Tempest Keep Tempest Keep is a former naaru fortress in the Netherstorm in Outland . This crystalline fortress is now ruled by Kael ' thas Sunstrider , the lord of the blood elves , and dominated by scores of his brethren . The structure is divided into three wings - satellites of the gigantic structure - with the fourth wing , the Exodar , now in the world of Azeroth as the Draenei capital . The three remaining wings are differentiated by the different color themes : " Tip " : One easy way to remember which is which is to look at their placement on the map . Starting at the top and working clockwise are B for Botanica , A for Arcatraz , and M for Mechanar , spelling the mnemonic " BAM " . History . The mighty Tempest Keep was created by the enigmatic Naaru , sapient beings of pure energy and the sworn enemies of the Burning Legion . As a base of operations for the Naaru , the structure itself possesses the technology to teleport through alternate dimensions , traveling from one location to another in the blink of an eye . With Outland serving as the strategic battlefront in the ongoing Burning Crusade , the Naaru used Tempest Keep to reach the shattered land . However , when the Naaru set out from their stronghold , Prince Kael ' thas and his blood elves quickly raided the dimensional fortress and assumed control over its satellite structures . Guided by some unknown purpose , Kael ’ thas manipulates the keep ’ s otherworldly technologies , using them to harness the chaotic energies of the Netherstorm itself . Though Kael ’ thas and his minions maintain a tight hold on the keep , a band of Draenei hijacked one of its satellite structures , the Exodar , and used it to escape Outland . In seeking out other worlds , the Draenei , led by the ancient prophet , Velen , hoped to find allies who would stand with them against the Legion and its nihilistic Crusade . The Exodar was damaged in the escape , and eventually crashlanded on Azeroth . Functioning . Tempest Keep can be accurately described as an enchanted fortress . It has the ability to Travel along the Twisting Nether - a realm of intense energy that links all the worlds of the Great Dark together . This is where the term " inter - dimensional " comes from . A " space ship " would simply traverse the distance of the great dark from point A to point B . Tempest keep uses the Twisting nether to travel almost instantaneously from place to place . In essence , it is a self - contained Dark Portal which operates on the same principle . Evolution of the concept . Tempest Keep was originally stated to be the " Dimensional Ship " which the Naaru provided for the draenei ' s flight from Argus . When the orcs were corrupted by Kil ' jaeden , it was believed that many draenei hid away in the Keep for many decades . Metzen : " The draenei nether - ship you ' ve been hearing about is far more than it seems . It ' s part of a larger dimension - traveling fortress called Tempest Keep that essentially teleports through alternate realities . It doesn ' t bank and roll or shoot photon torpedoes ( not yet , anyway ) . " . Quotes . In Tempest Keep . In a direct contradiction to the previous information about Tempest Keep , it was revealed in " Rise of the Horde " that Oshu ' gun , the gigantic crystal in Nagrand revered by the orcs as their " Mountain of Spirits , " was in fact the vessel that provided Velen and the draenei their escape from Argus , not Tempest Keep . It was also revealed in the Blizzard short " Unbroken " that Velen and the survivors did not flock to Tempest Keep to hide , but rather hid somewhere in the Zangarmarsh ( possibly the hidden Telredor , or the Orebor Harborage on the border with the Blade ' s Edge Mountains ) . The story regarding Tempest Keep was changed accordingly ; in " The Burning Crusade " manual , Tempest Keep was described as a naaru dimensional fortress that did not arrive on Draenor until " after " its destruction / transformation into Outland . The portion referring to Velen and the draenei raid on the Exodar in order to escape Outland was only slightly modified to fit the changed situation .