. He may also be the power behind the Emerald Nightmare.Template:Cite

Ula-tek the Serpent Goddess

Ula-tek is believed to be linked to the Old Gods, perhaps even one of the Old Gods. Much like the Blood God, Hakkar the Soulflayer.

Ragnaros

Some believe that Ragnaros was not only one of the Elemental Lords but one of old gods himself (or somehow took on Old God status), such as the Dark Iron dwarves.Template:Cite

Ancient and powerful evil

The ancient and powerful evil is a creature of C'thun's race, being summoned by the arakkoa. Perhaps another Old God.

Anzu

Anzu has something to do with the Emerald Nightmare and the old god behind it, which further verifies that the "Ancient and Powerful Evil" is somehow connected with the Old Gods.^{[citation needed]}

Aku'mai

Aku'mai, the final boss of Blackfathom Deeps, is stated to have been a favourite pet of the Old Gods.

Wrath of the Lich King

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

In a blue post on the forums, it was stated that the Nerubians are "followers of the Old Gods in Northrend." This implies that we will be seeing another Old God in Northrend - indeed, if we pay attention to the pluralization, more than one Old God. Or just that the nerubians followed more than one, while they were in Northrend.

The Number of Old Gods Imprisoned

There are various sources as to the number of Old Gods imprisoned:

The Warcraft III manual states that five Old Gods were chained beneath the world.
The Pantheon shattered the Old Gods' citadels and chained the five evil gods far beneath the surface of the world. Source: History of Azeroth Warcraft Lore FAQ 1 2
According to the War of the Ancients Trilogy, there are three Old Gods still living, imprisoned and chained by the Titans deep beneath the surface of Azeroth.
According to The Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth, four Old Gods were imprisoned beneath the world. This could perhaps be reconciled with the War of the Ancients Trilogy if it were taken to include the fallen C'Thun in the count of the imprisoned Gods.

More than five Old Gods