Old Gods

Old Gods
The Old Gods (aka Old Ones, Elder Gods, elder beings, dark elders, or 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.Little was known about the Old Gods and their mad worshipers; practically no one on even knew the Old Gods existed until C'Thun made its presence felt in Ahn'Qiraj. The Old Gods do possess worshipers, though, even from their prison below the earth. Most followers of the Old Gods have lost all sanity and are wholly evil. The Old Gods are imprisoned or sleeping, but so great is their power that their unconscious but destructive, maddening auras seep out and influence some denizens of Azeroth. In some cases, evil but sane individuals turn deliberately to worship of the Old Gods out of spite when the individual feels other more mainstream powers have mistreated them. Anarchists also sometimes turn to worship of the Old Gods out of a desire to destroy the world; some believe a new, better world will rise up in the wake of the destruction. In either case, these worshippers are deluded or misinformed and any who do manage to make even the barest real contact with the Old Gods go hopelessly and irrevocably insane.

C'Thun and Yagg-Saron are the only Old Gods whose names are known. Yogg-Saron remains imprisoned beneath Northrend but C'thun has been awakening for some time. C'thun recently awoke completely and was able to physically return to Azeroth. He now lairs in the ruins of Ahn'Qiraj, and packs of brave heroes have already begun to form and venture into the ruins. Perhaps they can destroy the evil god before he emerges to devastate Azeroth?

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' lieutenantswho 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. The Titans then began the long process of forming the lands and seas of Azeroth.

Information in Wrath of the Lich King (see the Tribunal of Ages) reveals that the Titans were actually the first to arrive at Azeroth, where they then put in place the seed races and departed. The Old Gods appaeared on Azeroth at a later date and created the Curse of the Flesh to 'facilitate assimilation'. The Titans returned and found that the Old Gods and their Curse could not be removed without destroying Azeroth as well, so instead they bound the Old Gods, and put in place measures, such as The Forge of Wills to re-create the seed races.

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

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


 * The Warcraft lll 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:
 * 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. There maybe more however, these three are indicated to have formed some sort of alliance in order to escape their imprisonment.

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. This is however unlikely as C'thun was believed dead and not imprisoned.

Imprisoned
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 are characterized as the sleeping evil beneath the earth, whose telepathic whispers eventually become indistinguishable from one's own maddened thoughts.
 * 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. The Old Gods' intentions for the naga have not been revealed.
 * 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.
 * The remains of a vanquished Old God or one of their minions lies at the Master's Glaive, and also according to Malfurion Stormrage, one of the three is behind the corrupting the Nightmarecorrupting the Emerald Dream.
 * 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. This may be hinting at an imprisoned Old God, and seems to mirror descriptions made for rising of Cthulhu.
 * Blackfathom Deeps in Ashenvale was once, long ago, a temple to Elune. The Great Sundering ruined the temple and left it submerged in water and buried under rock. Corruption from the Old Gods seeped up and tainted the sacred moonwell. One may be in the Blackfathom Deeps. Hints that old gods lie in or under the Blackfathom Deeps. Not to be confused Aku'mai who was only influenced by the powers of the Old Gods.
 * There is an Old God responsible for the failed world tree, Vordrassil, also responsible for the corruption of the resurrected Ursoc. Developers speaking at BlizzCon 2007 stated that one of the Old Gods dwells within Azjol-Nerub in Northrend. This old god is (according to newest info) Yogg-Saron

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

The quest giver Onu makes a reference to the Master's Glaive holding the remains of an old lord and the RPG also mentions that it is 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. Dark Factions goes as far to call it a forgotten one.

C'Thun
C'Thun is one of the few 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 surfaced once again 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.

Yagg-Saron
Described by the resurrected Ursocas "the beast with a thousand maws", Yogg-Saron is only the second of the Old Gods to be explicitly named as such. Apparently, Yogg-Saron dwells deep beneath the Grizzly Hills of Northrendwhere the roots of the failed World Tree Vordrassilhave penetrated his lair. Through these roots, Yogg-Saron corrupted the tree as well as the Grizzlemaw furbolgs that moved into its shattered stump.

Slinkin the Demo-gnome, killed while investigating the Wintergarde Keep, discovered before his death that the Scourgewere apparently at odds with Yogg-Saron. His last note indicates that the word "Yogg-Saron" is said with great contempt and is usually followed by loud outbursts. The Scourge are mining Saronitein the Wintergarde Mine to fuel their war machines implying that it is a material derived from Yogg-Saron. Saronite has also been known as the "black blood of Yogg-Saron", further implying this connection.

Yogg-Saron's underground lair appears to extend through much of east-central Northrend; his influence has been felt directly in the Grizzly Hills (Vordrassil, the Grizzlemaw furbolgs and Ursoc), Dragonblight (Ahn'Kahet: The Old Kingom, with faceless one and a sect of the Twilight's Hammer dedicated to Yogg-Saron) and the (, and the corrupted Titan guardian Loken).

Yogg-Saron is located within "the Prison of Yogg-Saron" inside Ulduar, and is the final boss, much as C'Thun was the final boss in Ahn'Qiraj.

Common Factors
Beyond the things attributed to the Old Gods as a whole, individual Old Gods share some common factors between them. Both C'Thun and Yogg-Saron are fought with a section of their bodies sticking out of the ground in the center of a room, with an unknown amount of their forms remaining below. They both appear to have numerous tentacles below ground, which can come to the surface to aid in combat. The battles with both Old Gods call for damage to be done to something within each Old God's submerged form to weaken or remove a shield: Killing a Flesh Tentacle in the Stomach of C'Thun, and weakening the Brain of Yagg-Saron in the Mind's Eye (Which may or may not be a physical place in the God).

The avatars of C'Thun and Yogg-Saron, the Qiraji and faceless one respectively, are similar in a few ways. Faceless ones have similar posture and shape to qiraji gladiators (Which may be due to recycling of wireframes, to some extent). Also, both groups have a general with vaguely similar names, General Rajaxx and General Vezax, and a religious leader, The Prophet Skeram and Herald Volazj (Harbringer Skyriss too, but his affiliation is unknown).

Master's Glaive
The dead forgotten one in the Master's Glaive is believed to be an Old God or at least one of their minions.

Forgotten Ones
The forgotten ones are massive and powerful tentacle-bearing aberrations living in the deepest reaches of Azjol-Nerub. Forgotten ones seethe below, eager to return to the world above. Arthas fought one of forgotten ones on his way to the Frozen Throne. The forgotten ones may be lesser Old God or their minions. The faceless one mobs in the Old Kingdom are referred to as forgotten Ones. This seems to lend credence to the idea that the Old Gods and the forgotten ones are not necessarily the same thing or that the term forgotten one is a title for Old Gods or their servant.

Hakkar the Soulflayer
Hakkar the Soulflayer is believed to be an old god. It is speculated that he is either an Old God himself or the son of an Old God. He may also be the power behind the Emerald Nightmare.

Ula-tek
Ula-tekis believed to be one of the Old Gods, or at least linked to them much like the Blood God Hakkar the Soulflayer.

Ragnaros
Some believe, such as the Dark Iron Dwarves, that Ragnaroswas not only one of the Elemental Lords but one of the Old Gods himself (or somehow took on Old God status, this is likely the dwarves' opinion relating to their awe and terror more than a genuine knowledge of how powerful the Old Gods actually were).

Summoned Old God
Summoned Old God is a creature described as an "ancient and powerful evil" who resembles C'thun and is being summoned by the arakkoa of Shadowmoon Valley. Perhaps another Old God? This is quite likely due to the similarity of its appearance, however, it may be a forgotten one. The recent summoning of Ahunein Outland makes this possible.

Presence of the Old God
Presence of the Old God is a maw located in Icecrownwhich resembles C'thun. They also both share the same model. The maw is located at the bottom of some water in the middle of the Weeping Quarry, and moves and seems to be alive.

Blood of the Old God
Blood of the Old God is the name of an NPC in the Grizzly Hills. It uses a spell called "Corruption of the Old God".

Anzu
Anzu appears to be some sort of god or demigod. It is not clear if he is connected to the Old Gods but he is apparently at work in the Emerald Dream.

Aku'mai
Aku'mai, the final boss of Blackfathom Deeps, is stated to have been a favorite pet of the Old Gods. The Sundering awoke the hydra Aku’mai who claimed the ruins as her lair.

Prince Thunderaan
Prince Thunderaan is believed to be a son of Al'Akir, another of the Old Gods' Elemental Lords.

Whispers of the Old Gods
The Old Gods sometimes whisper to mortals, ultimately driving them mad.

Neltharion, Malfurion, and Varo'then listened to the old whisperings of the old gods who tainted their thoughts when they had the Demon Soul in their hands. Eventually, Neltharion lost clarity of his mind calling himself "Deathwing" and seeking to destroy all non-draconic life. Malfurion has also stated that "Ysera's noble brood has fallen victim to the old whisperings". Highborne queen Azsharais said to have heard the calls of the Old Gods who promised to save the life of the highborne victims of the Sundering by transforming them to serpentine nagas. She accepted their offer. Later, the exiled Highbornelanded in Tirisfal Glades after their exile and started going insane due to whisperings.

Even the tauren history within the scrolls of lore at the Elder Rise in Thunder Bluff mentions "The dark whispers from the deeps of the world".

Brann's Discovery
Within Ulduar's Halls of Stone, after enduring the Tribunal of Ages, Brann Bronzebeard and the party who aided him discover the connection between the Old Gods and the Titans. Evidently, the Old Gods had infected Azeroth early in its development by the Titans, and the spreading of that infection had bonded them symbiotically with the infant world. If the Titans had destroyed the Old Gods (which they had intended to do...at first. This does raise some lore inconsistencies as the Titans are said to have come to this world and found the presence of the Old Gods), Azeroth itself would have been destroyed along with them. The Old Gods were banished beneath Azeroth's surface, and both the Aesirand Vanir(storm giants and earth giants, respectively) and the Dragon Aspects were appointed as protectors, with Lokenserving as "prime designate".

At some point during his stewardship, Loken came under the sway of Yogg-Saron and eventually betrayed both the Pantheon and his own brother, Thorim. He resides in Ulduar's Halls of Lightning, seeking to free Yogg-Saron and bring down the Pantheon.

More than five Old Gods
The RPG seems to imply that there may be more Old Gods than the five chained below Azeroth. The remains of one or more of these other Old Gods can be found on the surface of the world. If so, perhaps these other Old Gods are lesser ones. This would explain how some Old Gods are apparently dead, while others are easy to kill in spite of their supposed power. The Old Gods C'thun and Yogg-Saron may be eternal, and therefore, ultimately un-killable however still defeatable. This would explain why the all powerful Titans buried 5 Old Gods opposed to killing them.

Myth

 * The names and overall nature of the Old Gods are an homage to the various group of deities from the Cthulhu Mythos in the works of H.P. Lovecraft (first stage), Brian Lumley (third stage), and the Call of Cthulhu RPG. C'Thun appears to be based on cthoniansand. Yogg-Saron appears to be based on the Outer God Yogg-Sothoth.