Outland

Lore & Background

Long before the rise of the Horde on Azeroth, the orcs lived peacefully on Draenor. However, the Warlock Ner'zhul, acting on his own initiative to escape Draenor, recklessly opened portals to other worlds, tearing the planet apart and shattering it into the broken expanse known as Outland. This catastrophic event created floating continents held together by unstable ley lines and fel energy. The Burning Legion already had a presence on Draenor before the shattering, and they continued to corrupt the native Draenei and Orcs.

Illidan later claimed the region for himself, seizing the Black Temple in Shadowmoon Valley—originally the sacred Draenei Temple of Karabor, which was corrupted by the orcish Horde during their invasion of Draenor prior to the shattering, and later taken over directly by the Burning Legion—and using it as his base to hunt demons while simultaneously becoming a threat to Azeroth. Outland remains a place where ancient secrets lie buried beneath ash and lava, waiting for those brave enough to traverse its dangerous zones.

Reader's Guide

Outland serves as the primary setting for The Burning Crusade expansion, representing a hostile frontier where Azeroth's defenders confront ancient evils. Once the peaceful homeworld of the Orcs known as Draenor, this dimension was fractured by magic and now floats in a chaotic void. Travelers arriving through the Dark Portal find themselves in Hellfire Peninsula, a scorched wasteland dominated by the Burning Legion's influence. From there, adventurers explore diverse zones like the lush but corrupted Zangarmarsh or the floating peaks of Blade's Edge Mountains.

This world matters deeply to lore enthusiasts because it reveals the origins of the Orcish race before their corruption. It also hosts pivotal locations such as the Black Temple and Tempest Keep, where major storylines regarding Illidan Stormrage unfold. Factions like the Shattered Sun Offensive operate here to seal rifts threatening Azeroth itself. Players must navigate treacherous terrain filled with fel orcs, demons, and mutated beasts while uncovering secrets of the Sunwell. Ultimately, Outland is a crucible where heroes prove their worth against the Legion's remnants.

Did You Know?

• Outland was originally the planet Draenor before it was shattered by Ner'zhul's reckless portal magic, which he opened on his own initiative to escape, not on orders from the Burning Legion.
• Many zones in Outland feature floating islands suspended in a violet nebula sky.