Darnassus

Darnassus

Map of Darnassus

**Darnassus** (aka **Darnassus City**) is the capital city of the night elves of the Alliance. The high priestess, Tyrande Whisperwind, resides in the Temple of the Moon, surrounded by other sisters of Elune and her mate, the Arch-Druid Malfurion Stormrage.

Darnassus is the greatest city of the night elves, housing the leaders of both the druids and the faithful of Elune. It is carefully guarded by Sentinels, ancient protectors, and ancients of war.

## Description

The atmosphere inside the city is quiet and tranquil. It does not have the feeling of confinement that one would feel in Stormwind orIronforge, where the buildings are grouped close together. Darnassus is open to the sky, and the graceful bridges spanning the lake around which it is built set the buildings wide apart. The elegant bridges, beautiful groves, and leaf-covered pathways that dot the city’s landscape are testaments to the night elves’ reverence for nature. One of Darnassus’s most notable structures is the stunning Temple of the Moon, the center of worship for High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind and her Sisters of Elune. The prime reason why the city's population is so low is that it is isolated: Teldrassil is a small island away from the main mass of Azeroth, and the only way to gain access from another continent is to fly or sail to Rut'theran Village, a small settlement at the base of Teldrassil, and from there step into the glowing portal to the city proper. Darnassus is home to night elves of all vocations, and the city has recently opened its doors to human refugees from Gilneas as well. Many of these embattled humans have contracted a strange curse that transforms them into feral wolf-beasts known as worgen. Although they’re usually reclusive, the night elves have allowed these outsiders into Darnassus because they know the perils of the Gilneans’ cursed state all too well: it was, in fact, a group of night elf druids that created Azeroth’s first worgen millennia ago. Despite the arrival of these new residents, Darnassus remains a symbol of the night elves’ rich culture and glorious history.

## History

### After the Third War

In the aftermath of the Third War, the night elves had to adjust to their mortal existence. Such an adjustment was far from easy, and there were many night elves who could not adjust to the prospects of aging, disease and frailty. Seeking to regain their immortality, a number of wayward druids conspired to plant a special tree that would reestablish a link between their spirits and the eternal world. With Malfurion Stormrage missing, Fandral Staghelm — the leader of those who wished to plant the new World Tree - became the new Arch-Druid. In no time at all, he and his fellow druids had forged ahead and planted the great tree, Teldrassil, off the stormy coasts of northern Kalimdor. Under their care, the tree sprouted up above the clouds. Among the twilight boughs of the colossal tree, the wondrous city of Darnassus took root. Darnassus was built to honor the survival of the night elven race.

### More Recent Times

Darnassus is a part of Teldrassil. a giant tree in the middle of the ocean. It is the capital city of the Night Elves and after the third war they sided with the Alliance to repel the nature hating orc. While they still hold a bond with their druid cousins, they didn't take it lightly when they joined the Horde. The easy way to enter the city is by taking a portal found at Rut'Theran Village and to return to the village you simply take the same one. Most notable people to reside here are Fandral Staghelm where he sends adventurers to do some tasks and Tyrande Whisperwind who is the official leader of their society. The city is an Alliance only territory.

Recently, Malfurion returned from the Emerald Dream and helped imprison Fandral, who, as it turned out, had been turned insane by Lord Xavius and responsible for the corruption of Teldrassil. Malfurion, druids and Alexstrasza with Ysera redeemed and blessed the Tree. Arch-Druid Stormrage now stands in the Temple of the Moon alongside his beloved.

### Seeds of Faith

Shortly after the Shattering, a memorial service was held there by Tyrande for all those who died in the villages hit by the Shattering.

### Cataclysm

With worgen and human refugees coming in from Gilneas, the Howling Oak was grown from a seed taken from Gilneas to serve as a home for them.

In the wake of the Cataclysm, Tyrande and Malfurion conducted a summit near Darnassus in order to vote the proud worgen of Gilneas into the Alliance. However, resentment of Gilneas and its ruler, Genn Greymane, runs deep in Stormwind's King Varian Wrynn. His refusal to forgive Genn for closing his nation off from the rest of the world years ago endangers more than just the summit: it threatens to unravel the Alliance itself. However, Varian's animosity was only one of many unsettling developments in Darnassus. An uneasiness creeps over the once-immortal night elves as the first of them fall victim to the infirmities of age. While they cope with their mortality, tensions flare over the reintroduction of the Highborne, formerly the highest caste of night elf nobility, into their society. Many night elves are unable to pardon the Highborne for the destruction unleashed on Azeroth millennia ago by their reckless use of magic. When a murdered Highborne was discovered on the outskirts of Darnassus, Malfurion and Tyrande move to stop further bloodshed and unrest by appointing one of the night elves' most cunning and skilled agents to find the killer: the renowned warden Maiev Shadowsong. Jarod Shadowsong, Maiev's brother, had also returned, and brought his wife with him in attempt to heal her of her illness. Jarod then cooperated with Maiev in helping her with her case. Meanwhile, Malfurion attempted to mend fences between Varian and Genn. After the battle for Ashenvale was over, the identity of the Highborne murderer was discovered and the Alliance resolved their issues and voted Gilneas back into the Alliance.

### Landfall

Thanks to the efforts of Agent Connelly, the Alliance found out what the horde were up to and took the upper hand. Night elf sentinels located the hidden crypt, found and secured the Divine Bell and took it to Darnassus, all thanks to the sacrifice of Sarannha Skyglaive.However, it was all in vain, as a sunreaver agent working for the horde infiltrated the city under the banner of neutrality by the Kirin Tor and entered undetected, he located the bell in the Cenarion Enclave and teleported it to Silvermoon City. After learning of the theft, Jaina goes to its former location and found specs of magic leading a path to the city's exit. After finding the source, she saw a portal leading to Dalaran and it was at this point that she realized that action needs to be taken. Soon after the discovery, the Purge of Dalaran began.

## Terraces

**Darnassus** is arranged in a few terraces on the north, east and southern sides of a central lake area.

* **Warrior's Terrace** (area beyond and including the city gate)
* **The Temple Gardens** (west over causeway from Warrior's Terrace)
* **Craftsmen's Terrace** (north of Warrior's Terrace)
* **Tradesmen's Terrace** (south of Warrior's Terrace)
* **The Temple of the Moon** (south over causeway from Temple Gardens)
* **Cenarion Enclave** (west of Craftsmen's Terrace)
* **The Howling Oak** (north between Cenarion Enclave and Craftsmen's Terrace)

## Notable Inhabitants

* Velkron Blackstone - Briefly, after his flight from Gilneas along with the other Gilnean survivors
* Tyrande Whisperwind
* Malfurion Stormrage
* Fandral Staghelm (formerly)
* Maiev Shadowsong (formerly/briefly)