Theradras

Princess Theradras was an enormous earth elemental and the onlyPrincess Theradras (tactics)#Adventure Guide daughter of Therazane the Stonemother. After mating with Zaetar, son of Cenarius, Theradras became the mother of the centaur of Kalimdor. She was aligned with the Old Gods,Princess Theradras (quest) and Zaetar's relatives considered her to be a creature of evil and chaos.Celebras#QuotesCorruption of Earth and Seed (quest)
==Biography==
===Birth of the centaur===
Though most of the elementals were sequestered in the Elemental Plane by the titan-forged, Theradras, daughter of Therazane, evaded capture and hid below the earth, eventually falling into a long slumber. Many millennia later—1,100 years before the First War—tauren shaman accidentally awakened Theradras, having mistaken her faint whisperings for their voice of their benevolent deity, the Earth Mother. The years of slumber had weakened Theradras' form, and she reached out to the verdant lands around her, draining their life energies to restore her power. In that moment, the fertile grassland of Mashan'she was transformed into a barren desert which would later be renamed "Desolace" by the horrified tauren.
The monumental loss of life sent ripples throughout Azeroth and even the Emerald Dream. Zaetar, the first son of Cenarius, emerged from the Dream to investigate and eventually discovered Theradras in heir lair. However, instead of imprisoning the elemental, he became enticed by her stolen life energies and fell in love with her. Theradras realized the influence she had over the half-stag being, and—as she found Zaetar beautiful as well—claimed that together the two could restore the land's beauty. From their forbidden union, the centaur race was born. The first centaur were Kolk, Gelk, Magra, Maraudos, and Veng, who became the first five khans. The centaur saw the disgust in their father's eyes and brutally killed Zaetar, but Theradras harshly chastised them for their actions. Realizing that they had broken their beloved mother's heart, the centaur begged for forgiveness and promised to honor Zaetar's memory. Fearful of Cenarius' wrath,Patch 1.2.0: New Dungeon - Maraudon Theradras entombed Zaetar's spirit in her lair, which the centaur would later name Maraudon and treat as holy ground, and sequestered herself with her dead lover's body in her secret sanctuary, the Crystal Caverns of Terramok. Influenced by the Old Gods, she used the energies of Zaetar's spirit to transform her home into a den of corruption and suffering.Maraudon#Adventure GuideWorld Dungeons: Maraudon
The satyr Lord Vyletongue and his Putridus followers journeyed into Maraudon after hearing of its corruption. Theradras was wary of the demon at first, but Vyletongue proved his worth by creating various minions, such as Noxxion and Razorlash, to act as servants for the princess and ease her loneliness.Lord Vyletongue#Adventure GuideNoxxion#Adventure Guide
===World of Warcraft===
Theradras loved the centaur, and she was worried that the Horde's rise to power might eventually drive them to extinction. After years of hostilities with the orcs and their allies, she acted to save her progeny. She infused the centaur with her power, driving them to make war and claim new territories outside Desolace. Most centaur were deeply loyal to Theradras, yet the Magram clan had no such loyalty and thus were perfect allies for the Horde. The Horde helped suppress the other, violent tribes and then its champions turned their attention to Maraudon itself. They journeyed into the depths of the burial ground and slaughtered every creature inside it, including Theradras. Their victory halted the spreading corruption in Desolace and stopped the violent bloodlust in the centaur. With the Horde's blessing, the Magram became the leaders of the united centaur and led them to an age of tranquility. Yet none knew how long they would stay on the path of peace.
===Cataclysm===
During the Elemental Unrest, Theradras returned as Crown Princess Theradras, one of four lieutenants aiding Cho'gall and his Twilight's Hammer cult. Despite Cho'gall's encouragement, she refused to leave Terramok; since it housed the remains of her beloved Zaetar, she considered the place to be her home and intended to stay there forever. However, she agreed to aid the Twilight's Hammer by sending earthquakes to the surface world, since she enjoyed spreading strife and destruction.Crown Princess Theradras#Quotes The forces of King Magni Bronzebeard and Garrosh Hellscream entered Maraudon and defeated the princess once again.Earth Girls Aren't So Easy
Although she is canonically already deceased, Theradras can still be killed in Maraudon and her death is required for the updated quest Princess Theradras (quest).
Theradras was deeply grieved by her mother Therazane, who came to resent mortals for killing her only daughter "with no provocation".
==Quotes==
==Notes==
*Old God relics called theradric crystal carvings are found throughout Maraudon.Twisted Evils
*The Gelkis clan believed that Theradras protected them from afar, and hoarded a type of crystal they called the "tears of Theradras".Broken Tears (quest)
*Before her debut in World of Warcraft, the princess' story was detailed in the now non-canon Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game.
==Speculation==
The reason she did not respawn in Deepholm like other earth elementals after their death could be because she was never linked to the Elemental Plane in the first place since she evaded capture.
==References==
Category:Earth elementals
Category:Aristocrats
Category:Deceased characters
Category:RPG characters
Category:Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game